It's that time of year again. The shops are hanging out their decorations with care in hopes, no really it's because St. Nick is almost here! It seems like every year stress is a main ingredient during the holidays. With Thanksgiving here and Christmas not far off, most of us say the same thing to ourselves: This is the year I will shop early so I can avoid last minute shopping. I will begin the holiday season fully relaxed and enjoy it!

Yet every year time seems to slip away and suddenly the holidays arrive. You end up racing to the stores, panic-stricken, trying to find candy in the empty racks or a beautiful turkey for the dinner table that is now triple the price because the only store that has any left is the high-end market down the street.

Even worse, when you need to find that ideal last-minute gift for your loved ones, it is no longer available in the color or size needed and all the toys requested from Santa are sold out with no re-stocks in the near future. You end up paying far too much money for something that will most likely be returned or never used.

Now imagine an entirely different scenario. Imagine arriving Christmas morning stress free, able to sit back and enjoy a calm holiday with your family because you still have cash in the bank and time on your hands.

How can you beat holiday stress, save big bucks and arrive stress free for Christmas? Start today. The time to put a plan into action is now. Black Friday has arrived and there is no better time to start cashing in on huge bargains than right now. You can buy all your gifts and foods (ones that can be frozen) now and save large amounts of money. If you sign up for the customer loyalty programs, you may even be able to get brand name gifts for no more than sales tax only as I did last year.

Many huge sales take place the day after Thanksgiving. Most stores have huge discounts on name brand clothing, toys and jewelry to name just a few categories. Example: Last year a diamond bracelet valued at $5,000 was on sale for $199.00 but only the day after Thanksgiving and only during the early bird special. That's typical of the type of sales you can expect if you do your research.

Check out the stock in the store now if you're already there and make a list of what you would like to buy on sale the day after Thanksgiving so you are prepared to head straight to the departments needed. Making a road map of what department you want to hit first will help you avoid wandering aimlessly and missing the items you've placed on your list. If you think of it as a game show or competition, you'll be more inspired.

How many times have you said to yourself: This year I will get Christmas cards out. Before you know it December is nearly over and Christmas is days away. You haven't purchased the Christmas cards let alone put a stamp on one and you are too busy with everything else to do it. You beat yourself up, frustrated that yet again you are too late and time has run out. To avoid this frustrating cycle, start now when you aren't as busy as you will be later on in the season.

Do one envelope a day or two or three a week and by Christmas, you will have reached your goal. If you don't have Christmas cards left over from last year, do a Christmas letter instead to save time and money. Then after Christmas buy the cards for next year at 75% off so you'll have the cards ready to go for next year.

Whatever you do, don't overbook yourself. The holidays are not a contest and no one remembers who did the most last year. To avoid the stress of overbooking, make a wall calendar and put up the events that are most important to you and then prioritize. If you see it on a large scale in front of you, it will look like a map and help you make better choices for your time.

Take a bubble bath after a long day, with candles lit. If you have children, have your partner watch them so you can sit back and relax. Make sure to get some "me" time. Whatever you do, try to avoid diets during the holiday season. They will only add to your frustration and drain you of much needed energy. Instead, eat a healthy, well balanced diet and exercise. The exercise will give you the endorphins needed to keep the joy and celebration during the Christmas holidays.

There are many more stress busting ideas and ways to save money that you can come up with on your own. These are just a few to get you started. The main goal is to start now and be ready when the time comes so you won't be shopping when you're stressed out and frustrated. Make the time now and you'll be enjoying the holidays as you did when you were a kid.