Contributed by Bunny H.

Each holiday season I go shopping for presents. I make my list with my budget and possible gift ideas next to each name. As I stroll through the stores, looking at all the possibilities, a feeling arises within me.  I get excited about the season, about the festivities and about the items surrounding me. And then it happens. As I go from store to store, I often leave with some additional goodie for myself along with gift items for others. While I am able to stick to a gift budget for others, I find I go over budget because of the items I get for myself.

Americans spend $140 on average on self-gifting during the holiday season. There is nothing wrong with buying for yourself, it is just important to be aware of it.

This year I decided not to self-gift.  It is not that I don’t think I deserve new things, I just decided to make a list of items I would like for myself and postpone those impulse purchases that often put me over my budget. Here’s what I discovered in the process. I found that I didn’t want most of these items after a couple of days. While there are a couple I could really use, I decided to offer them as suggestions to those who buy me gifts. If there are still items on my list, I will get them on sale after the holidays.

What are some items on your self-gifting list?  We invite you to share your ideas in the comment box below.