When trying to pay off debt, one of the options a consumer may consider is a debt management plan.

Through a debt management plan, a consumer works with a consumer credit counseling service. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers give the counseling service money, which it then uses to pay off debt for the person.

The advantage of a DMP is that a consumer credit counseling agency may be able to negotiate with lenders to get lower rates. However, the FTC notes there are some things consumers need to do if they are in such a plan. They need to make sure to make payments on time, and they should check their monthly statements in order to ensure their lenders are getting the money.

“You need to be aware that if payments to your DMP and creditors are not made on time, you could lose the progress you’ve made on paying down your debt, or the benefits of being in a DMP, including lower interest rates and fee waivers,” the FTC’s website said.

Along with setting up a DMP, consumer credit counseling agencies can help consumers in setting up a monthly budget. Doing so would involve examining a person’s income and expenses and then determining where the consumers can find some savings, which may include cutting back on unnecessary costs.

A recent survey from the National Retail Federation indicates people may be less likely to take on credit card debt during this year’s holiday shopping season.

According to the poll, only 28.3 percent of respondents said they would pay for purchases with credit cards during this holiday season, which is a 10.1 percent drop from the 31.5 percent who said they would do so in last year’s survey.

“With many holiday shoppers focused on spending within their limits, it’s no surprise that fewer people will be relying on credit cards this year,” Tracy Mullin, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation, said.

Though credit card use is expected to fall, the survey showed that more people plan on relying on cash when it comes to making holiday purchases. Of respondents, 24.9 percent said they would purchase gifts with cash, which is a 9.1 percent increase from the 22.8 who said so last year.

When it comes to overall holiday shopping, a recent Burst Media survey shows that 62.8 percent of respondents said they plan on spending the same or less than they did last year. Furthermore, 85.3 percent of those polled plan on shopping online this year.