I often say that this is my favorite time of year because of all the profitable trends coming to a head. But beyond the potential investment opportunities it offers, this season can lead to some financial stress... especially when it comes to gift giving and money. Look, we've all been there. We want to lavish our friends and loved ones with gifts. We want to buy them expensive things - frivolous things they'd never buy themselves. We want them to have everything they've ever dreamed of or cared for. And we want our children to have everything we never had. It's in our DNA to be charitable and giving. But you don't want to give to the point where you're hurting. Especially in the economic environment we're in. And because we don't know what's ahead in 2021... (That is, if 2020 ever actually ends and we're not stuck in the matrix.) So here are three rules to ensure you have a happy holiday season and walk into 2021 financially sound. No. 1: Do Away With the "Obligatory" Gifts.One of the best - and worst - things about living in a society is all the agreed-upon rules. And nothing is more irritating than social obligations. Well, you can't be expected to buy a gift for everyone in your life. No matter how small that present may be. It's impossible. And the stress of making sure you haven't forgotten someone is crushing. Buy gifts for your immediate family only. If you have a large family, trim out those second and third cousins if you haven't seen them since the family reunion of '08. Let Santa pick up the slack there. Basically, if you're buying gifts for a stadium of people outside of your immediate family, consider cutting that list back. This isn't about being a Scrooge or miserly. It's about being practical. I have been best friends with a group of people for almost 30 years. I exchange presents with only three of those people every year because those are the three I most regularly hang out with. It's not that I don't love the rest of them or never show them I care in other ways. We just don't exchange gifts, and no one is remotely bothered by that. I would love to tell you there's an exact cutoff number beyond your immediate family for gift giving. But I can't. Maybe you're more popular than I am. I can tell you that the number of close friends people actually have - regardless of how many are following them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter - is between three and five. So if you're buying gifts for 20, 30 or 40 people each year, rein that in. Do away with those social obligations and go from there. Because you have to get a handle on that gift-giving list to start the most important rule of the holiday season... | 
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