- That’s it.
- Christmas is over, all left-overs eaten and as part of the new diet regime you have thrown away the last of the chocolates, but now all is said, done and eaten, there is only one thing left to do… start paying off the Christmas bills that were charged to your credit cards!
When times are tough and income is tight, using credit to pay for the holiday period really is an easier thing to do than you may expect. You start October promising that this years’ Christmas is going to be on a budget, but then you see the decorations in the shopping malls, the children’s letters to Santa (that happen to resemble the entirety of the Argos catalogue!), that added bit of peer pressure and before you know it, you’re all set for another bumper Christmas spend.
- Now it’s January and time to pay for it all, but you realise that this is easier said than done.
- Identify with this kind of situation?
- Then read on!
Sat at the kitchen table with your present receipts and your credit card balance can be a bit of a seminal moment, but all is not lost!
Firstly take a look at your Christmas present loot! Every year there are millions of unwanted presents that are gifted and there is a good chance that you may be the ‘lucky’ recipient of a pair of slippers, a Christmas jumper, or a perfume whose smell reminds you of filling up at the petrol station! If that is the case, take a few minutes to look at whether you are able to return these for a cash refund (normally a purchase receipt is needed).
If not, and your item is still packaged, the wonders of ebay may also prove a great place to earn some much needed funds from your unwanted gifts. By the time that you have added one or two other unwanted items from a post Christmas clearout you may have enough items to help you with some of those Christmas costs!
It is also worth sitting down to complete a review of the household expenses. The end of one year and the start of the next is a great time to complete a financial review or financial health check as many people start to make plans for the coming year. Identifying any luxuries that could be cut out from your household budget or other unnecessary personal expenses could free up some much needed cash to help pay these dreaded bills. In any case, there is no point keeping that gym membership or satellite TV subscription if you simply aren’t using it!
Having completed a full review of your financial situation, if you still think that paying off Christmas is going to be an issue then don’t worry, help is at hand! One free call to the Debt Management specialists at Lewis Alexander could help sort your financial life. Our lines are open 24 hours a day using 0800 018 6868, advisors can listen to your individual circumstances and complete a financial healthcheck prior to advising on appropriate financial solutions.
For some homeowners a secured loan may be the best option, for others entering into a debt management solution or even an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) can offer the best solution, however our specialists will ensure that the solution they offer to you best suits your circumstances.
Being in debt can add additional pressure to an already stressful lifestyle, but having a clear defined plan to move you out of this position can make a massive difference to the reducing the weight you feel on your shoulders. Our specialists are experts in dealing with people from a variety of different backgrounds with a range of different debt problems and your call will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence.
- One free call can make a massive difference to your financial situation if you are prepared to action the help available, so call Lewis Alexander free on 0800 018 6868. Call now!
- Are you in the clutches of doorstep lenders?
- Do you borrow money off companies such as Provident, Greenwoods or Shopacheck?
- Have you been refused credit or loans for Christmas?
The amount of cash loans, doorstep loans and further personal credit taken out over the run up to Christmas is astonishing.
Christmas is most certainly one of, if not the most expensive times of year. We all rush out trying to buy items that we think will please our loved ones when really, the only winners seem to be the retail shops. Most of us save and budget for Christmas when others just spend like next year is not going to arrive!
- This is where a lot of people, mainly people on low incomes or state benefits, get parted with hard earned money.
There are unscrupulous financial companies waiting to charge you very high rates of interest for short term loans that are really not affordable. When we advise people that call us for doorstep loans or cash loans that only millionaires can afford these types of loans, they laugh!
It is not funny when the bills for these, loans arrive and the interest compounds beyond a point of ability to repay that interest and makes it near impossible for the individual to reduce the total debt.
These cash loan companies then have you in their grasp, it is very difficult to break this grasp and it makes the vulnerable consumer an easy target for further credit or final collection procedures to recover money owed.
You must accept that if you are used to borrowing from a door to door lender, you should consider starting a debt management plan that will consolidate your loans, overdrafts and credit cards or store cards into one, new, lower and affordable monthly repayment.
- This way, by the time next Christmas arrives, you will have enough money set aside to buy gifts without needing to borrow money at very high rates.
It is usually the most desperate of people that get stuck in this cycle of personal debt and because of their desperation, they fail to see the true picture when being offered loan products that only seem to be of benefit to the lender, not the individual borrowing the money.
If you are on DLA or other types of benefits, loans are very difficult to obtain and people often get offended when refused for cash loans or doorstep loans. This refusal is actually the best thing that the individual could hear, it is just the acceptance of the refusal that the individual needs advice about and this is where a debt management plan could possibly help if circumstances allow.
To start a financial management plan for most seems a negative thing to do, if you need one then it is the most positive thing you could possibly do. A structured repayment plan would get your finances in order and make a stable foundation for your financial future. Just because someone is not offering you cash does not mean that you are not being offered help, think and think again!
Think before you borrow!
