Toptipstoavoid Christmasdebt:

Work outhow much youare goingtospend on each person –and stick to it.Besensible andstick to abudget.

If youare having problems paying your rent youmay be abletoclaim Housing Bene t or UniversalCredit housingcosts.

Shoparound. Tryasmany differentplacesaspossible to ndthe best price. Be wary of extended warranties; thecostof arepaircould be less than the cost of the warranty.

When nancial problems occurask forhelpstraight away before they getout of control.

Once Christmasisover, start planning howyou will do things next year. This might also be agoodtimetostart saving, so whynot joina Credit Union?

Youcangetfree,independent, con dential,andimpartial advicefromCitizensAdvice Sedgemoor–visit www. sedgemoorcab.org.uk/openinghours or 0344 4889623 for moreinformation.

Rent Free Weeks2021:

Keep things simple. Payfor your goodsoutright with cash or debitcardifyou canaffordto.

Don’t forgetyour normal weekly bills. Rememberyour rent, Council Tax, gas, electricity andfoodhavetobecovered andother existing debtsstill have to be paid.

Planning, budgeting anddisciplineare keyto avoidgetting into debtat Christmas. If you’re spending runs outofcontroldebtcould become away of life.

Thisyear,theRentFreeWeeksaretheweekscommencingMonday,December20,2021andMonday, December27,2021.

Ifyoupaymonthly,orareinarrears,theRentFreeWeekshavealreadybeencalculatedintoyour paymentsandyoushouldcontinuetopaythesameamountinDecember