Don’t go into debt and or rack up huge credit card bills in order to buy your friends and family gifts for the holidays. It’s not worth the anxiety, setback and stress going into the new year. Send a card, write a letter or make a phone call. As always it’s the thought, not the gift that counts.

Kids don’t need much. Lots of great memories can be had without digging into debt.

3 in 10 Americans Are Still Paying for Last Year’s Holiday Expenditures

But that won’t stop them from tacking on still more debt. “Holiday shoppers are expected to spend generously this year, with the National Retail Federation estimating the average consumer’s outlay at $1,007 for everything from gifts to food to holiday attire — a 4.1 percent increase from last year.”

h/t Baseba11er