(NewsNation) — Many Americans carried over holiday debt into the new year, marking the post-holiday spending regret.

Financial experts have coined this the post-holiday “hangover” as people realize the extent of how much they spent.

“This is the time when the presents have been opened, the money’s been spent, but now it gets kind of emotional,” Mark Henry, CEO of Alloy Wealth Management, told local outlet WCNC. “A lot of times we look back and go, oh gosh, what have I just done?

In a December survey of 2,000 Americans, more than a third responded that they planned to use a credit card for holiday purchases.

Seventy percent of credit card users expected to carry a balance into 2026, and some expect to still be paying the balance off into the summer, according to the survey by Affirm and Talk Research.

“Credit card interest that compounds month to month can make purchases significantly more expensive over time,” said Vishal Kapoor, Head of Product at Affirm. “Those extra charges, not the act of paying over time itself, are what introduce unwanted financial surprises after the season has wrapped and the new year has started.”

Financial experts recommend taking an inventory of all financial debt and making a focused plan for the new year.

“The best time to have planted an apple tree was 10 years ago,” Henry said. “The best time to start a new habit or a new tradition would have been yesterday, but we do find ourselves right here at the new year. Could there be a better time than to start the new year with a different plan?”