Financial expert provides tips on tackling holiday debt in the new year

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Now that the holiday season is coming to an end, it's time to start tackling all the accumulated expenses.

According to LendingTree, 36% of Americans acquired debt this holiday season, averaging nearly $1,200.

Brian Mirau, the founder of Mirau Capital Management, said it's important to start small and focus on long-term goals.

"You can eat it in bite-sized pieces, but have a plan to get it knocked out, you know, as quickly as you can because it's hard to overcome, you know, those high interest rates that we have on these credit cards," he said.

Mirau recommended writing down all debts, including balances, interest rates and minimum payment amounts. He suggests tackling high-interest debts first, which are typically credit cards.

He said planning is critical to reaching your goals.

"What we find is that folks that do a little bit of planning and, and you kind of have all this mapped out, and of course, the quicker you start on this, you know, the easier it seems to be."