JUST FOUR EASY PAYMENTS MANY PEOPLE NEVER PROPERLY ACCOUNTED FOR: The buy now, pay later holiday debt hangover has arrived, as consumers wonder how they’ll pay bills. “In an era where persistent inflation and record-high interest rates are shaping financial decisions for many shoppers, the service helped fuel a boom in overall online spending that topped out at $222 billion from Nov. 1 through the end of December. During the season, buy now, pay later usage hit an all-time high, rising a staggering 14% from the prior year and contributing $16.6 billion to online spending.”

And now comes the inevitable hangover.