If paying in several installments can be an easy way to avoid finding yourself in the red, be careful to control your expenses.
five weeks before the end-of-year holidays, the most far-sighted are starting to think about buying Christmas gifts. First lesson, according to a Harris Interactive France survey for the Federation of e-commerce and distance selling (Fevad), the French plan to spend on average 369 euros this year, compared to 404 euros last year.
Pay in installments, a thrifty solution
In addition, there is no question of buying gifts at full price. 28% of people questioned say they are ready to offer second-hand goods, while 62% explain that they are waiting for Black Friday (Friday November 24) in the hope of getting good deals for their Christmas purchases.
Above all, almost one in three French people (28%) plan to pay for their gifts in several installments. Among those under 35, 43% even think about it. It must be said that split payment can be a real solution. It’s very practical for people with a small budget, who need to make a big expense, on household appliances for example, explained Pauline Dujardin, lawyer at Cresus, to MoneyVox a few weeks ago.
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Still according to the survey, more and more people questioned are using this method of payment to finance pleasure purchases (24%). However, if split payment can be a solution to spread out expenses and avoid going into the red at any moment, you must nevertheless be very careful and have a real vision of your budget. The aim is to avoid finding yourself in difficulty having to pay several chances at once in the following months.
Very often, households estimate the average amount they can repay each month with split payment to be 80 euros, indicates a consumption expert interviewed by The Parisian, which reveals the survey. We call this the monthly comfort payment, that is to say what can be absorbed by a household without it having an impact on its budget. Beyond that, be careful of the risk of over-indebtedness.