Keeping up with the Joneses all year is hard enough. It gets even worse during the holidays, when we feel pressured to keep up, not just with the Joneses, but also with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and all the elves.

Some Christmas shoppers overspend on gifts and end up paying off credit card bills for months. Others drive themselves crazy trying to find exactly the right gifts for the right people. Others hate shopping so much that they find it hard to enjoy the season.

If you fit into any of these categories, the cause may be your money scripts. We are surrounded by expectations and pressures about giving and about “ideal” holiday celebrations. As a result, we are especially vulnerable to making money decisions blindly in response to beliefs we don’t even realize we hold...       Click here to "read the full article"