THUNDER BAY -- Spending less and saving more are some popular New Year’s resolutions.
And those are good resolutions to make, said Thunder Bay Counselling Centre credit counsellor Cyndi Sereda.
By the end of January, people start getting their credit card bills from the holidays and that’s often when traffic at the centre picks up.
“It’s a time people start making their money resolutions. That’s something I certainly would encourage people to do, to make those money resolutions,” Sereda said.
She added it’s a good time for people to reflect on the last year.
“It’s like any resolution; you put some thought of what’s happened in the past. I think it’s really a good time for people to come in and make a fresh start,” she said.
The counselling centre’s credit program offers various services. People can come for budgeting, issues with creditors or just for general financial knowledge.
And while debt may be high after the Christmas season, Sereda said it often doesn’t come as a surprise. People often know how much they are spending.
“I think they are surprised more at the accumulation of expenses,” she said.
“When we start doing the financial assessment and you start putting it on paper of where your money is actually going, that is more of a surprise than how much money they’ve actually spent at Christmas.”
The Thunder Bay Counselling Centre is a non-profit agency and offers their services free of charge. People can also use their credit counseling over the phone.
“There is help out there,” said Sereda.
