Start early, but not too early:

If you want to make the financial burden of Christmas shopping easier, consider starting a little earlier. Spreading the cost of Christmas out over a few months instead of just a few weeks can make it much easier to afford all of the gifts you want to give. Starting early not only spreads the cost out, it also gives you more opportunity to look for deals and sales. For example, you may find a great clearance sale on toys in mid-July. This could help you save significantly on Christmas if you get some of the gifts then. If your mom's favorite clothing store has a sale during the year, you can stock up on basics for Christmas, and save. However, one word of caution is that if you start too early, you end up not saving because it just means you buy more instead of buying smarter. Some people buy two or three times as much because they start so early. So, if you start early cut back on the shopping you do in December.

Shop online:

The main reasons that shopping online is going to help you save money on Christmas is that you are less distracted by sales, clearance racks, etc. and thus are less likely to pick up anything extra. Most merchandisers know that if you see or touch something you are far more likely to purchase it. They also know that if they can lure you into their store for one on-sale item, there is a good chance you will leave with several items that were not on your list. Online shopping, while not immune to these marketing tactics, can help you spend less. If you know you want to pick up a shirt for your sister, and you go to a favorite clothing store online, you are less likely to browse, or grab jewelry in the checkout line then you are if you go in store. Of course, one thing you have to do is exercise some self control when shopping, even online, and especially online. Many online merchants will offer free shipping if you purchase over a certain amount of goods. If your shipping cost is going to put you over that amount, then go ahead and buy something more, however, if you have to double what you were planning to spend in order to save a few dollars, it is better to wait. In addition, whenever possible you will want to combine shipping while shopping online, so look for stores where you can buy gifts for multiple people on your list. For example, shop on Amazon.com, you can buy all sorts of items for all age ranges, and can pay low shipping rates.

Make a list:

If you want to save money on Christmas shopping you have to know what you are going to buy before you enter a store, and stick with your list. Stores send out plenty of fliers and catalogs, especially around Christmas time, so take time to go through these at home. If you go into the store not sure what you want, you will leave with far more items then you initially intended. So, make shopping as efficient as possible by knowing what you want, and go right in and get it. Some stores will allow you to call ahead and ask a sales associate to pull it off the rack in the sizes and styles you want and have it at the checkout for you. This is a good way to ensure you do not waste time looking for the item as well.

Stay busy when shopping:

This sounds silly, but it is going to really help you save money on Christmas shopping if you plan things to do while you wait in line at the stores. For example, carry a stack of envelopes you need to address, and do that while waiting in long lines. This will keep your hands busy so that you do not browse and buy those "cheap" items at the checkout. This is a marketing ploy. Stores will place accessories and lower cost items near the checkout so that while you wait in line you add a few little things that can really boost their sales. It is just like the grocery store where you justify the candy bar and gum because it is only a few more dollars. Stay busy so you do not add a few more dollars at every store.it really adds up.

Look for discounts and coupons:

There are some great websites that will give you coupon codes for popular clothing and merchandise stores. Mail fliers often offer discounts and coupons, or sometimes if you have shopped at the store in previous weeks you can get a discount by filling out a survey, or being a return customer. Take advantage of these discounts and coupons. Even if you only save ten percent here and ten percent there, it can really add up. If a store has a buy one get one free sale, take advantage of it and get two gifts for the price of one. Instead of giving two items to one person because you only had to pay for one, enjoy the savings and get two people crossed off your list with one purchase.

Try for free shipping:

A lot of places offer free shipping as Christmas nears, so before making a purchase check their promotional plans to see if you would be able to get free shipping or a bigger discount if you just waited a few days. Some places offer free shipping on larger orders that exceed a certain value. If you are not planning to spend that much, then call a few friends and see if anyone wants to combine their order with yours to cut down on shipping costs. Sometimes, if you opt for slower shipping you get a better price, or even free shipping, so consider this option, and order early enough that your gifts will still be on time for Christmas.

Sign up for those store cards, just be sure to pay them off right away:

If you are someone with a lot of self control a great way to save on Christmas shopping is to sign up for the in-store credit cards. Usually on your first purchase you will get a significant discount, often 20% or more. This is only going to help you save if you actually have the money for the purchase, and pay the card off right away so that you do not pay interest on the purchase. Sometimes you won't be able to pay them off until a few weeks later when you receive the actual account numbers, etc. by mail. If this is the case, set the money aside, write the check to pay it off and subtract it from your account in your ledger, or put it in a separate account right away. Just remember, if you open too many accounts it can negatively impact your credit score, so only use this approach for big ticket items, or for stores you spend a lot at. Also, make sure you get everything you want from that store on your first visit so that you get the discount on your entire purchase.

Shop with cash so you can't over-spend:

A lot of times we justify over-spending on Christmas shopping because we see good deals that would delight the hearts of the people we are giving gifts to. It is easy to swipe your credit card and tell yourself you will figure out a way to stretch your budget later to make it possible. Usually this leads to later stress and more money out of pocket because you pay interest. So, a great way to not buy things that you really do not need, consider just shopping with cash. This is a little dangerous if you are not careful with your cash, as it can be lost or stolen, but it also means that once your Christmas budget is gone, your Christmas shopping is over.

These are some easy to apply ideas to help you save some money on your Christmas shopping. In addition to these ideas you simply need to exercise some self control. It is easy to go overboard especially on things for your family and children, but remember how stressful debt is, and be smart about your Christmas shopping.