Personal Finance Tips: How To Avoid Major Money Mistakes During The 2016 Holiday Season

This article originally appeared in the Motley Fool.

Americans do a lot of shopping around the holidays. The average consumer plans to spend over $900 on gifts this season, according to the American Research Group, and many of us will inevitably wind up spending much more. However, all of that shopping can really take a toll on your finances, so here are a few pitfalls you should be certain to avoid.