Shopportunist: Prevent yourself from holiday overspending
I'm done Christmas shopping for my kids.
I think.
Their wish lists are most weighty and eat up the bulk of my budget. It's a relief for sure - or should be - but I'm finding the barrage of retail emails promoting sales and price drops too tempting. Browsing through the perpetual blast of fleeting deals and flash doorbusters has become almost a compulsion. What's one more gift? And another? What if this is the best price, ever?
Creating a display of Pinterest-worthy royal iced sugar cookies is hard. Overspending is easy. Impulsive buying in pursuit of the perfect holiday can derail good spending intentions and cause financial stress and hardship. In fact, about 48 million Americans are still paying off credit card debt from last holiday season, according to a survey conducted by personal finance company NerdWallet and the Harris Poll.
I blame the head cold I can't seem to kick for leaving me dazed and defenseless to every alleged deal, but we can be compelled to keep shopping for a variety of emotional...
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