Halloween is over, but here’s one last spooky fact—as of November 1, Christmas is less than eight weeks away. That leaves only four pay periods left to handle all your holiday expenses. Surprise!
If you haven’t already started your holiday shopping, grab onto something—the next two months are going to rush by. According to Adobe Analytics, consumer spending is expected to rise nearly 10%, and online sales are expected to grow by a similar amount, driven in part by spectacular rises in prices of goods and materials. Uncertainty regarding shipping will impact online spending, slowing its growth to a pace not seen since Adobe Analytics began tracking in 2014.
Bottom line: you can expect to spend more this holiday season, and local spending is where it’s at. If you’re shopping online, start early to allow for extended shipping times.
Do you have a plan for handling holiday costs? Having a good budget is essential, and shopping for deals (while more difficult to find this year) will help contain costs. Even so, many Americans will be relying on credit cards and loans to handle expenses of parties, presents, and holiday cheer. If you’re one of the many Americans who will need an additional source of holiday funds, you have options.
- Store credit cards: Store-only credit cards (cards that are only good at one particular store) are awfully convenient. But beware—though these cards often offer introductory interest rates as low as 0%, once that introductory period has past, your Christmas cheer could cost you significantly. The average rate on a store-only card is 24% APR. That means that a $1,000 purchase on a store card that isn’t paid off after a 12-month introductory rate will charge you 24% APR interest for each prior month. That’s a not-so-cheerful surprise. If you do choose to get a store-only credit card, limit your spending, and make sure you’re aware of any introductory period and the specifics of charges past the introductory period. Pay off the balance as quickly as you can or consider a balance transfer to a lower rate credit card.
- Credit cards: Credit cards that can be used anywhere could be a better option than a store-only credit card. The average credit card rate is a little over 16% APR according to CreditCards.com. Credit cards can vary widely in features, interest rate, rewards, and fees. The Kirtland FCU Independence Credit card is a great lower rate option (rates as low as 7.50% APR*) with the option for unlimited cash back up to 1.5% on every purchase. Learn more now.
- Personal loans: A shorter-term personal (signature) loan can be a great option for extra holiday cash. With rates far below the average credit card rate, a fixed-rate personal loan offers steady, predictable payments. Right now, you can get a personal loan up to $3,000 with a term up to 36 months for as low as 7.99% APR with Kirtland FCU’s Snow Me The Money offer.
No matter how you decide to handle this year’s holiday expenses, planning ahead will save you a lot of time and money.
Cheers!
