No one wants to suffer the post-holiday shopping blues. One of the best ways to be financially prepared for the holidays is to start saving early. Following the three tips below can help you enjoy the holiday season without the financial stress.

Budgeting is an important piece of being financially prepared for the holidays. Consider the amount you’ve spent in recent years on gifts, food, activities, and travel. Use this amount to set a realistic savings goal. If this goal seems a bit ambitious, look for places where you can cut expenses.

Sticking to your budget can be difficult, especially when swept up in the holiday spirit. Keep track of your holiday spending. This will allow you to keep tabs on how much you’ve spent and how much room is left in your budget.

Saving early allows you to spread the cost of Christmas out over time. Take your holiday budget and divide it by the number of months left in the year before Christmas. That will help you determine how much you need to save each month to be prepared for the holidays. Set up an automatic transfer for this amount into a savings account each month.

An Adams Bank & Trust Christmas Club account makes this process simple. With no minimum to open and no service fees, a Christmas Club account allows you to save a set amount each month and earn interest. Come October, the money you saved will be automatically deposited into your AB&T checking account just in time for stress-free holiday shopping.

It can be tempting to turn toward credit cards, payday loans, or “buy now, pay later” schemes to cover the cost of Christmas. Avoid relying on these types of solutions unless you have a plan in place for repaying them. Financing your holiday spending only adds financial stress and could have a negative impact on your credit score if you default on payments.

Establishing a budget and savings plan for the holidays can help you focus on the time you spend with loved ones, rather than the money you spend on gifts. We often don’t remember the gifts we received as much as the time we spent with friends and family during the holidays. Use these tips to prepare financially and prioritize presence over presents to create lasting memories.