Simply Cashback

With Summer approaching fast, many of us are starting to think about beginning our holiday shopping. At the moment, retailers are offering good sales and offers, so it may be a good time to start your preparations and discover on sale bargains.  However, if you stretch your finances beyond their limits, your holiday shopping sprees can come back to haunt you later. With some simple precautions, it can be easier to reign in what you spend and still have a fantastic time.

As the warmer weather arrives it often brings a desire to fit everything into the relatively short summer period as our thoughts turn to holidays, festivals, sporting events and parties. However such entertainment can prove to be extremely expensive and it can be hard to curb your spending during such an active period. But it is possible; try to set strict budgets for any major purchases like holidays, and work within the guidelines you set. In addition reduce your spending when possible with days in the park and BBQs at home etc. Walking and biking are also cheap and easy modes of transportation that can be enjoyed during the warmer weather.

People tend to spend more when they purchase using credit cards. Keep the following things in mind before you pull out the plastic this summer:

• You could end up paying more for your purchases. If the charged balance is not paid in full, finance charges will add extra costs to the original purchase amount.

• Overspending or maxing out your credit cards could negatively impact your credit. High outstanding debt accounts for nearly 30 percent of your credit score.

• Discounts can cost you your credit score. Before you accept a discount on your purchase for signing up for a store credit card, remember that simply applying for new accounts may hurt your credit score.

To avoid having to use credit for summer purchases, start saving as early as possible. Mentally mark certain funds as "off limits" for anything other than specific purchases - or even set aside funds in a savings account that you know you won't touch until shopping time comes. When you're ready to hit the shops (or the Web), you can set yourself on the path to prudent spending by limiting yourself to a list and setting a budget. Both will help you stay focused on how much you planned to spend. If you must use your credit card, only charge what you can afford to repay.

If you do make some missteps, however, there are smarter ways to get your finances back on track after the holidays. Follow these steps to get out of debt faster:

• Don't ignore your bills. Putting things off might seem like the easiest solution when you're feeling overwhelmed, but it's important not to fall into the procrastination trap. If you let your bills slide past the due date, your interest rates might increase, you could incur late fees and late payments will be reported to credit rating agencies.

• Get smarter about paying off your debts. If your holiday purchases spanned multiple cards, you need to figure out a plan to pay down the debt quickly and most efficiently.

• Go beyond the minimum payment due. The more money paid toward the balances, the faster you can pay off your debts. Or, better yet, pay the balance in full to limit the amount of interest you have to pay every month.

It's easy to get caught up in the spirit of the summer.  Starting your shopping with some easy-to-follow spending guidelines is the ideal way to approach the summer - and coming out of it debt free will feel like a holiday in itself.