It's strange how things change in December.

Normally, when I buy something for $20 to $30 at the store or Costco, I always think twice about whether I really need it.

But as Christmas approaches, when I'm buying gifts that cost $100 or $200, I think, "It's only once a year, and it's the end of the year, so I should spend a little to make it worthwhile." My spending increases.

This happens because Christmas is not just a day for exchanging gifts.

It's especially true for families with children.

When kids have been singing about what they want for months, you can't just not give them anything on Christmas morning.

Not every family has plenty of money, though.

These days, many people think of spending between $700 and $1,000 on gifts per household.

Wealthier families naturally spend more, and families with children tend to have higher expenses. The problem is that this money doesn't just come from their bank accounts.

Many people buy gifts on credit cards and can't pay off the bill all at once.

In the end, Christmas is just one day, but the credit card bill gets pushed to the next year, along with interest.

I find this quite ironic.

If I spent $500 on gifts at Christmas but the credit card interest is over 20%, then I didn't actually buy $500 worth of gifts.

Especially with department store or store cards that can have interest rates close to 30%, you really need to be careful.

But human emotions don't work like a calculator.

When you see your child's face, it changes everything.

If my friends' kids got game consoles, it feels wrong for my child to get nothing.

If I have to buy gifts for my in-laws and my own parents, plus gifts for nieces and nephews, it quickly adds up to several hundred dollars.

In the U.S., the atmosphere really kicks in starting in November.

Whether it's Amazon or eBay, just opening your email brings ads for 30% off, 40% off today only, or buy one get one free.

When you go to the mall, Christmas music plays, making you feel like if you don't buy something, you're being too stingy.

Sales are interesting to think about.

When a $200 item is marked down to $120, we tend to think we spent $120 rather than saved $80.

If you think about it, if you hadn't bought it, you would have saved the full $200, not just $120.

Credit cards also dull our sense of spending.

Imagine bringing $800 in cash to the mall in an envelope.

Watching $100 bills disappear one by one makes your hands tremble.

But with a card, you just swipe it, and it's done. $89, $129, $74, $199—when you pay separately, it doesn't feel like you've spent that much.

When you get home and add it all up, you think, "When did I spend this much?"

That's why I believe that preparing in advance is a much more realistic approach than cutting down on Christmas gifts.

For example, if I set a gift budget of $600 for this year, I shouldn't try to come up with $600 in December. Instead, I should set aside $150 each month starting in September.

That way, by December, I already have the money ready to buy gifts. It's also good to write down how much to spend on whom.

$100 for my husband, $100 for each child, $100 for my parents, and so on.

Having this plan makes you think twice when you see something pretty while shopping, saying, "This is outside my budget."

And gifts don't have to be expensive to be good.

As I get older, I feel this even more. Sometimes, a $30 gift card to my favorite café is more appreciated than a $150 item I don't really need.

I also believe that giving kids expensive gifts isn't the only way to have a good Christmas.

It's worth considering whether it's really a good idea for parents to buy gifts while paying credit card interest for months.

There's a desire not to disappoint the child, a wish to give something to the family, and a wish to have a warm Christmas like everyone else.

Perhaps more often than money, it's about relationships that lead us to open our wallets.

But Christmas is just one day.

The wrapping paper goes in the trash that evening, and the toys that were so desired can end up gathering dust in a corner after a few months.

But the credit card bill doesn't disappear. It arrives in January and February.

Creating good memories for the family at Christmas is important, but starting the new year with worries about credit card debt is also something to consider for the family.