I heard an ad on the radio the other day wanting to help us (the consumer that is) out this holiday season. It said that we should leave our credit cards home and not run them up this year. Instead they were advertising their mortgage company and offering their refinance options to give you the cash you “need” this time of year.

I’m not exactly sure why someone would find this logical and think it’s a viable “solution” to their holiday cash flow problems, but I have to assume that some people are actually taken in by this or else companies would stop making advertisements like this. Whether you’re borrowing money from your credit card or borrowing money through a mortgage, it’s still borrowed money that puts you further in debt than you were before.

If you want to change your future financial outlook, you’re going to have to stop making the same mistakes. Stop buying things that you can’t truly afford. You need to stop trying to hold up your house of cards and maintain an image that everything’s OK. Who cares what others will think of you? There’s no need to impress others this holiday season with the extent of your credit limits.

Maybe it’s time to get back to what the holiday season is all about. Try refocusing on the people (family and friends) that make this time of year special instead of the gifts. And who knows, maybe you’ll end up enjoying the season more without a mountain of debt hanging over your shoulders.

 Subscribe to Fiscal Musings | Digg This! | Stumble it!