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It’s that time of year when Santa starts pulling overtime looking for the best gifts for loved ones and friends. If you’re playing Saint Nick this year and have a list of presents to buy, there are a few easy practices that can make the shopping season easier to handle.

Make a budget and check it twice!

Creating a holiday budget is almost like writing a letter to Santa for grown-ups. First, establish how much you can allocate towards holiday spending. A good rule of thumb is to spend no more than 1.5% of your annual income on holiday expenses; however, your maximum should be based on your specific situation.

After you know how much you can afford for the holidays, it’s important to list all the items you’re planning to spend money on — gifts, food, travel, decorations, etc. — and decide if any modifications need to be made. Then, stick to your budget.

If you need help brushing up on your budgeting skills or want a professional to review it, reach out to your financial institution.

Use Mobile Banking Tools

Your financial institution should offer resources in its app and online to make holiday shopping easier, like payment scheduling, check depositing, money transferring, and online bill pay. Make sure to review your balances often and sign up for any account or fraud alerts offered.

At Ascend, our members also have free credit score monitoring in our app. If your financial institution offers a similar service, consider signing up for it.

Shop Early and Local

Procrastinating your holiday shopping can do more than cause last-minute stress — it can also cost you money.

Nowadays, it seems like holiday sales start even before Halloween. Getting all your shopping done in October might be a little much, but it’s a good idea to start shopping early so you can take advantage of the best deals and compare prices.

Another advantage of shopping early is that you have time to look at a wider variety of gifts, including those from small, local businesses. Shopping at these types of stores is a great way to help your community thrive, since the money you spend stays local. You can also usually find unique gifts that have more meaning.

Stick to Secure Sites

Unfortunately, grinchy criminals are always trying to take the joy out of the holiday shopping season. It’s common practice for scammers to set up fake websites that appear to be legitimate and are designed to steal your personal or financial information.

When shopping online, always ensure that the websites you use have “https” at the beginning of the URL and a closed padlock icon in the address bar. Those indicate you’re using a secure site. Also, do your research about who you’re buying from — look at reviews, for example — and only shop with reputable vendors.

Watch Out for Other Scams

In addition to criminals using fake websites, there are several other common holiday scams to watch out for, including non-delivery and non-payment scams. Non-delivery scams occur when you pay for something online but never receive it. Non-payment scams are almost the opposite — you sell something online, ship it, but never receive payment from the buyer.

It can be hard to know whether you’re buying or selling something from a reputable party. Verify the legitimacy of sellers and buyers before making payments or shipping your items.

Presence Over Presents

Everyone loves getting a present, especially during the holidays, but sometimes, being present is the most important gift of all. If you’re planning to do some physical shopping at a store instead of online, consider taking a friend or loved one and creating a lasting memory. And try to deliver your gift in person, if you can.

Have a fantastic holiday season!

Ascend is federally insured by the NCUA. Jessica Lawton is the Ascend Tullahoma Branch Manager