It’s the holiday season but let’s be honest; the holiday season, with its Black Friday sales in November and its Pre-Black Friday sales in October, started months ago. If you started your holiday shopping, and spending, early this year, here’s to hoping you were able to take advantage of some great sales. If you are just getting started on your shopping, here’s to hoping that your holiday spending doesn’t carry over with you in the form of debt in the new year.
According to the analytic company Gallup, Inc., Americans are projected to spend over $1000 on holiday shopping this year. That is $100 more than Americans spent last year. What’s more, the financial company NerdWallet says that 28% of Americans are still paying off their credit card purchases from last holiday season. Considering that the average credit card bears an interest rate of around 20%, a $1000 balance left unpaid on a credit card could accumulate an additional $200 on your credit card in interest alone over the course of a year.
If ever there was a time to budget carefully, it’s during the holiday season. The psychological effect of the holidays can draw you in to overindulge (in every way!) but overindulging can leave you with a financial burden going into 2025. Start the new year with your best foot forward financially.