Black Friday, while not a recognized holiday, marks the 1st official day of Christmas shopping. Its said to be the time in which many retailers post their first profits of the year, moving companies from operating in the red (financial loss) to posting gains in the black. Well targeted ads promoting huge discounts draw people by the thousands out of their homes and into the stores. Often these shoppers are after one to two particular big-ticket items. They are willing to  line up hours before the retailer even opens, which by the way, is between 3-5AM. As they say, the early bird gets the worm. In cities across our nation, the traffic will be jammed and the shopping will be chaotic. Items will be crossed off Christmas lists and millions of dollars will change hands. Today is Black Friday.

I’m all for shopping, especially when its a great deal on something that is needed. But let me encourage you to have a written budget as you are buying gifts this Christmas season. This will certainly help your dollar go further and keep Black Friday from putting you in the red.

Here’s some suggestions based on how my wife and I create our Christmas budget and shopping lists.

1. Before anything else, write your reason for the season on the very top of this list. In all the chaos, this will help you remember it’s really about God’s gift to us through the birth of Jesus.
2. Establish a budget: determine how much money you’ve saved or can afford to set aside. Put that number in bold and embed it in your mind.
3. Create a list: write down the names of everyone you intend to buy for.
4. Allocate your cash: divide your budget up over each person on your list. Of course you may want to allocate more money for some. i.e. your parents or kids. Reality check here. Though you love her dearly, you may only have $15 bucks to spend on your Aunt Penny or Uncle Gary.
5. Know what you’re after: its helpful to know what you’re shopping for. It minimizes random purchases. Write down the item(s) you plan to buy for each person.
6. Stick to the budget: Keep your list handy & only purchase gifts that fit within the allocated amount.
7. Don’t Over Buy: once you’ve made your purchase, write down the amount spent and cross it off your list.

These are simple steps that will help you stay out of the financial red this holiday season. One last thing, leave the credit cards at home. Some gifts are just too tempting.

About the Author:
Daniel Mosley is the Team Pastor for our Internet Campus & Young Adults. He also leads our Production teams.