No time of the year can be more detrimental to one’s personal finances than the next 6 weeks of holiday celebrating and shopping. Between, shopping for gifts, preparing large meals, entertaining and friendly gatherings, a household budget can become strained and cause people to rely on credit cards, savings and even expensive payday (or auto title) loans. Many employers pay employees early during the holiday season so future income can be used to manage the increased expenses that accompany holiday preparations. However, households need to adhere to financial plans and their holiday budget…you should have a budget for holiday shopping…a holiday budget can help prevent the “too good to be true” moments in shopping and picking up the tab after running into the old friend at the bar. Don’t get caught in the trap of using too much of your early holiday pay before the month ends. This could lead to a shortage of available cash to carry your personal finances into December. And remember gift giving month of December is notorious for robbing households of the gift of financial stability.