It's the mentality many consumers fall victim to this time of year.
"You want to buy something for someone and you go ahead and take out the credit card, because you don't have to take the money out of your pocket right now," Deena Katz, associate professor with Texas Tech's Financial Planning Department, said.
To add to the temptation, credit card companies are rolling out more incentives like cash back or no interest for a number of months.
"You're actually making money while spending money, so I mean, who can resist?" Katz said.
If you can pay off the balance in full, the offers may not be a bad idea. But financial experts like Katz say more often than not, that isn't the case. "The problem is, there is always an interest fee. And there are ways that the credit card company presents the information to you that you may not understand," Katz said.
And if those department store cards help you save on a purchase initially, they may sink you later.
"If you open up a new card at the store to get that extra 10 percent because you opened up a new account, that extra 10 percent can cost you a whole lot. Most store credit card fees and interest rates are much much higher," Michael John Byers, a financial advisor, said.
Those cards typically run about a 25 percent interest rate, but if you must use some type of plastic, at least create parameters for yourself.
"What we've found is if people budget a thousand dollars for Christmas, they tend to spend 1200 to 1300. And if they don't have a budget, they most likely will spend way more than that," Byers said.
Consumers are encouraged to put their smartphones to smart use.
"I was out shopping for toys with the kids, and looked at the price and said it's nice but it's not that nice. And then online I found it for 50 percent cheaper," Byers said.
Being disciplined enough to stay within your means is the challenge for most shoppers.
"Remember, if you don't have a plan to pay it back, you can get in trouble in a matter of months," Katz said.
If you already have credit card debt piling up, experts say to attack your balances one at a time.
