While we all enjoy the Christmas holidays, once the bills begin to arrive we are usually brought back down to earth with an attention-grabbing 'thud.' Many are just digging out from under last year's Holiday season, while others are still trying to claw their way back to light. But, it doesn't have to be that way. If you really want to avoid holiday debt you most certainly can, and here are some tips that should help:

• Open up a Christmas club account at your local bank on January 2nd. You can contribute as little as five- or ten dollars a week to the account (and certainly more if you can afford to) and by October you'll easily have at least several hundred dollars to spend on Christmas gifts and other holiday expenses. Here's a thought: instead of buying a cup of coffee everyday, put that money into your Christmas pot.
• Avoid using your credit card to buy gifts. It will only add to your ongoing debt and also has the potential to leave you stressed out when the bills roll in after the holidays. Whenever possible, pay your holiday expenses (and as many others as feasible, for that matter) with cash. If you have to buy an item with a credit card, don't hesitate to pay the bill off as soon as you receive it.
• A Christmas budget would be a great idea to decrease the likelihood that you might overspend on gifts. Make a list of the friends and family members you intend to give a gift to and assign both a per-gift and a total dollar amount for your spending. Then, make it a priority to stick to that budget.
• Begin Christmas shopping earlier in the year. There are usually sales going on somewhere every week of the year, so take advantage of them. You might even choose to buy two or more of the same item in case you need to give a gift you weren't initially planning on.
• If you like to shop online, use one – and only one – credit card. There are many online coupon sites that can offer you great savings throughout the year. Utilize the coupons, check out the sales, and then make your purchases. And as before, be sure to pay the credit card bill balance as soon as it arrives.
• Perhaps the kids want something this Christmas that's very expensive. However, if you can't afford it, don't buy it. With the list of gifts that they'll present to you, there are sure to be some items you can get that will make them happy.

Remember, holiday debt can be avoided if you start early, utilize a Christmas budget, put aside a few dollars every day or weekly, and go for the sales. Buying with credit cards is very easy to do these days, especially with the proliferation of internet-shopping sites. But if you maintain the discipline outlined above, you'll be able to pay off the Holidays before they even arrive, and start off the New Year running instead of crawling.