Hotel rewards: Go for free nights, not points + MORE Jan 3rd

The flurry of gift-shopping and overspending is finally over, leaving plenty of people with the dreaded holiday hangover.
Just a couple weeks ago, a CIBC poll showed that Canadians were planning to spend nearly $600 for this season’s holiday shopping. While that figure is about 8% less than last year, more than half of respondents expected to go over budget.
So, if you’re finding yourself with a high credit card bill this January, don’t worry. If you’re diligent, there are ways to slowly and surely combat your debt.
First, figure out how much money you can actually spare towards your debt. Don’t use all your spare money to put towards debt, otherwise you might have to borrow again to pay for your daily expenses, which is more than a little counterintuitive.
If the dues have really piled up—not only with your holiday credit card use, but with personal loans, too—you might want to consider consolidating your debts. You could get a consolidation loan, take on a secured or unsecured line of credit or refinance your home…