Christmas is the one time of year we are most likely to go overboard and break our budget. It's a time that can cause stress which results in poor and rash decision making, and there's always an ideal not to be outdone when it comes to good gift giving. Nothing would be more embarrassing than receiving a tremendous gift from a friend, only to give him a worthless trinket in return. Yeah, the clich is that a gift from the heart or with thought behind it is worth more than the monetary value of a gift, but we all know this is a crock for the most part, other than our elderly loved ones who've reached the age where they're beyond such pettiness.

The retail chains all know this, and will attempt to capitalize on your fears and stress by using tried-and-true tactics to harry you into buying stuff you otherwise might not. Some of these tactics are listed below.

-The Hype Machine

Stores have longer hours, big bonanza blowout bargain bin sales, and never let you forget how many days are left until the big day, all in an effort to instil a sense of urgency in you, clouding your judgment in the process.

Go shopping on days and at times when less people are around so you feel more at ease and can shop at a slower pace. The increased pace of busy days makes you more likely to get huffed and make quick decisions.

-Concealing the bargains

They tout their sale items in flyers and ads to get you into the store, but in the store itself those items are nowhere to be found. Sure, stores want to sell all of their products, but they have higher profit margins on certain items, and these items are likely the ones that are going to be displayed most prominently with bold signs, even if it isn't much of a deal. For the real deals, head to inconspicuous areas of the store or far off corners to find the sale goods that can save you a bundle and make the store only a little.

-Tricky bargaining

It's easy to assume when one see a bin of goods or other collections of scattered items that these products are on sale, when in fact they're often not. Stores know the perception that will be generated by throwing items together like this, and take full advantage of it. They may also group together a sale item with a regularly priced item and sell them as a bundle for the same rate as they would sell individually, in the hopes that you'll think both items are regularly priced and therefore you're getting a good deal. Also be cautious of bundles or bins.

Holidays can be a fun time, but they are also filled with stress and panic. Stores make as much as 20% of their yearly business from the Christmas season, and are not about to back down when it comes to using every trick in their arsenal to increase sales, and particularly sales of expensive or high return items that all find a way to your . As difficult as it can be at Christmas time, just take your time shopping and enjoy the hunt for the bargains. Don't get caught up in the hectic rush around you or you'll surely feel the effects of it when you get your credit card bill in the new year.