Before heading to the mall on the busiest shopping day of the year, consumers should consider ways to avoid the classic holiday spending hangover. Recent statistics show that 54 percent* of U.S. consumers are still paying off credit card debt from the last holiday season. Yet economists predict that shoppers in this country will increase their holiday spending by 6.3 percent** this year.
From buying presents and traveling to entertaining and decorating, this weekend starts the season of overspending for many consumers. A few smart spending strategies plus an awareness of common holiday spending mistakes can help save them from paying for the holidays long into 2004. MP Dunleavey, award-winning columnist for CNBC on MSN® Money (http://money.msn.com/), offers the following simple steps to avoid the post-season doldrums:
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