Don’t put yourself in debt this holiday season

It’s time to cut the budget so you don’t end up in debt after the holidays.

This season of savings, we asked a financial expert the best ways to end up in the green.

First, you need to decide on the dollar amount you feel comfortable with, then make a list of everyone you want to buy for and divide your budget by person.

Of course you won’t spend the same on each person, but you can decide what makes sense for each.

If you start going over your budget, go back to your list and make changes.

But what about those deals that are too good to pass? You can always add a little extra to the budget for those purchases because it is okay to treat yourself sometimes.

“There’s two ways you can do that. One is you can get a gift giving idea to someone we know. Maybe tell them what we like for the holidays, and can buy for you. Otherwise you want to stick to your budget. Make sure when you go shopping you bring cash, don’t use your credit card. It’s a great way to stick to your budget,” said financial expert, Stefan Contorno.

The budget may depend on where you live, Wallhub ranks the top 570 cities based on income and expenses.

In Fort Myers, budgets top out at $497, in Lehigh Acres, $599, and in Cape Coral, $734.