Opening gifts is a ton of fun. Opening the resulting bills is not. Yet every holiday season millions of consumers use their credit cards to finance gifts they don't have the cash to pay for. Come January, those bills start rolling in and a strong case of post-holiday remorse sets in. When faced with the post-holiday blues, debt can seem insurmountable. To help you get a handle on your situation, consider the following advice.

• Realize that there are two primary ways out of debt - cutting expenses or increasing your income. Decide which works for you and truly commit to it.

• Create a spending sheet. List the names of your creditors, amount owed each and current interest rate, then total it all up. Update that sheet monthly and tape it in a place where you will see it regularly.

• Create a budget and a repayment plan. Track your expenses for one month so that you can be sure every expense is included. Staying on top of your expenses will help you stay within your budget.

• Pay off credit cards with the highest interest rates first. The Union Plus Credit Card features low-rate balance transfers. Call 1-800-522-4000 or visit www.unionpluscard.com to apply.

• Establish a 2005 holiday savings account so that next year relying on credit won't be necessary. Factor it in as an expense.

• Take a good hard look at your spending habits. Credit is not an extension of your income!

• If you can't make a dent in your post-holiday debt, consider credit counseling from the Union Plus Credit Counseling program. Call 1-877-833-1745 or visit www.unionplus.org/credit-counseling.cfm.