Exeter Citizens Advice Bureau is expecting a busy January as people realise they've run up large debts to pay Christmas.
The number of people seeking advice on the money they owe continued to rise during 2013 - and for many the festive season is the most expensive time of year.
A YouGov survey revealed that many people were planning to use credit cards or payday loans to fund Christmas, and some hadn't even finished repaying the debts they'd incurred for Christmas 2012.