WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) — The holiday shopping season is here, but this year, added financial stressors are present right along with it.

22News spoke to local shoppers about the potential strains on their holiday budgets.

“I put my self on a budget, but I’m already over it!,” said Marjann Kurty of Michigan.

The National Retail Federation predicted about 182 million people would be out shopping this holiday weekend. Those shoppers most likely on the hunt for big deals.

Bill Watson from Torrington, CT said that he has kept the same budget, because prices are unlikely to drop anytime soon. “Nothing’s going to come down, gas, food, clothes. So I do everything I’m supposed to.”

Financial strains like rising rent and housing costs, high interest rates and the start-up of student loan payments have been eating away at holiday budgets.

“Oh my goodness, it’s ridiculous. You know when you don’t go grocery shopping everyday or once a week, and you go in and find these items like, ‘wow, what happened,” expressed Dorothy McDonald from Springfield.

“So I said to all of my kids… ‘I’m on a budget!,” expressed Marjann Kurty. “I’m only spending $159 on each one of you for your birthdays and Christmas.’”

A lot of shoppers tend to rely on their credit cards to get them through the holiday spending period, but delinquency rates are on the rise, reaching a level not seen since 2012. According to the Federal Reserve, in the third quarter, almost 3% of cards had late payments.

Westfield State University student Allie Hill told 22News, “I think it just matters how smart you are with your money. You can use it as long as you know, I have to pay this much. Because I won’t use my credit card unless I know I have that money in my bank account, so that way I know I can pay it off.”

Despite the hardships, local shoppers are keeping their focus on the joy of the holiday season.

“I just love Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday because I like snow, I like winter. So I love it,” said Hill.

“And I’d just like to say merry Christmas to those people, and I often think of those people that don’t have what we have and how lucky we are,” expressed Kurty.