<p class="p1"><span class="s1">So, it’s the end of November and the weather is getting colder. There’s a nip in the air and soon there’ll be carols playing. Storefronts are getting decorated and people start being nicer to one another.</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Yes indeed, it’s Christmas once again. That very special time of the year where friends and family get together to exchange gifts. However, for many of us, not only does growing mean less presents during Christmas, but it also signifies a time when the magic of Christmas seems to just disappear.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">What was once the highlight of your childhood has now become just another holiday. Try as you might, it seems the magic that once was has been lost forever. Nowadays, the Christmas season seems to make you feel depressed or even stressful at times.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Don’t worry, you’re far from being alone. From a 2015 survey conducted by Healthline, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-stresses-us-most-at-the-holidays-113015"><span class="s2">62 percent of respondents</span></a> reported that they experienced significant amounts of stress during the pre-Thanksgiving and Christmas season(s).</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">To top it all off, 47 percent of them reported that they were most stressed out by financial matters. This should hardly come as a surprise because as <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/09/17/shoppers-expected-spend-more-than-1-trillion-holiday-season/2311725001/"><span class="s2">studies have shown</span></a>, the holiday season is a time where consumers are expected to spend the most.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">With Christmas just around the corner, we want to help you make the most of the holidays. Eat, drink and be merry with those that matter the most to you. Here we present to you our guide on how you can make the most of the upcoming holidays.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>1. Keep the celebrations simple</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">We’ve been brought up on a healthy diet of wholesome Christmas movies that remind us that the holidays should be a joyous and perfect time with everyone getting along. Reality isn’t that simple however and sometimes things just don’t go according to plan.</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Instead of setting yourself up for an overly ambitious Christmas and New Year, keep things simple and celebrate the holidays with people close to you. A simple dinner party with good food and great company can make all the difference. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Forget the Hallmark style Christmas and just enjoy the fact that you’re surrounded by those who really matter.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2. Take a break from social media</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Social media can be lethal during the holidays (we’re really not exaggerating here). From wholesome Instagram stories of happy families to perfect parties, the holidays are not a time to be falling into the <a href="https://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/life-issues/challenges/media-and-entertainment/social-media-and-the-comparison-trap/"><span class="s2">comparison trap.</span></a></span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Forget Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat and focus on friends and family. After all, aren’t the holidays a time for all of us to reconnect with one another?</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>3. Set up a holiday budget</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Retailers and marketers everywhere love Christmas just as much as the little kids, if not more so. Besides being bombarded with Christmas carols, you’ll also have to contend with the barrage of advertisements exhorting you to shop more and save less.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">After all, how are you going to enjoy the spirit of Christmas if you aren’t splurging on expensive gifts for just about everyone.</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Forget all of that, make yourself a holiday budget and stick to it all the way. Setting a budget stops you from going overboard and maxing out your credit cards. While it may seem a lifetime away, charging that expensive purchase to your card will come back and haunt you in January.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">By keeping a tight control on your Christmas spending, you’ll realize that a lot of the stress just seems to melt away.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>4. Get some extra cash in the bank before the holidays</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance; is widely regarded by many to be the<a href="https://military.wikia.org/wiki/7_Ps_(military_adage)"><span class="s2"> informal motto</span></a> of the British Army. While you may not be going to war, the holiday season can be a brutal battlefield for the unprepared.</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Oftentimes, the pressure of the holidays can sometimes goad us into making questionable financial decisions. Thus prior to the actual holiday season, why not take the opportunity to earn some extra cash on the side.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Freelance work and other side hustles are one of the most common ways people earn extra cash to pad their wallets. From driving for Uber to writing copy for advertisements and blogs, there are plenty of opportunities on sites such as <a href="https://www.upwork.com/ab/find-work/"><span class="s2">Upwork</span></a> for willing entrepreneurs. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">If you’re a sports fan with a taste for games of chance, you’ll be able to earn some extra cash <a href="http://extra.betamerica.com/nba/"><span class="s3">betting on the NBA games</span></a> among others.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The holiday season should be a joyous time where loved ones come together to reconnect. Forget the commerciality of it all and instead be grateful for one another. After all, our time together with one another is limited.</span></p>
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