If you holiday shop like I do, the experience goes something like this: I go into a store thinking, I need to buy something for my sister-in-law. She likes to entertain. Oh, look at these pretty holiday placemats and reindeer plates and Santa cheese knives! Well, she wouldn’t be able to use them before this Christmas, but I would love these. Next thing, I’ve purchased five holiday gifts for my home, which doesn’t need them, and nothing for anyone on my list.

“The temptation is real,” said Mary Collette Rogers, a kitchen expert based in Boulder, Colo. “You say, ‘Oh isn’t that cute!’ You get sucked in.”

No kidding. One minute you’re full of budget-minded resolve and gift-shopping discipline, and the next you’re buying candy-cane stocking hangers and gingerbread house kits.

Although I would be the last person to tell you not to buy something beautiful for your holiday home ― especially after the 20 months we’ve all been through ― I might gently suggest that before we splurge, we ask ourselves: Does this really fill a glaring gap in my holiday houseware? Do I have room to store it? Can I get rid of something that it’s replacing? Do I want to see this expense on my credit card bill in January? Should I be focusing on buying for people other than myself? (Yes.)

Now I don’t mean to be a Grinch, but here are a few more thoughts to help you pump the brakes:

Take inventory. Before you go holiday shopping, take out all your holiday home décor and assess what you have (more than you think). This works like a wrist slap and helps keep you from piling on more.

Give before you get. As you gear up for a season of giving and getting, take a good look at what you have too much of and what you could give away. If you have managed to amass 12 platters over the years, consider handing some down to the next generation. “In your kitchen alone, you probably only use 15 percent of what you have,” Rogers said. “Weed through the rest looking for duplicates or never-used items to hand down or donate. Your kitchen will instantly become more efficient.” Plus, you will spread the cheer, streamline your home and dampen your desire to get more.

Skip the Christmas china. If you don’t already own a set of Christmas dishes, do not feel compelled. Rather, Rogers said, ask yourself, “Do I really want to buy and store a set of dishes I can use only at Christmas?” (No.) “Is that what makes the holiday?” (No.) “Or can I create a festive feeling with a few special touches?” (Yes.) If you want a set of china for special occasions, in addition to your everyday dishes, pick a pattern that works year-round, like one that’s white with a gold rim, as opposed to one with a Christmas tree. You can add festive touches with your centerpiece, napkin rings and table linens. “Do, however, have a few holiday serving pieces that elevate the everyday and signal when a day is special.”

Cut the colored crystal. Similarly, resist the impulse to buy red or green, cut-crystal wine glasses. Stick with clear. Though colored glassware can work for some beverages, part of appreciating wine is seeing it.Related Articles Home decor: 6 home renovation lessons learned from 2021 Home decor: Design maxim helps put holiday stress in perspective Home decor: Out with the old, in with the new … chair

Avoid one-shot wonders. For those home chefs who see the holidays as a good reason to beef up their kitchenware, Rogers has this crave-crushing news: “If your kitchen works well for everyday cooking, you should have all the cookware you need for holiday meals and parties.” In other words, you probably don’t need to buy anything. (Sorry.) Regardless, don’t fall for gadgets that just do one thing. Gizmos or appliances like a mushroom scrub brush, egg separator or Mickey Mouse waffle iron waste money and space.

Beware theme-y patterns. In general, good design is about capturing the essence of a season or holiday, not a literal image. So, rather than buy a tablecloth embellished with holiday wreaths or cloth napkins emblazoned with sleighs, choose solid color table linens in seasonal colors that go with your décor. “But no white,” Rogers said. “That’s too stressful.”

All that aside, if you’re out shopping for others this season, and you come across that enchanting holiday item that speaks to you from among all the pretty displays, and you just know it will tickle your tinsel and make your sugarplum fairies dance with your nutcrackers, by all means get it.

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