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Truity Credit Union Blog > January 2019 > Three powerful steps to paying down holiday debt

Three powerful steps to paying down holiday debt

  • 1/7/2019

Did you go a little crazy with holiday shopping last year? You're not alone. Reportedly, retail sales were expected to top 1.1 trillion dollars during the 2018 holiday season.

It's hard to resist the temptation to over-spend when buying gifts for your family and friends, especially when so many retailers offer their deepest discounts of the year. So, if you find yourself suddenly buried under a mound of credit card debt, here's how to dig yourself out:

1. Add up your seasonal costs

The first step is to calculate the exact amount of your holiday debt. Knowing this amount is helpful for a couple of reasons. For starters, you need to know your target number so that you can plan for repayment.

It also lets you establish a limit for 2019's seasonal spending. Provided that your budget is the same for this year's holidays, you can either make a plan to save more or spend less on gifts than you did in 2018.

2. Tackle higher-interest debt first

Not all debt is created equal. You'll pay more in the long run on credit cards with higher interest than on lower-rate cards. So rather than splitting your repayments evenly across your accounts, make the more expensive cards your priority. Otherwise, your holiday purchases will weigh you down well into the new year.

Many people have department store credit cards with an annual percentage rate ranging from 18% to as high as 26.99%. If you have one or more of these, you will pay extra money each month if you don't pay your balance in full. A balance transfer might be a good option for you to consider. When you transfer your balance from one of these cards to a Truity Visa with a 1.99% APR,* more of your payment will go towards paying down the balance, as opposed to paying the interest. For more information, check out Understanding Balance Transfers.

3. Re-organize your budget

If you're struggling to get ahead of your seasonal debt, you may need to take a long, hard look at your budget (and if you've never made a budget, the beginning of the year is a great time to start!). Can you eat out less? Make coffee at home instead of buying it every day? Identify areas where you can save and apply the extra money towards the costs of those holiday purchases.

* Some restrictions apply. See balance transfer terms and conditions.

Article from Balance

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