Kevin Lawrenson Fermanagh CAB
A LOCAL debt advisor has offered his advice to Fermanagh shoppers ahead of what is traditionally a time of year that stretches family budgets.
Acknowledging Christmas time can be costly and stressful for a range of people, Kevin Lawrenson of Advice NI acknowledged that ‘people don’t want to let their children down’.
Referring to the ‘consumer’ side of Christmas, Kevin said: “I would say you have to shop around whatever you’re getting, whether that may be a toy car or a computer.
“And also remember that when you go to purchase these things to read and ask questions about what you’re getting. Make sure what it says on the tin is what you get. Contracts are a big thing – with iPods, computer, tablets – people will go to buy them and not look at what happens if things go wrong. They’ll look at the warranty – but what kind of warranty is it? Does the warranty cover all eventualities.
“A lot of firms will try to cover with insurance – and you can take out insurance but you must know what exactly you’re insured for.”
According to Money Advice Service’s annual Christmas spending survey released this week, one third (35%) of adults in Northern Ireland will pay for the festivities using credit cards.
Kevin stressed the importance of insuring that mortgage and household bills take priority during this time.
“With credit cards, people are using them and then after the event – when the credit card bill comes in later that’s when there’s difficulty,” said Kevin.
“It’s hard to say to somebody: ‘Be careful’. But they must be careful. Financial companies could destroy you with penalties and charges.
“Enjoy Christmas yes, but be careful with what you’re doing. Shop around – and whatever the store is – whether you buy one sweet or ten tins of sweets, always keep the receipt. So that you can check it when you get your statement.”
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