The holiday season is fast approaching. Many stores already have Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations up and available for purchase.

And for many, ’tis the season for overspending.

I know it’s a lot of fun to be generous to those you love. Giving gifts at this time of year is one of the ways many people show how much they care for their loved ones.

But if you don’t have the money, don’t go overboard.

Remember that it is more important to show that you care for your family than to just give them things. If money’s tight, offer time together instead. The time may well be more treasured than what you would get for overspending in any case.

For older relatives, there’s the time you can spend with them. Promise to help run errands, cook meals or just visit more. The time spent will be like a gift to both of you.

Children may not notice as much how valuable time is when you give them the gift, but you can give them things that they will enjoy year-round. Think about annual passes to local attractions, for example. Theme parks. Go Card USA offers discounts on local attractions, and you can buy Six Flags tickets online.

When you buy gifts, do think of what you can afford. Popular it may be to have a ton of presents under the tree, but how many are really appreciated? How many will still be in use the following Christmas?

Don’t be one of the many people who loads up the credit cards so heavily at Christmas that you have trouble paying your bills later on. There are more important things.

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