1. Overextend

The biggest mistake that many people make around the holidays is overextending themselves with credit cards. They are under the impression that they have to buy the biggest and the best presents for everyone on their list, regardless of what it does to them financially.

The truth is that most of your friends and family members would not want the presents that you are getting them if they knew how bad it was going to hurt you financially. Getting gifts for your friends and family is important, but it is not so important that you should charge things that you cannot afford.

Around the holidays, cash seems to be low for everyone. We go to holiday parties, exchange gifts, and may even have travel expenses to see family. With all of this cash going out, many people just put their expenses on their credit card and worry about it later. This is the biggest mistake that most people make with their credit cards around the holidays.

2. Everyday Needs

Another common mistake that many people make around the holidays is to pay for their everyday purchases with a credit card. They are low on cash because they have spent most of it on presents or other expenses. So when they need to go buy groceries, they just end up putting it on their credit card.

Plan ahead and make a decision that you are going to save up a little money each month so that you can be prepared for the holidays. Just know that you will have the same expenses next year and you will never get ahead if you keep charging regular things on your card.

3. Leaving Balances

Leaving large balances on credit cards is another very common mistake that many people make around the holiday season. They rack up these large credit card balances and then do not worry about paying them off for months. They think that things will be better next year.

They plan on getting a tax refund and paying off the credit cards then. However, sometimes the refund will be spent on some other need later. This ends up making the balances sit there longer and the interest keeps growing. Credit card interest is not something that you want to worry about. It can end up crippling you financially if you do not address the balances quickly.