If you own a credit card or if you are credit card eligible, you have no doubt received one of those letters offering the gift of money to help get thru the holiday.

You open the letter to find checks and a letter inviting you to take advantage of this gift the credit card company has arranged just for you. After all, you are one of their most valued customers.

Upon reading the letter, you can feel the potential effect the extra money can have on this holiday season, ranging from luxury gifts to extravagant parties. You begin to envision a catered party, with eggnog flowing surrounded by family and friends, and all you have to do is pick up a pen and drive to the bank. You may even find yourself rationalizing with the decision, after all, it is the holiday season and it only comes around once a year.

Now the reality check, the “gifts” in form of checks are simply shovels to dig a deep financial hole with. The fact is, these kind people at the credit card company are already counting the money you will put in their pockets.

The “gifts” are in reality are simply credit card offers that will prevent you from truly enjoying not only just the holiday season, but also a good portion of your life.

Is a catered party really worth the next 42 years of your life? I realize that may seem like quite the dramatic statement to make, however, on average that is the amount of time it could take you to repay that generous gift the credit card company was nice enough to give you.

As tempting as it may be to sign that check, this is definitely a time to resist temptation. Instead, walk over to your paper shredder and use the remains of the letter as confetti for New Years Eve.

There are a few other options available to ensure a happier holiday season, none of which involves paying huge interest rates. Begin with looking into a Christmas club at your bank, true the interest rate is minimal; however, keep in mind it would be interest that you would be collecting not paying.

Another, way to ensure an enjoyable holiday season, is to formulate a holiday budget. Settle on an amount that you would ideally like to spend on gifts, food and other holiday expenses. Once you have devised your holiday budget, go and look at your household spending plan. After analyzing your household budget, get a handle on the flexible expenses you encounter during the course of a regular month. In order to accommodate your holiday budget, you may have to brown bag your lunch for a month or so and put the impulse spending on hold until after the holiday.

True it may have been a lot easier to sign those checks then to make sacrifices in your every day life. Let us take a moment to reflect upon that warm and highly personalized form letter the credit card company once again.

The gift they offer will most certainly purchase that much sought after toy your son has his heart set on. If you wish to spend more than three times the actual purchase price, then sign away.

Fact, the credit card company does not want you to prosper financially. They want you to become a slave to their interest rates and payment due date.

Think of it this way, to the credit card company you are a hamster on a wheel. They will construct form letters to make you feel as if they are helping you to get ahead, but in reality, you are running, running, and not moving one inch.

The only interest that the credit card company has in mind is the interest you will have to pay from taking the “gift” they have given you.

Friend, do not fall prey to the unscrupulous ways of the credit institution. Be afraid of a credit card company bearing gifts and be very afraid. They will rob you of financial security, sleep and the stress all of this will cause, will no doubt take precious years off your life.

Ultimately, in the end the choice is yours, but remembers the warm glow of the holiday season will end. The question becomes, how do you wish to remember this holiday season? If you wish to be reminded of what a great Christmas, everyone had this year for the next 42 years by way of the credit card bill you will receive each month, then go ahead and become another worker for your credit card company.

Personally speaking, I feel the holiday season is much more memorable when I do not have to dread seeing the mailperson walk to my mailbox with a stack of bills come January.

Increase your prosperity this holiday season and the upcoming New Year by decreasing the profits of the credit card companies.