CNBC's Sharon Epperson shares her savvy tips for making the holidays special while staying on budget.

Sharon Epperson, CNBC's personal finance correspondent, and author of The Big Payoff: 8 Steps Couples Can Take to Make the Most of Their Money--and Live Richly Ever After, joined us Thursday morning for a great live chat with TODAY Money fans on how to have a holiday blow-out without blowing your budget.

Q: In order to make Christmas happen for the kids this year I took out a new credit card and didn't tell my wife. I was hoping to pay it off secretly but I don't think my sales bonus is coming through as high as I thought. What do I do?

Epperson: You've got to tell her about the credit card! In a marriage, secrets when it comes to finances can be devastating to a relationship.