WINSTON-SALEM – The holiday shopping season is almost here and it can lead to some financial problems if you don’t plan ahead.

Downtown streets in the Twin City are decorated with Moravian stars and stores are putting in their Christmas displays, but some folks aren’t ready yet to do shopping just yet.

"Soon, Thanksgiving, that's right around the right time," said Kyle Pinheiro.

Toni Kellar was down from Virginia visiting her daughter, and said she hadn’t started her Christmas shopping yet.

"Everytime I hear a Christmas song, I think I'm about ready to get started," said Kellar.

This time of year we're all getting bombarded by messages to start buying.

"Certainly the noise level goes up, but people are more attuned to messaging right now because they're in the shopping mood," said Roger Beahm, a Professor of Marketing at Wake Forest University.

And that folks can get in financial trouble later, if they get caught up in the shopping mood and don't watch spending.

It’s something that hits after Christmas, according to Shenell Thompson with Financial Pathways.

“Typically, when those credit card statements start rolling in and the bank statements, in January, the phone starts ringing off the hook,” said Thompson.

She says consumers should figure out your home expenses, then make a budget for Christmas spending.

"What is it that you can actually afford versus what is it that you want to purchase because sometimes that may determine what you're going to be able to give out as gifts," said Thompson.

Kellear says it’s something she keeps in mind.

"I got grandkids, so I stay in a budget per child,” she said.  "I'm not broke on Christmas day, either."

Pinheiro says he’ll shop in moderation.

 "I just graduated school and I want to use money that I have, not money that I don't have," he said.

Something most people want to avoid.

"You don't want to wake up on January 31st and realize that everything that was under the tree now you're actually paying interest on it," said Thompson.