December 26, 2008

It's the day after Christmas, so you probably have a holiday hangover. Not THAT hangover. I'm talking about a holiday money hangover.

You spent a lot of cash to make yesterday special, and now, you have to pay for it. Yikes.

I can't pay your bills for you, but I can help. I went to some financial experts to get some advice, and here's what they had to say.

First, get out the calculator, and add everything up. You need to know what you are dealing with. When that credit card bill comes in January, there should be no surprises.

Get your plan of attack. For example, if you owe a thousand dollars, figure out how much you can put aside a month to get it down. Say, you can only do 200 bucks every other paycheck. You'll be debt free by the summer.

Hold your horses. Stop spending. Period. If you have to, give your credit card to a trusted friend or family member if you don't trust yourself. This one works. Trust me.

Your employer has until the end of the month to get your tax forms to you, but when they do, file right away. The quicker you do that, the quicker you'll get a refund. That refund needs to go to your debt.

Good luck!