Credit cards are not the only way to buy things now and risk getting burned later. Several e-commerce sites rely on services like Klarna, Affirm and Afterpay to allow consumers to break up their purchases into smaller chunks to pay off over several months. While there are options that allow you to pay for purchases over time with no interest charged, there are still ways you can get dinged for missing payments, just as you would with a credit card.

According to the Stanford Graduate School of Business, these services could cost the average consumer between $176 and $252 a year. Leslie Boden of Money Management Counselors in Sturgeon Bay says while it may be tempting to spread out your payments, you could quickly lose your grip on your finances if you are not mindful.

Boden invites people who are struggling with credit cards or other debt to contact her office to set up a financial counseling appointment or to learn more about upcoming workshops.