Daily printout: Nov. 26

Black Friday — the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season — arrives this week.

Taking a few minutes now to plan your holiday spending could help you avoid taking on debt that stretches into the new year.

Here are some tips for planning your spending during holiday season:

• Create a holiday spending plan. Decide how much you can afford to spend this season. Include gifts, travel, parties, decorations and any other holiday expenses. Look at how much you’ll earn between now and the holidays and determine how much you’ll need to set aside each paycheck to save the amount you need.

• Think about low-cost ways to give. Consider different methods to make the holidays fun without breaking your budget.

• Start a holiday gift exchange. Draw names and only buy a gift for the person you choose.

• Make a list of the people you’re giving gifts. Decide how much you can spend on each one. If you have specific gifts in mind for each person, start comparing prices online and keep an eye out for discounts and sales.

• Keep track of what you spend. If you find that you don’t need to spend as much as you thought in some categories, shift the extra funds to others. Or save the money and give yourself the gift of a head start in the new year.

• Avoid impulse purchases. Instead, make a note of the product, where you saw it and how much it was. Consult your spending plan, and if there’s room, return for the purchase.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website has more information.

The Combined Federal Campaign encourages USPS employees to contribute to thousands of charitable organizations — and as with other forms of workplace giving, ethics rules apply.

The campaign, also known as the CFC, allows federal and Postal Service employees, retirees and contractors to easily donate to thousands of charitable organizations under one umbrella. It consolidates donations into a single, officially supported effort.

Here are some general rules to keep in mind when it comes to the CFC:

• The CFC is the only authorized solicitation of employees in the federal workplace on behalf of a charitable organization.

• Contractors cannot be solicited, but they may make a one-time donation by credit card, debit card or e-check through the CFC pledging system.

• All donations to the CFC must truly be voluntary. Postal Service employees may give or not give as they choose, and their donation decisions are confidential.

There are also rules specific to CFC events:

• Permission from the USPS Ethics Office is required. Email a completed CFC Special Event Request Form and any flyers or other promotional materials at least two weeks before the event.

• CFC events can only be used to raise awareness of the campaign — no fundraising or soliciting is allowed.

• Gambling at CFC events is prohibited. A CFC event may include a raffle, but only if there is no cost to enter, all employees can participate, and the prizes are modest.

• Everyone must be welcome to attend a CFC event, regardless of whether they have made a charitable contribution.

• Postal Service funds can be used to support CFC events, but only if funding is available and approved.

• Outside sources and businesses may not contribute in support of CFC events, and they may not be solicited to do so.

All charities must be treated equally during the campaign. Promoting a CFC “cause of the week” is allowed, but Postal Service employees cannot endorse or give preferential treatment to any individual charities.

For more about CFC rules, email the Ethics Office.

Thanksgiving, a federal holiday, will be observed on Thursday, Nov. 28, this year.

The holiday began as a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest and is celebrated in various forms around the world. Brazil, Canada, Germany and the Philippines are among the countries that celebrate Thanksgiving.

In America, the first Thanksgiving occurred in November 1621 when colonists and Native Americans gathered for a three-day feast.

Celebrations continued throughout the Colonies and during the early years of the United States. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation of Thanksgiving, marking the beginning of the holiday’s national recognition.

Today, Thanksgiving rituals include family meals, parades and televised football games.

Like Columbus Day, the holiday is not seen as a cause for celebration by all, as it is a reminder of the painful history of the mistreatment of Native Americans.

The Postal Service has commemorated Thanksgiving on a handful of stamps, including a 2001 release that shows a cornucopia and a 2009 set of four stamps that depict scenes from a Thanksgiving Day parade.

To help USPS employees navigate their way through this year’s open season benefits enrollment period, here are some important definitions for sometimes confusing health insurance terminology:

• Copayment: This is a fixed amount paid for certain covered health care services.

• Coinsurance: This is similar to a copayment but refers to a percentage paid for some covered health care services rather than a fixed amount paid.

• Deductible: This is the amount someone pays for covered health care services before their health plan starts to pay. You can find the amount, and how much you’ve paid toward it, through your health insurance plan’s web portal.

• Flexible spending account: This is an account set up to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses on a pretax basis. There are also flexible spending accounts specifically for dependent care.

• High-deductible health plan: This is a plan with a higher deductible than a traditional insurance plan, but usually with lower monthly premiums. It often has an accompanying health savings account.

• Preventive services: This describes routine health care that includes screenings, patient counseling and vaccinations, such as flu shots. Preventive services are covered at 100 percent under your health plan if you go to an in-network provider.

The MyHR website’s open season page has additional information to help employees better understand their plan options, including a link to a comparison tool from Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees.

Open season is now underway through Monday, Dec. 9.