OFT advises Christmas budget planning

Caution urged over credit card usage

Don't put yourself in debt by overspending this festive season.

That's the message from the Office of Fair Trading, with the overriding mantra that: "it's never too early to start planning ahead for Christmas".

The OFT provide a budget planner on their website, and offer a free and confidential debt counselling service for those who do find too much cheer has stretched their budgets.

Chief Inspector of Trading Standards, John Peet, says credit cards can be especially dangerous if not used carefully: