That time of year is officially upon us.  It’s time for crazy store bargains, crazy shoppers and the stress of never being able to find a parking spot.  Yes, the holidays can be very stressful but there are a few things you can do to have a stress free holiday season.  Start you’re shopping now, even before Black Friday! In todays economy stores have a lot of great deals because they need to sell sell sell! Take advantage of it and see if you can’t brush up on some of your negotiating skills and see what kind of deals you can get. Don’t forget to shop online because around this time of year a lot of sites offer free shipping.  Another tip to stay stress free this holiday season is to start preparing your dinner menu now.  Get input from your family on what dishes they would like you to cook and buy the ingredients ahead of time.   Not only will this stop you from having to throw some elbows around to make your way through the grocery store a week or two before Christmas, but you can budget a little money each week instead of having to fork out a big lump some and buy it all at one time.