As Christmas fast approaches, everyone everywhere that celebrates Christmas with gift-giving is either preparing or has prepared financially for stretching every dollar.

Parents especially feel this burden, because they want every good thing for their children, but often because of advertising and peer pressure, the children often ask for more than their parents can afford.

Often times out of love for their children or lust for new things, people go further into debt to purchase things during the holidays, often for perceived “sales” or special financing deals like no interest for a period of time.

One popular way to get a short-term loan instead of putting something on a credit card, is to get a paycheck loan. It’s important to choose a place that’s reputable, and not a fly-by-night advance service or a loan shark. An established service that has registration in each state it operates in is CheckCity.com. This is an example of a company that has become well-established for helping people out in situations where they need cash on a short-term loan basis. An online payday advance is a convenient way to find extra cash during the holidays.

My most recommended way to beat the holiday wallet strain is to budget, save, and shop smartly. As I’ve suggested before, check out the item in a brick & mortar shop, and then go online for the best pricing. Taking notes on special offers and if you have the patience, shopping Black Friday sales, can often be successful money savers.