There are plenty of ways to save money over the holiday season; reduce the amount of gifts you buy people, make some homemade gifts, use coupons, shop sales, make a budget and stick to it.

This year, I’ve been invited to a cookie exchange. It’s my very first time attending one of these events and Mr. LH had to look it up for me before I understood what I had gotten myself into.

So how do you stay motivated during the season of over indulgence?

Stay focused. Stick to your plan. Write it on the walls or where ever you need that motivation to be.

For the most part, I stick to my monthly budget. I even tweak it every few months to make sure I’m on track. Of course, emergencies pop up and that’s what emergency funds are for – to help pay for those unexpected expenses.

There are a ton of ways to make a little extra cash and Good Financial Cents recently posted 100-ways to do this – fast; become a dog walker, have a garage sale, volunteer for overtime, etc.. However, if you’re the creative type, here are a few more ideas that might take more time, but could turn into stable income.