how we live

ADVICE, INSPIRATION & A LITTLE PEACE OF MIND

-  MELISSA MATTHEWS

SAVE ON THE SEASON

It's the most wonderful time of the year-and the most expensive. But it doesn't have to be!

WONDERING HOW MUCH all this pending holiday cheer will set you back? If you aren't, you probably should be. Last year, retail sales in November and December hit a record $964.4 billion. And more than a third of us went into debt to pay for our celebrations, according to a survey of nearly 2,000 people by LendingTree, an online loan marketplace. After all, there are tables to set, gifts to buy, plane tickets to book, and parties to attend. Those who carried a tab averaged a credit card balance of $1,028, the survey found. Bah humbug! To avoid turning Scroogey, we asked experts for their money-saving tips.

How to Be the Host Who Doesn't Spend the Most

START PLANNING, LIKE, YESTERDAY

We're only slightly exaggerating. "When you're pulling something together last-minute, you can be tempted to throw money at it," says Jenna Helwig, REAL SIMPLE's food director. Store shelves can be picked over during the holidays, and if you rush in like a contestant on Supermarket Sweep this November 27, you may be limited to pricier items-like a spendy bottle of wine rather than the good $12 stuff.

Plus, shopping early lets you spread out your expenses and take advantage of sales, says Andrea Woroch, a budgeting expert based in Bakersfield, California. Plunking down $62 a week is more palatable than $250 in one go, especially if you get more for your money. To find sales, Woroch uses a free app called Flipp. "You just enter your zip code and it aggregates circulars for your area."

DITCH THE STUFF NO ONE EATS