Each year around this time millions of Americans are at the malls looking for just the right present for their friends, co-workers and family. Christmas presents are budget-busters because you generally don’t have a spot in your budget for gift-giving. While I can’t help you decide on what to buy, I can however help you save money on your gift giving this holiday season. Here are several ways you can

2011 is drawing to a close and if you’re like one of the 150 million Americans you are in debt. If you don’t want 2012 to be a repeat of this year you’ll need to make a plan to get out of debt in 2012. It takes more than just making a New Year’s resolution to reduce your debt. You’ll need a plan and you’ll need to stick to it.

There is no single best approach to getting out of debt. Everyones circumstances are different and each borrower’s debt strategy needs to take all kinds of factors into account. For example they need to consider their level of debt, kind of debt (there is a world of difference between credit card debt and mortgage debt for example), income and financial commitments.
Aside from the actual numbers involved, there’s the psychology

Here are some steps you can take to stop on the path of debt and start on the path to saving.
- Stop digging the hole. Sometimes when you’re in a mess, you think you can get yourself out so you keep trying and trying. What you’re doing is just digging yourself in deeper. An example of this is putting money into fixing a house that was a bad investment.

The reasons stores have sales isn’t to be nice to you, it’s to entice you to spend more money than you would have otherwise spent. Often times consumers get “tricked” into spending their hard earned cash quite foolishly. Here are a few situations when a sale isn’t really a sale after all.
- Buy one get the next item half off. Sure 50% off sounds great, but you have to