FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Whether you’re shopping in-store or online, impulse buys are the most common way consumers overextend their finances.<\/p>\n
“Today, we’re inundated with offers,” says Experian Senior Director of Consumer Education and Advocacy, Rod Griffin. “When you’re in the store, you see those discounts.”<\/p>\n
Griffin says the financial burden of holiday shopping can be seen well into the new year.<\/p>\n
ABC PRICE TRACKER: See cost of gas, groceries, housing where you live <\/a><\/p>\n Feeling the financial pressure? Set expectations early with family and friends.<\/p>\n “We’re all feeling the pinch,” Griffin said. “Everyone told us inflation is affecting them and they’re thinking about it. Costs are higher in a lot of cases.”<\/p>\n Overspending may be common, but some are worse off than others.<\/p>\n “You can find yourself with debt that you’re still repaying next year for this year’s holiday gift,s and that’s what we want to avoid,” Griffin said.<\/p>\n “Buy Now Pay Later” can be a great tool if you use it well, but it can also result in unexpected debt.<\/p>\n “It’s easy to swipe that card and not think about it when you make an impulse buy,” Griffin said. “BNPL can be a great tool, or it can get you in trouble because there’s something we call ‘debt stacking.'”<\/p>\n This is when you have multiple payments on multiple items from different stores.<\/p>\n “It doesn’t seem like much in the moment,” Griffin said. “It’s after the spending during the holidays and they pass, you realize how much you actually spend.”<\/p>\n Another way to make sure you’re in control of your money is to shop with an itemized spending plan and stay strict about it.<\/p>\n “If it’s not on the list, it gives you a little more willpower to say ‘No, I can’t do it. It’s not in the plan.'”<\/p>\n AI can help you comparison shop online and in-store.<\/p>\n “Sixty-one percent of people told us they’re open to using AI for their holiday shopping,” Griffin said. “Eighty-six of those who did say it actually made their holiday shopping easier and faster, and they’re using it for a number of reasons. One is to help find the best prices for things they’re looking for.”<\/p>\n If using credit for holiday shopping, look for a card with cash back rewards, points, miles or store-specific discounts.<\/p>\n For news updates, follow Vanessa Vasconcelos on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2025 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n