The weather outside is frightful and the sales are so delightful? Not. Retailers make the majority of their money during this season and those weekly sales circulars will become a daily occurrence. The Christmas Carols, holiday decorations, and extended hours are all designed to have you spend your money spontaneously without thinking.  Here are a few sales traps to avoid that could be hazardous to your wealth.

Purchase this and get a gift card later. Are you kidding me? If you don't get your gift card or discount on the purchase immediately this is not a deal.  You are simply being set up to spend more money at a later date.

Open a credit card and get an additional percentage off. Really?  Okay you make a mental note to pay the balance as soon as you receive the bill.  This rarely happens because most people aren't disciplined and retailers know that you will most likely make the minimum payment and eventually end up with a high interest rate in the end. Don't get it twisted.

Buy today zero percent financing for twelve months. Seriously?  This ploy really sets you up for failure because it is often used on big ticket items that cost thousand of dollars.  Not having to worry about the bill will give you a false sense of security.  When the bill comes due you are probably going to have to extend the term beyond twelve months. The fact is you probably couldn't afford it in the first place which is why this seemed like a good deal.

Make a list and check it twice. Santa really did have the right idea.  Decide how much you can afford to spend on gifts for your family and friends. If you have children share the amount you have allotted to spend on their gifts and have them make a list of their own. If one of the items on your list is on sale great.  If not, move on because you’re at the control switch and you can go broke buying gifts on sale.

Deborah Owens is the wealth coach and shows people how to spend, save and invest to build wealth. She is the author of  three books most recently A Purse of Your Own published by Simon and Schuster.  She has a campaign to financially empower one million women at http://apurseofyourown.com.  For more wealthy advice visit http://deborahowens.com.