My mom and I will have a Super Shopping Day. We go through the entire mall store by store, quickly checking things out. Speed is the theme at this point. When we find something that might be a good gift for someone on our list, we write down the item, price, and place next to the person's name. This takes about an hour.

Then, we sit down to lunch and compare our notes. Some stores have similar items for much lower prices or a gift better suited for someone at a lower price. It also helps ensure that we don't buy multiple gifts for one person, and then have nothing for someone else.

Then we write a final shopping list by store. We split the list up between us and each head to the stores on our particular list to buy whatever we need. We usually try to have mostly cash so we can hand it off to each other. That way, my mom can buy whatever gifts I need for me and ditto for her. No need for both of us to wait in line at Macy's.

We can get most, a few times all, of our Christmas shopping done in about 3 hours. That includes lunch. And we can cut our budgets by almost half because we don't over buy and make fewer trips.

For more than thirty years I have followed the same plan -- and shared it with others -- and it's ALWAYS been successful. I purchase gifts throughout the year. Except for my husband and two children my entire family lives across the country. So all gifts that must be mailed are sent by November 1. I don't stand in long lines, I can take advantage of sales, the gifts I want are not sold out, and the packages are less likely to be lost in the mail. If any are lost or damaged in transit, I have plenty of time to replace them. I write holiday cards on Thanksgiving and the next day (remember, I'm not shopping!), and I mail them that Saturday. From Thanksgiving weekend until Christmas, I purchase gifts for my immediate family (if I haven't done so already), I rest, and I party. In short, I enjoy the holiday season. It's wononderful!

Don't spend a ton of money on holiday event gowns/dresses! Shop at an online discount boutique rather than higher-end stores like Neiman or Saks.

Pare your holiday gift list down by drawing names within extended family groups. For the immediate family, give them wish lists to fill out and ask them to return them by the day after Thanksgiving. Keep a gift ideas list from year to year, and a shopping list with sizes, preferences, etc. (i.e. Lizzie wears pierced earrings.) All are available online at http://www.habitudes.info. Split the shopping responsibilities with a partner, if possible. Plan a "wrap fest" for the whole family and get all of the wrapping done at once - bring the supplies into the living room, light a fire in the fireplace, enjoy some hot cider, and listen to holiday music while you wrap away.