How To Get Debt Free
Written by admin on December 6th, 2010How to get debt free puzzles many and the insidious thing about being in debt is that it is a slippery slope where many don’t feel the impact until they receive those awful bills in the mail.
In order to eliminate debt from your life your must first make a commitment to not allow overspending to rule your life. This may be hard to do but it can be done, but only if you are serious about changing your life. If you feel the need to seek out a professional financial planner to make this happen, or feel out of control with your spending, then do so.
In addition, learn to spend no more than you earn. And, make your own decisions on where and why you want to spend your money. Don’t allow the media, friends or family to tell you where you should spend your hard-earned money.
Next, review your budget—what you spend on each month: food, utility bills, necessities, medical, dental, gas, etc. Be strict and exact when reviewing your budget. Look at your monthly bills and expenses and then continue on.
Then, make a list of what you owe. Put your bills in order, beginning with the largest balance first. Keep this as your highest priority and then pay them, accordingly. The next step is to prioritize your payments. And, always pay your bills on time, always!
Seek ways in which you can be more frugal. Think about ways in which you can decrease your bills—not just daily but weekly and monthly. Then, make it vital that you do not find any additional spending. If you need or want something that is not vital to your life, save for it. You may want to rethink about areas such as numerous dining out ventures, unnecessary grocery or unneeded shopping trips, too many DVDs or trips to the theater, etc.
Create and maintain an emergency savings fund. Everyone, from time to time, is faced with an emergency situation, where they need money. Several months of needed living expenses will surely come in handy.
Next, get rid of all credit cards. When you’re finished paying off a card, notify the company that you want to close it down and once that act is accomplished, then eliminate the card.
The next step is to get a copy of your credit report and credit score and read them over carefully. Perhaps you can pay down on some of your balances and check for any possible errors.
Then, create a spending plan. This can be done by tracking money that comes in and money that goes out. This can be done easily with such programs as Quicken or Microsoft Money. Once this is set up, consider using a debit card instead of a credit card.
How to get debt free requires investing time and effort and a good savings plan. Money, earning money, will help keep you out of debt. So, don’t delay. Do this now and you will remain debt free!
To conclude, getting out of debt need not be a nightmare but certain steps must be taken to ensure that a more financially sound way of living is created and maintained; a way of living where smarter choices are made, a savings program adopted and a cutting back on unnecessary expenditures are enforced.
