$1m In Stolen Bronze Artwork Sold For Scrap

Alberto Jr. And Ariana A. Luna

AS THE HOLIDAY revelry begins to wear off this week, you&rsquo;ll probably find yourself wadding up the wrapping paper and finding places to tuck away all of the family&rsquo;s new Christmas gifts.
You probably also will start to question, who paid for this stuff?
A quick peek at next month&rsquo;s credit card bill and it becomes &ndash; yikes! &ndash; painfully obvious. You did.
For lots of area residents, holiday overspending is but a momentary issue, easily dealt with by a bit of belt-tightening through January and February. For many people, however, credit card debt spells real trouble.
&ldquo;Americans are falling behind on their credit card payments at an alarming rate,&rdquo; according to a recent Associated Press report, which noted that some delinquency and default rates have increased by double-digit percentages in the past year.
If you have spending problems, vow to get your finances under control in 2008. Start by connecting with an agency that offers debt management tools, such as the Commission on Economic Opportunity, in Wilkes-Barre, or the Pittston-based Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
A balanced household budget is something you owe &ndash; to yourself.
BILL BURDEN?

Contact the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northeastern Pennsylvania online, at  www.cccsnepa.org, or call 1-800-922-9537.

Vow To Get Your Finances Under Control In 2008