The fine art of resisting temptation.

• Position: Gift Budgeting

It seems to happen every year--no matter what we budget, many of us get caught up in the holiday spirit and end up spending more money than we really can afford to, relates Pamela Yellen, author of Bank on Yourself: The Life-Changing Secret to Growing and Protecting Your Financial Future.

Here are some holiday spending tips to combat the games Madison Avenue--and your mind--plays on you:

Pay with cash. These shoppers spend 20% less without feeling deprived, according to the National Foundation of Credit Counseling. Even the sight of a credit card logo excites a number of consumers, studies show. So, leave them at home.

Ask yourself why you want to buy something--whether it is for yourself or as a gift. You may realize that you are being manipulated into it by advertisements. Just that awareness often is enough to quench the thirst.

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Clench for savings. Making a fist or flexing your biceps has been shown to help people resist at the moment they are standing in front of a tempting purchase.

The gifts people remember the longest of. ten are free. Can you recall what Christmas presents you received five years ago? Neither can most...