by So family
With Thanksgiving over, Christmas is only a few weeks away. Those weeks will turn into days and those days into only hours. It's never too late to start preparing on a merry budget. You can have a wonderful holiday without breaking your bank and walking away with empty pockets. We've created a list of tips to help you get started on your Christmas Budget that will work for the last few weeks leading up to the special day.

1. Set the Budget Now - Set your Christmas budget and be honest with yourself. Decide how much you're able to spend and prepared to spend for the holiday. The amount should be a combination of your savings and money you can set aside just for this.

2. The Lists - Create a list of people you are shopping for and list the item(s) that you'd like to purchase for them. Based on the price of the gift they want will determine how many gifts each person should get. Keep a list of gifts you've already purchased so you don't double up.

3. Talk About the Gifts - Ask children, especially, what gifts they'd like more than others. This will help you gage which gifts you can cross off of the list.

4. Plan the Attack - Do your research. Find out which stores are selling the gifts you'd like to purchase. You may be able to find many of these items through online shopping as well.

5. Sale Advantage - Take advantage of all the big sales leading up to the big day. You can find bigger savings the closer you get to the day, but you'll also find crowded parking lots and long lines as well. Check the Sunday paper for these deals and visit the individual stores websites.

6. DIY Gifts/Cards - Put on your creative hat and start decorating and writing your own cards. You can also create your own gifts. You may have gifts like lotions, shower gels and candles that you've never opened from the previous year. This is a great time to get the kids involved. Allow them to make gifts for family members. People also appreciate baked goods as gifts. Wrap those homemade cookies nicely and give them out to several people.

7. DIY Decorations - You can create your own gift wrapping paper by using brown paper and then decorating it with stickers, stamps, drawings and more. You can also create decorations for your home, such as ornaments and ribbons.

8. Artificial is Okay - Save on the Christmas tree this year. Instead of purchasing a real tree, you can find a small artificial tree for a good price.