One of the reasons people dread the holidays is that it's hard to buy people gifts because they already have everything they want. Reasonably, people hate spending their hard-earned money on things that will be stuffed in a closet or otherwise wasted.

So let's make it easy for the people we love:  stop buying anything that isn't a true need. (And you need to be honest with yourself about what a need is. To assist: Toilet paper is a need. A new book is not a need. No! It really isn't.)

It's good for the spirit and the wallet to step back from instant gratification and practice  patience and self-control. When you want something, don't buy it immediately. Instead, put it on your Christmas list. If you don't get it for Christmas, you can always pick it up in an after-Christmas sale. You might find that you don't want it quite as much as you thought you did (another reason to delay gratification).

Getting into the habit of waiting a while before buying what you want is a good habit to have — and not just at Christmas time.