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PRE-NEW YEAR RESOLUTION: CONTROL YOUR SPENDING
Tuesday, December 13th, 2005 -- 11:42 am
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
'Tis the season for holiday shopping, but a local financial expert is encouraging people to give within their means this year. Gayle Rose Martinez with the Clark County UW-Extension Office says overspending during the holiday season has become a major problem, in part because of “impulse buying”.
"We see the very sophisticated displays that are strategically placed around the stores that entice you and we think, 'maybe this would be a fun thing'," Martinez explains. "And it's not even close to what you were thinking of buying."
Credit cards make impulse buying an even easier trap to fall into. The average American’s credit card debt in the neighborhood of $9,000.
"It's almost like they're not spending," Martinez warns. "They kind of forget about it until they get that bill in January."
Martinez says it only take around 15-minutes to jot down a holiday budget. Simply write down the names of the people you’re buying for and the amount of money you can afford for each of them.
"People who love us do not want us to hurt ourselves financially by purchasing a gift for them. Remember that when you're spending your money," Martinez says.
If you need financial help, you can call the Extension office at 743-5121.
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