4 Ways to Avoid the Bad Credit Trap during the Holidays

Man Avoiding Bad Credit Traps

The holiday season is all about giving. And in most cases, giving means shopping, shopping means spending, and spending means money. But you may not always have the cash on hand to spend on holiday shopping and it is all too easy to find oneself in debt after the holiday season is over.

To help you avoid the bad credit cycle, here are some ways you can stay on top of your finances during the holiday season:

  1. Create a holiday budget
    After you’ve reviewed all of your major expenses and everything has been accounted for, determine how much you have available to spend on gifts without emptying your pockets. Once you’ve set a budget, stick to it.

  2. Create a holiday gift fund
    Setting aside a certain amount of money that is solely dedicated to your holiday shopping is a great way to stay on top of your spending. After you’ve set a holiday gift budget, you can set up a fund to save up the amount you plan on spending.

  3. Monitor your spending
    Keep track of how much you’re spending on holiday gifts. To help you do this, you may want to set a limit for how much you wish to spend per person, per gift to avoid the risk of overspending.

  4. Manage your credit card balances
    You can never be too safe on the roads during the winter. Stick-on blind spot mirrors are a great gift for helping keep your friends and family alert and aware of other cars on the road.


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