As people do more entertainment, participate in more events, eat out, and participate in gift exchanges, vacations can push their budgets beyond their limits. This year, whether you are gathering in person or celebrating from a distance, overspending is tempting. Here are some tips to help you plan for a less financially busy holiday in the 2021 holiday.

The last month of the year offers many opportunities for splurge. Prevent unconstrained spending by setting a "no more than" dollar amount for vacation-related expenses. Includes all purchases related to the season, from gift giving to updating your holiday wardrobe, buying decorations, entertainment and more.

Budgets are only useful if you are tracking expenses against budget. Keep the purchase receipt and tally fee at the end of each shopping tour. Check your total to make sure you have not exceeded your budget-if so, be prepared to return it.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect global supply chains, causing many different and surprising product categories to be disrupted. Merchants of all sizes will experience product shortages, and the overall selection of goods offered may be reduced. Driven by increased demand, inventory shortages and higher than normal inflation, prices will also be higher. As the holidays approach, don't expect big sales. Retailers are unlikely to discount products that are off the shelves.

This year, more than ever, you want to give yourself plenty of time for holiday shopping. Both physical stores and online stores will be affected by supply chain challenges. Work around. You may need to spend more time searching for what you want. If you cannot meet the initial wish list, you may need to change gears. If you need to ship gifts, remember that holidays will always cause delivery delays, but expect the slowdown this season to be greater than usual.

In addition to rising general commodity prices, transportation costs are also soaring. The U.S. Postal Service has announced price increases, and other major shipping companies are also increasing prices to offset the impact of rising oil prices and staff shortages.

If the gift you want to buy is in short supply or the "thing" is not yours, please consider ticking your gift list by providing experience. Local restaurants are eager to make up for months of lost business. Similarly, theaters and sporting events are finally open, and seats that have been vacant for too long need to be filled. You can also consider giving financial gifts to your loved ones, such as a partial savings account, Roth IRA, savings bonds, or an appointment with a financial adviser. Finally, charitable donations are becoming more and more popular as holiday gifts, especially if the non-profit organization makes sense to the recipient.

Bronwyn Martin is a financial advisor and chartered financial advisor of Martin's Financial Consulting Group, a financial wealth consulting company of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. She specializes in two fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies in Kennett Square and Havre de Grace, Md., and has been in practice for more than 21 years. To contact her, please visit www.ameripriseadvisors.com/bronwyn.x.martin