The holidays are upon us - stores are decked with silver tinsel and red stockings; holiday tunes are playing; malls are full of shoppers in search of something special.

Of course, this can be an expensive time of year. In fact, Americans spend around $600 during the holiday season on purchases such as gifts, meals, decorations, and postage. That’s money you may not have available in your monthly budget.

So, to get the most out of your holidays, we offer you some advice that will help curb your holiday spending and not sacrifice your spirit of giving:

Use Online Discounts
Online shopping sites such as FatWallet.com help you save money and, in some cases, give you cash back (between 1% and 20% on your purchase). Other sites, like Bing shopping from Microsoft, offer shopping rebates. Also, The Bargainist makes it easy to follow the sales by tracking where the deals are in retail stores.

Comparison shopping sites, such as  PriceGrabber.com, allow you to search for an item (such as an MP3 player, a cardigan, or a specific toy), and compare across different stores AND brands. PriceGrabber also has a “Deal of the Day”, which offers you an in-demand item at a reasonable price.

Make Use of Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving - is a hectic day where stores offer bargains and sales to kick off the holiday shopping season. To prepare, you can visit the web sites of your favorite stores and research what sales to expect. There are also web sites listing holiday sale circulars. Your local newspapers will usually include Black Friday sales as well.

A more recent phenomenon is Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving when you’re able to find some of of the best deals online. Other advantages are that you’re able to save on gas and avoid the crowds of shoppers.

Find Affordable Ways to Decorate

• Purchase wrapping paper and bows at a local Dollar Store.
• Wrap gifts with newspaper, magazines or homemade paper artwork.
• Save money on greeting cards by buying them in bulk or by making them yourself.

Make a Budget and Stick to It
Like grocery shopping, making a budget for holiday shopping will clarify your spending capabilities and give you a clearer picture of what you can spend.

Look Through Thrift and Consignment Stores
Thrift stores, such as Goodwill, often book collections, housewares, clothes, furniture, toys and odds and ends that can suit the needs of your pickiest recipients.

Plus, when you shop at Goodwill, your benefits are doubled since the money you spend helps fund job training and career development programs. So, in essence, you’re giving to more than those on your list.

Volunteer
Be reminded that giving isn’t all about material goods. Help out in a soup kitchen or make a commitment to become a mentor. Not only will it make you feel good, you can sleep well knowing you made a positive impact in someone’s life.

Your Thoughts
Saving money during the holidays doesn’t mean you can’t find meaningful gifts for everyone on your list.

If you have suggestions for making the holidays special without spending too much, we’d love to hear them.

Until then, cheers to you and everyone else during this holiday season.