AICCCA Offers Tips to Keep the Red Tuesday^TM Monster Away this Halloween

Fairfax, VA - October 15, 2012 — Halloween will be here soon, followed very shortly by the winter holidays. The Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies cautions consumers not to let the Halloween ghosts and goblins trick you into spending more than you can afford on the holidays or you could let in the holiday monster of debt known as AICCCA's Red Tuesday. A Red Tuesday is the result of overspending on Black Friday and Cyber Monday when consumers buy with credit cards without a plan in place to pay them off in a timely manner.

"Halloween spending - in fact all holiday spending - falls under the 'want' category of a spending plan," said Dave Jones, president, AICCCA. "A spending plan helps consumers take care of the needs of their family before they commit money to the wants."

According to the National Retail Federation, a record 170 million people are gearing up to spend more this year for Halloween. A survey conducted by NRF says that consumers are planning to spend $79.82 on decorations, costumes and candy, up from $72.31 last year. AICCCA offers these tips to make your Halloween fun, but affordable:

• Satisfy trick-or-treaters with the jingle of coins. Add pennies to your candy bowl and you won't have to buy as much candy and treats.



• Reduce, reuse or recycle costumes. Use this mantra to look through your closets for ways to dress up without buying anything new. Trade with neighbors or friends or brighten up an old costume with new trim.



• Go green with decorations, too. Inventory what you have on hand before you buy anything new. Design a different layout from what you have done in the past. If you really want to buy something, consider a pumpkin or two late in the month that can do double duty at Thanksgiving.

If you need help planning your holiday spending to avoid the Red Tuesday^TM monster of holiday debt, an AICCCA member is just a phone call away at 866-703-TRUSTAICCCA (866-703-8787).