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The holidays are over, and chances are you're starting to see those holiday bills roll in!

We know you probably stumbled across the perfect gift for someone special and just had to buy it for them — even if it wasn't in the budget.

If you went a bit overboard with your holiday spending, January is the time to deal with the aftermath. Here are a few steps you can take to get back on track fast!

Review your holiday spending.
First, take stock of your finances. How much credit card debt did you rack up? Did you dip into a savings account that needs to be replenished? Spend some time crunching the numbers so you have a solid idea of what kind of steps you need to take now.

Choose your recovery process.
Once you have clear numbers, you’ll need to decide on a path toward recovery.

If you’ve really spent big this season, and you’ve got multiple credit card balances to pay off, you may want to consolidate your debt. You can accomplish this by taking out a personal/unsecured loan, and using the funds to pay off your credit card debt. You’ll be left with a single, lower-interest payment to make each month.

Alternatively, you can pay off one credit card at a time, maximizing payments on the bill with the highest balance, or the one with the highest interest rate, until it’s completely paid off. Keep up the minimum payments on the other cards. Once you’ve crossed one balance off your list, move on to the next until you’re debt-free.

Trim your budget.
Take a close look at your monthly spending to find places to cut back. Are you paying for multiple subscriptions each month for apps you rarely use? Those small fees can add up. Can you cut back on your grocery bill? Perhaps you’re overdoing it on takeout or dining out. Is there any way you can negotiate with a service provider, such as cable or internet, for a better monthly rate? Maybe it’s time to shop around for a less expensive auto insurance policy. Trim wherever you can to free up money to pay down debt.

Put your holiday resources to work.
Along with a pile of debt, the holiday season may have left you with some extra cash through work bonuses, tax returns and gift money. Put these resources to work by using a portion of this money, or even all of it, toward paying down your holiday debt. It may sting to use “extra” money for something as utilitarian as a credit card bill, but getting rid of the debt faster so you can return to your normal spending patterns can motivate you to make this choice.

Go on a shopping detox.
Before the holidays, you shopped until you dropped and then you may have shopped some more. Now, it’s time for a shopping detox. Take a break from the mall this month and close all those open tabs presenting your favorite clothing brands. Resolve to swipe the plastic only for essentials this month, or at least to keep discretionary purchases to a minimum until your budget recovers. Trimming expenses is never fun, but remind yourself that it’s only temporary until you’re financially fit again.

Make a plan for next year’s holiday season.
It’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s winter holidays. Instead of using the months before Christmas stressing out over how much you’re spending, and the months after the holidays stressing about paying your bills, pay a little bit toward your holiday expenses each month of the year for a much less stressful holiday season. When you open a Holiday Club Account at CommonWealth One, you can set up an automatic monthly transfer from your checking account to fund holiday savings.

Information is valid as of publication date and rates are subject to change without notice. Click here to view current deposit rates and current loan rates

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