Let’s be honest — even those with debt are likely to spend at least a tiny amount on some version of a gift for someone. While I am a huge advocate for those with debt to make agreements with friends and family to skip traditional presents and focus on the more important aspects of the holidays like quality time with loved ones, USA Today provides a sensible guide to shopping on budget for the next few weeks.

The main take-aways from the article are the following:

“1. Have a plan.”

“2. Don’t fall for questionable deals.”

“3. Don’t miss any discounts.”

“4. Buy practical gifts.”

“5. Use cash or debit cards.”

Raj Patel writes for DebtGoal.com, a do-it-yourself system for getting out of debt and lowering your interest costs. DebtGoal.com incorporates all of the techniques discussed in this post and can help users understand and get visibility to and manage their debt finances.