10 December, 2007
The Consumer Credit Counselling Service has suggested that getting involved in Christmas saving schemes may help consumers get into the habit of saving on a more regular basis.
Spokesman James Ketchell said such schemes were a "very good way" to save for the festive spending spree, but could also generate a habit which has been lost due to the easy availability of credit.
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He commented: "People no longer have the saving habit - easy access to credit has made it redundant. A Christmas saving scheme is one way for people to get back into that habit."
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The amount many people borrow to pay for their Christmas spending has been of great concern in some quarters, with many consumers borrowing so much to pay for one Christmas that they are still in debt as a result 12 months later.
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Recent figures from finance website MoneyExpert.com showed that 4.4 million Britons -around one in ten consumers - are in this position.