One way to ensure a happy new year is to manage your holiday spending carefully. While it sounds simple, many of us struggle to do it. Here are a few tips to help you maintain a budget-friendly holiday season.

CREATE A PER-PERSON HOLIDAY BUDGET

According to the National Retail Federation, the average consumer will spend about $688.87 this holiday season, and many will charge this amount to their credit cards. Considering an 18 percent interest rate and only making the minimum payment each month, it could take three years to pay off this year’s holiday expenses! To avoid this, you need to establish a budget. Start by setting a spending limit for each person and stick to it. Make all your purchases with cash. If it’s too late for this year, start fresh in 2013. Open a savings account for holiday spending, set your per-person limits, divide your total by 50, and deposit that amount weekly. This way, you can look forward to less credit card debt in 2014.

SET GOALS FOR THE COMING YEAR

Why think about the future before starting your holiday shopping? It helps you see where you want to be next year and how far off you might be from that goal now. It also shows how much further away you could be if you don’t control impulse buying. Saving for a new car or home is much harder if you have higher credit card payments.

LEAVE YOUR EMOTIONS AT HOME

Emotions can significantly impact your credit card debt during the holidays. It’s easy to get caught up in the joy of giving, especially to enthusiastic children. But try to leave these emotions at home when shopping, as they can lead to unnecessary purchases. Four common emotional triggers for buying are convenience, envy, security, and elation. Recognize these triggers while shopping. When faced with a significant unplanned purchase, go home and think it over for 24 hours. You might find that the urge to buy fades away.

BUILD YOUR SAVINGS AS YOU GO

While shopping, why not boost your savings, too? We’ve already discussed that using cash during the holiday season is best. Take it further by paying only with bills and saving all the coins you collect in a jar. After New Year’s Day, deposit these coins into your savings account. Last year, I managed to add a little over $20 this way—not much, but it’s money I wouldn’t have otherwise.

This holiday season doesn’t have to lead to a bout of New Year’s depression when the credit card bills arrive. Keep these tips in mind, and you may find yourself in a better financial position in the coming year.

Do you have other tips for controlling holiday spending?