The Daily Mall Reader: Holiday Gift Buying

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Be a sane Santa: Don't force yourself into overspending this year

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Monday, December 02, 2002

(Excerpt) It's that time of year when temptation can get the best of us -- from the temptation to gorge (the average Thanksgiving meal weighs in at a belly-bursting 3,000 calories) to the temptation to overspend, particularly on holiday gifts for the children.

"The thing that gets people into the most trouble is they buy gifts and spend money, and then decide how they are going to pay for it," said Sanford Anderson, president of Luttner Financial Group, Downtown.

Planning ahead by creating a realistic holiday budget, and sticking to it, is the key to avoiding a financial hangover.

Read the full article here.