If you’ve been working all year to control your spending habits, now’s not the time to slip up and trip over the finish line, especially if it means you’ll be paying off the holidays well into the new year. But that doesn’t mean punishing yourself with a holiday so frugal even Scrooge would call it cheap. There are several steps you can take to spend intentionally and be responsible while still making the most of the happiest time of the year.

1. Set a budget

Wise spending always starts with setting a budget. In a study by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., consumers who had set budgets reported feeling:

• More in control (62%).
• More confident (55%).
• More secure (52%).

On the other hand, consumers without budgets were more likely to report negative feelings, like:

• Not being in control (19%).
• Worried (18%).
• Stressed (17%).

2. Factor holiday travel into your plans

If you’ve ever flown during the holidays, you’re already familiar with the higher-than-normal prices. However, if you know that you’re going to be flying in December, then the best time to buy a ticket is in October, when tickets are cheaper.

Otherwise, it helps to know which days of the month are cheaper to fly on and then plan your trip accordingly. According to research by NerdWallet, the cheapest days to fly around Thanksgiving are the Saturday, Monday and Tuesday before and the following Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday. As for December, Christmas Eve is typically the cheapest time to fly, but that comes with pretty obvious trade-offs — not least of which is the danger of a delayed or canceled flight.

In short, the sooner you can book your flight, the better.

3. Cook from scratch

With high-stakes meals like those for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve to prepare, it’s tempting to simply order catering. However, if you’re trying to control costs, it’s better to enlist your own kitchen rather than a professional caterer.

According to a 2020 cost analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the cost of a 10-person Thanksgiving dinner in 2020 was $46.90. That price covered a 16-pound turkey, pumpkin pie mix and 3 pounds of sweet potatoes. Obviously, that leaves room for a lot of variation, but that’s still much more manageable than the $40-$200 cost range of ordering premade. Especially if you follow the next tip.

4. Share the responsibility

The holidays are a time for coming together and sharing with friends and family. Turning a holiday dinner into a potluck is one of the best ways to satisfy this fundamental human need. If you’re hosting this year’s dinner, consider making a sign-up list so everyone can volunteer to bring their favorite dishes to share. That will ensure that no one’s financial burden is too great and promote a diverse spread that will leave everyone satisfied.

5. Get your shopping done early

We’ve all been there: The third week of December rolls around, and we haven’t bought a single item on our list. Suddenly, we’re in a rush, buying anything and everything we can to make up for the delay. In our rush, we set our budget aside just to get the job done.

Instead, start early. You’ll be able to make decisions with a clear head and be able to plan for special deals and sales events.

6. Shop with a plan

When you do finally get into the store, it’s best to go with a plan or list of what you’re going to buy. The more specific you can be, the better your shopping experience — not to mention your final bill — will be.

Otherwise, you may fall victim to “shopping momentum” — i.e., “when an initial purchase provides a psychological impulse that enhances the purchase of a second, unrelated product.” In other words, once you make one purchase, you are more likely to make a second purchase, then another, then another and so on. If you’ve already decided what you’re going to buy in the store, you’re better able to resist the urge to continue buying based on whims.

7. Don’t fall for Black Friday hype

On average, in-store discounts hit 37% on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. However, not every deal offered on this pseudo-holiday is the bargain it’s made out to be. For example, some stores have been guilty of inflating discount amounts to make it seem like you’re saving more money than you actually are. And doorbuster sales — those sales that are only available early in the morning and on items in short supply — are designed to get you in the door and started on your shopping momentum, buying things that you either had no intention of buying or that aren’t discounted as much as they seem.

It may only be October, but now is the time to commit to a financially responsible holiday season. Follow the tips we’ve outlined here, and you’ll have a holiday season that’s easy on your wallet and your mind.

Sam Wright is a project manager at Stage Marketing, a full-service content marketing agency based in Pleasant Grove.