Financial counselors like Jacksonport’s Gay Pustaver have their work cut out for them as Christmas is just over two weeks away. Holiday spending is projected to go up approximately four percent from last year to over $1,000 for the average consumer according to the National Retail Federation. This is despite over 40 million Americans trying to figure out how to pay off 2017’s Christmas bills. Spending on top of last year’s holiday debt can add to the stress of the season. Pustaver, the executive director of Sturgeon Bay-based Money Management Counselors, says just because items make it on your child’s wish list does not mean you have to buy it.

A recent survey by T. Rowe Price showed 45 percent of parents believe they need to try to buy everything on their kids’ lists, even if it means financing more of their purchases or sacrificing their retirement savings down the road.