Your Monthly Spending May Be Up Nearly $800 This Year — Here's Why

Current spending levels are 4% to 7% higher than pre-pandemic levels, McKinsey says, suggesting that revenge spending really is driving Americans to new excess.

Went a little overboard? Here’s what to do

Spending more can be problematic. Spending more than you have is trouble.

The use of revolving credit — like credit cards — jumped 22% year-over-year in June, the largest increase since 1998.

While credit cards are handy tools, the interest rates are so high that carrying a balance from month to month can bury you in debt faster than you might think.

So if revenge spending is draining your bank accounts or racking up debt, here are some essential steps to get your finances back in order:

• Get your debt under control. If you have credit card debt, a payday loan or any other form of debt with a high interest rate, a debt consolidation loan may be a good solution. The right one can help you streamline your payments, lower your interest rates and even reduce your monthly payments.

• Build (or rebuild) your emergency fund. Experts suggest setting aside enough money to cover three to six months of expenses. A six-month emergency fund for an average earner would be around $31,500 — an intimidating sum, but reachable if you make the right moves.

• Stop overspending on insurance. Are you sure the company that offered you the best deal years ago is still the cheapest option? Experts suggest shopping around for better rates on your car insurance every six months and using the same strategy for home insurance — otherwise, you could be overpaying by as much as $2,000 a year.

• Find better deals automatically. The internet is a big place with thousands of stores, so it's hard to feel like you're getting the best price available. To fix that, download a free browser extension that will instantly scan for lower prices and coupons before you hit the checkout button.

• Use your “spare change” to invest. With time, even small investments can yield serious results. Using an app that rounds up your everyday purchases to the nearest dollar and invests the difference, you can capitalize on the rising stock market with little effort.