2025 goal: Pay off holiday credit card debt in 3 months

ATLANTA - Americans spent almost $1,200 on average for the holidays, with 36 percent saying they took on debt to do it.

A Lending Tree post-holiday study says that 60% of those who charged for gifts are now stressed out about it.

The FOX 5 I-Team's Dana Fowle says the goal for paying off holiday-incurred debt is three to four months.

Math breakdown

If you charged $1,181 for gifts, and you get paid twice a month, you will need to pay your credit card $196.83 per check to clear that debt in three months. 

Ways to pay off holiday debt

• If you can, make payments before the due date and as frequently as you can.
• Transfer debt to a 0% interest credit card. But don't add new charges. The no-interest introductory offer is only for transfers, not new charges.
• Pay off that debt using the Avalanche Method. You pay off the highest interest card first.
• For others, the Snowball Method works best. Pay off the lowest balance card first. When that's done, go to the next low balance card.