Stress levels tend to rise when the holiday shopping season arrives. So, any edge you can get will help, especially when it comes to finding a good deal, payment options, staying within a budget – and even holiday time management.

Several Web sites offer a variety of useful holiday shopping and purchasing tips:

Bankrate.com (www.bankrate.com/brm/news/pf/20011205a.asp) provides 18 suggestions for saving on holiday gifts.

Consumers Union (www.consumersunion.org/tips/tips-holiday.htm) offers useful holiday shopping insights on catalog and online buying, and payment options.

Everything Christmas (www.everythingchristmas.com/story/tipsavoidline.html) provides 10 tips to avoid long retail lines.

Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/11/holidayshop.shtm) offers quick tips on wise shopping.

Kiplinger.com (www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2006/11/10tips.html) features 10 topics that focus on holiday spending, budgeting and planning.