Prince George shoppers may have spent more than they realized, and credit card bills in January are a harsh jolt of reality
Debt management

Post-holidays credit card crunch hitting Prince George

Jan 3, 2024 | 3:09 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – December is often a time of high spending for many, as it’s all too easy to get caught up in Holiday gift shopping and the many events that take place during the months. However, January can often bring a harsh dose of reality when the credit card bills come in and are noticeably higher than usual. If you’re struggling to pay the bills, local Insolvency Administrator Connor Beverley with Beverley & Associates says there are several small things you can do that quickly add up.

“One thing I like to do in my household is what’s called ‘no spend January.’ So you cut out those daily trips to the coffee shop, try to cut out any kind of dining expenses that you have going out for dinner, try to cut out online shopping, those kind of things. At the end of the day, it comes down to cutting out those impulsive expenses that when you add them together, they can really add up to quite a lot of money,” Beverley said.

If you’re seriously in trouble, more drastic actions like getting a part time job or selling items you don’t necessarily need could be potential actions too. However, as far as less drastic but still impactful money saving tips, Beverley says there is money to be saved from payments you may have forgotten about.

“For example, if you are subscribed to multiple different streaming services, maybe take a look at which one you’re using the most and try to cut out the other ones and bring it just down to one, or better yet, get rid of them all. Same can be said for your home Internet plan, your TV, your home phone. Take a look at what you’re spending on all of that stuff, see if you can maybe bundle it to make it a little bit cheaper,” he said.

While saving in January could be a necessity for those trying to recoup some of the money they spent during the holidays, Beverley recommends keeping money management a year-round thing.

“The first thing I recommend to people, regardless of what time of year it is, is to make sure you’ve done a written budget, make sure you’ve written down how much money you are earning as a household, and how much money you are spending as a household. From there you can see what’s left over and what you have to actually work with,” he said.

Several community members also shared how they’re saving some money this January, and it echoes a similar sentiment to Beverley’s advice.

“Just cut back and just shop around the outside of the supermarket (for deals), shop for more basics like potatoes, spaghetti, macaroni and all that stuff instead of all these fancy drinks and fancy food,” said community member Ev Hickey.

Fellow community member Lynne Dick finds ways to save by decluttering her house and getting rid of or potentially selling things she doesn’t need.

“I got rid of a lot of the stuff in my house I don’t need, I have a lot of materials, sewing materials. Decide what you need, and if you haven’t used them in a year, you don’t need it,” she said.

If your financial struggles go beyond holiday spending and you find yourself in serious debt, you can visit resources like Beverley & Associates to help get your finances back on track.

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