With the holiday break getting closer and closer, we at The Daily Eastern News can practically taste the sweet eggnog and sugar cookies that will be filling our tummies soon.

As Christmas decorations pop up everywhere and holiday carols sound in our eardrums louder every day, the desire to go full-on Christmas has taken over many people.

This past week there have been plenty of holiday deals for consumers to take advantage of, and many people have already gotten a chunk of their Christmas shopping done.

Whether it be from buying gifts or decorations, this season can quickly burn a hole in our wallets if we’re not careful.

That’s why we at The Daily Eastern News want to remind our readers of some things to keep in mind when making purchases this holiday season.

Budget your spending

Whether you have a solid income or not, it is a good idea to assess how much you are willing to spend in total on holiday gifts.

Once an overall budget is established, it will be easier to decide how much to spend on individual people.

Create a list of everyone you are shopping for and what they are getting; this will help you document not only how much you plan to spend on each person, but also who you have already bought presents for.

Don’t forget to budget for other expenses as well, as you want to make sure you can pay for food, gas, bills and decorations, if you wish.

Take advantage of deals, but be careful

Many deals ended on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but stores run holiday promotions all the way up to Christmas.

If you have an established budget, deals are a great way to find nice presents that are inexpensive.

A lot of deals can be found online. For instance, Amazon has sales running through Dec. 2. Sometimes browsing through their deals can spark ideas for items that people would like as gifts.

The availability of reviews is a plus about shopping online, so you can ensure that what you’re buying will be high-quality.

On the flip side, be careful to not buy something you don’t need simply because it is on sale. Stick to your budget to avoid accidental overspending.

Consider home-making gifts

It is one thing to buy something for 10 dollars, wrap it up and give it to someone. But taking the time to hand-make something for a loved one says a lot more.

Whether you’re creative or not, there are a lot of homemade gift ideas online with directions on how to make them.

It does not cost much to use your talents for others’ benefit, and a gift that utilizes your time is more meaningful.

No matter how you decide to go about gift-giving, decorating and celebrating, it is important to be money-conscious.

Sometimes it is hard to hold back from buying all the Christmas-themed items that catch your eye. However, staying frugal will help you to avoid post-holiday regret.