Did you overspend for the holidays?

About 93 million Americans, or 37 percent, overspent over the holidays, and 46 million people or 18 percent of Americans, regret at least one holiday purchase, according to WalletHub’s 2019 Post-Holiday Shopping Season Survey.

“Buyer’s remorse is especially common when a purchase is made on impulse,” said Paul Rose, interim dean of the School of Education, Health, and Human Behavior at Southern Illinois University. “Many people procrastinate when purchasing gifts, and run out of time in December to carefully consider their purchasing options.”

There’s also a cultural connection between the holidays and shopping. Three in 10 people say that spending more makes the holidays happier, while two in 10 say that the holidays are worth accumulating credit card debt for.

“Overspending is a chronic problem for many consumers in this country,” said Z. John Zhang, a professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania.

U.S. consumers don’t need any more credit card debt. Americans owed more than $974 billion to credit card companies through the third quarter of 2018. That figure is expected to exceed $1 trillion when data for the full year are released.

That’s one reason why many people plan to wait at least a few months after the holidays before making another major purchase.

To help right holiday wrongs, more than one-third of Americans expect to return a gift they received this past holiday season, with clothes and electronics topping the list.

Eight in 10 people think 2019 will be a better year for their wallets than 2018. Getting a handle on their credit card spending is a good way to make that happen.

“Savvy consumers should have a list of what they truly need or want, and wait until the best time or deal to buy it,” said Emad Abou-Elgheit, an assistant professor of marketing and entrepreneurship at the State University of New York. “When they do that, they can perceive more value of their purchases, and most importantly, feel less regret.