-
More than $1,300 Amount put on credit
cards between
Thanksgiving and
Christmas in the typical
household.
-
6 Number of months the average household
spends paying off holiday bills.
-
Nearly $400 Average budget override among
holiday shoppers who exceed their spending plans.
-
$457.4 billion Projected 2006 holiday
spending, up 5 percent from 2005.
Sources: Family Credit Counseling, CardWeb.com, North Dakota State
University, HSBC-North America, and National Retail Federation
Scrooge Lite
Next holiday season, make a budget and stick to it. (Easier said
than done, right?) Here are a few suggestions.
1-What triggers your overspending?
Last-minute buying, shopping therapy for holiday stress - whatever
it is, figure it out, and plan how to avoid it this year.
2-When you budget, don't forget to include
the costs of traveling, entertaining, shipping, decorating, and
post-holiday-sale shopping.
3-Brainstorm less-expensive gift
alternatives. Go beyond cookies and bread; the Center for a New
American Dream has some great ideas in its "Simplify the Holidays"
booklet (
www.newdream.org). One to try:
Record interviews with grandparents, aunts, and uncles, focusing on
family history or on memories of the person who'll receive the
recordings.
4-Buy gifts earlier in the year - but only
if you can refrain from shopping around the holidays as well.