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This post is brought to you by familyFinds.com, which has a $98 massage deal in Los Angeles for just $45.

Overspending is easy any time of the year, let alone on Black Friday 2010 and through Christmas, when the sales are spectacular. If you need help reining yourself in, read on.

• Force yourself to buy only when an item is on sale and you have a coupon. With this double whammy, you’ll be sure to be getting a good, if not great, price.
• Is the item on your needs list, as opposed to your want list?
• Forget price tag, what is the item worth to you? How often will you use it? Have you been needing it for some time? Let your answers dictate your actions.
• Have you already saved the money? If not, put your wallet away.
• Does the item fit into your budget? If not, what will you cut out to make room for your new find?
• If you’re shopping with a friend, what does s/he think about the purchase? A good friend can help you walk away from impulse buys.
• If you have no willpower to say no to the fabulous shoes at say, Nordstrom, avoid walking in the store. I haven’t been to a Nordstrom in years, and guess what? I’m surviving.
• Lastly, ask yourself how high you want your January credit card bill to be. Check your balance online or over the phone to keep up to date on your total spending.

I motivate myself to stick to these rules by giving myself a no-guilt gift. Tucked into my Christmas budget is $10-$100 for me to spend, no questions asked.

Related:

How I got my Black Friday 2020 deal already!

Best Black Friday 2020 deals and sales

Six steps to getting a Black Friday deal

Cyber Monday guide to safe online shopping

Brithanglishman/Flickr

Time to play that game again where I review my monthly credit card bill and pick one purchase. That I really. Should not. Have bought.

Groan.

This month’s dishonorable mention goes to the $10.99 I spent getting my car washed and vacuumed. Yes, my mother was coming to town and I wanted her to think my car is always neat and tidy.

But making time to wash it myself at the drive-in car wash would have done the job just as nicely – and only cost $4. Last month’s regrettable credit card purchase was a USB postal scale that cost me $8.10. Readers had plenty of spending problems, too.

On a happier note, my credit card bill last month dropped significantly – a few hundred dollars. Was it tied to the self-induced public credit card bill flogging? Perhaps!!

What do you regret buying this month?

UPDATE: Christine regrets a sweet birthday purchase.

Oh boy! I’ve got a doozy! My daughter turned one year old this past weekend and we were having a SMALL party. Nothing fancy, just cake and appetizers. I was in a hurry and had heard about a great bakery in Canoga Park. I went in and spent $70 on a cake for a one year old. I must have been out of my mind. I could have gone to Costco and spent $16.99. ARGH!!! DUMB, DUMB, DUMB. The cake was good, but not THAT good! Lesson learned!

Mike has NO regrets. Kudos to you!