Managing debt and the holidays can feel stressful. Many people struggle with debt during the holiday shopping season. When adding to your Christmas list, a local expert says consumers need to exercise the same sort of practice that Kris Kringle employs.

“Santa Claus makes a list and checks it twice, and so should consumers,” said Katherine Jamieson, educator at the Macomb County office of the Michigan State University Extension Service in Clinton Township.

Her advice is just one word of caution for buyers who are ready to burn through cash and credit limits at stores and online.

Katie Bossler is expecting calls in January from people looking to manage the debt they’ve accumulated, either for holiday spending or from medical bills.

“Starting in January, it’s not uncommon to have in influx of calls from people facing credit card debt and figuring to pay it off that may have occurred during the holidays,” said Bossler, a financial wellness expert for GreenPath Financial Wellness in Farmington Hills, and a certified credit counselor.

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