8 Easy Steps To Becoming Debt Free

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Ten secrets to pay off your credit card debt
Here are ten simple tips to help you pay off your credit card debts sooner. First the boring bit: the first three steps are boring but vital. If you want to take control, you have to know what's going on. Taking control of your finances can feel like a straitjacket, so plan in some light relief for when you achieve each step - but make sure it doesn't cost much money. For example, when you've done... Read debt consolidation article



Debt Consolidation Lenders to Reduce Debts
Lenders can help you reduce your debts through lower rates and smaller payments. Turning in your high interest credit card accounts for a low interest equity or personal loan can easily cut your rates in half. You can also manage your monthly payments on your terms, to best fit your budget.

Turning In High Rates For Low Rates

Unsecured credit cards are well-known for their do... Read debt consolidation article



8 Easy Steps To Becoming Debt Free
Getting into Debt is easy.

When you leave school, you can start building a credit record for yourself. The only way to do this is to go into Debt. You think you can handle it: paying off your credit cards every month, staying up to date with all your other monthly payments. You're earning an income, living the high life and you can handle anything that life throws at you.

Then Disaster Strikes - the car breaks down or someone in the family gets ill, and you rapidly realize that you're getting over your head. When the curve balls come your way, getting into debt can sometimes be the only way to cope.

All to soon, the Money coming in just doesn't cover your monthly expenses; you find yourself going deeper and deeper into debt just to make ends meet. And everybody who was so nice about giving you the credit in the first place, suddenly turns nasty and starts making demands.

Nobody likes to find themselves in this situation, yet it happens more often than you realize. It not only affects you emotionaly; it has an impact on everybody around you as well. Nobody like owing money and nobody likes losing sleep over Debt. But what can you do to get out of the downward spiral - so often a feeling of total despair hits you.

Eight Simple Step to get out of Debt.

Well here are 8 steps to actively follow to get the ball rolling and help get you out of debt quicker than you think.

Step 1: The first thing you have to do is to admit to yourself that there is a problem. It's amazing how many people would rather ignore it, and just hope that it goes away. So, admit it, just say: "I'm in big trouble". This step actually forces you to start looking at your problems.

Step 2: Stop making Debt! Right Now.

Step 3: Create yourself a Budget for every month and determine what you're spending where. Look at your income and your expenses and determine how much you can spend on debt repayments.

Step 4: Now comes the hard part. Make a list of all your short-term debts and the full amount that is outstanding on each and every one of them. These include your credit-cards, clothing accounts and even the monthle contract with the video store. Anything that you have to make a monthly payment on where you've received credit. Don't worry about your big debts like your Mortgage and Car Payments. We'll get to those later.

Step 5: Input all of these debts into a spreadsheet and add them up. You'll find this a big eye opener. Now, you have the real picture of what you truly owe. Only now will you be able to actively start attacking your debts. Sort your debts from the smallest debt to the biggest debt. The key is to start with paying the smallest debt off first and then the next in line and so on.

Step 6: Now you need to determine how much extra you can pay every month over and above what you are already paying in monthly repayments. Look at your Budget that you created in Step 3 and see if you have a bit of extra money available from you monthy income after all your expenses have been deducted. If you do - great. If not, see where you can make cuts, such as luxury items on your grocery bill. We're not looking for a big amount, just that little extra.

Step 7: Start paying the extra money you created in Step 6 towards your smallest debt (in addition to the normal monthly repayment) and continue doing this every month until it's paid off. Once that smallest debt is paid off, you'll have some extra money available. Don't spend it! Use he money freed up to pay off the next debt in your list of debts (once again, in addition to the normal monthly fees) until this one is also paid off. What you have here is the snowball effect : Every time you pay a debt off, you'll have bigger and bigger chunks of money available to pay the next one off quickly

Step 8: You've paid off all your small debts and should have quite a pile of extra cash available every month. I know it's tempting to spend it, but the best place for that money to go is into your Mortgage - So invest your money into your own property. Why? Your mortgage is probably the biggest long term debt you will ever sign up for. For every bit of extra cash you pay into your bond in addition to your monthly payment, is offset against the capital amount of the loan. The less capital outstanding on your bond, the lower the monthly interest you have to pay over. And the added benefit is that you'll pay the mortgage loan of faster. It can make upto 3 or 5 years difference. I'm not saying use all of it, but a big chunk of that money needs to go there.

These eight steps will help you get out of debt pretty quickly - It's NOT easy, and requires you to become disciplined with your money. You can get out of the situation, but the only person who can help you out of the hole is You.

Take control. Follow these 8 simple steps. You will be on your way to become debt free in no time at all.

If you have serious problems getting out of debt, consider Debt Consolidation which can give you some breathing space to help you get out of debt

Gerard Korsten runs the website http://www.debtconsolidationweb.info/ to help people get out of the great silent killer - Debt. For more information, please visit the website.

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5 Simple Tips To Get Out Of Debt

Is credit card debt driving you crazy? Spent too much this holiday season?

Well, you're definitely not alone. Credit card debt is a way of life these days. Especially now, right after the holidays!

For many people, money gets REAL tight this time of year - we need to pay for all the holiday gifts, get ready for tax season...

Ahhhh!

What can you do if debt has taken over your life?

Make getting out of debt your New Year's Resolution for 2006!

Here are 5 simple tips for getting out of debt. Keeping a New Year's Resolution is difficult. But if you follow these tips, you'll be prepared for a prosperous 2006!

1) Write down your goal and make a plan for achieving it!

The first step to getting out of debt is by far the most important - you need to:

make a commitment to get out of debt
write it down
and come up with a plan for reaching it!
Hey, you didn't get into debt overnight, and you won't get out overnight, either. But if you want to get out of debt - if you REALLY want to get out of debt, you need to have a plan. And you need to stick with it.

2) Seriously consider using a debt reduction program

If you have the discipline to get out of debt on your own, without any help, then good for you! But if you're like most people, a little help will go a long way. Here are a few debt reduction programs to consider:

Credit counseling: If you have high interest rates on your credit cards, working with a non-profit company will help you lower those high rates, and combine your credit card bills into one lower monthly payment - which means more of your money will go towards reducing your debt!

Debt consolidation loan: If you own a home, you can consider taking out a home equity loan to pay off all your credit card bills, lower you interest rates, and possibly deduct the interest on your taxes (but check with your tax professional on this one).

Debt settlement: If nothing else is working, and your debt is still overwhelming, then you should consider debt settlement. This is a more aggressive approach, and is not right for everyone, but if you're considering bankruptcy, this is a good option. You can pay off all your credit card bills at a savings of 40-60%, and get out of debt much quicker.

3) Start fixing your credit problems

Many people think that anything that goes on your credit report stays there for 7 years. Well, that's not always true. I got a bunch of negative credit items off my credit report - all I did was get a copy of my credit report, and ask the credit bureaus to remove the "bad stuff". In just a few months, my credit was almost back to normal. There's nothing that says we must pay for our mistakes forever (or even for 7 years)!

4) Cut down your monthly expenses

If you overdid the spending in 2005, then it's time to cut out all the expenses you don't need, and use the money you save to pay off your credit card bills. Take a look at your checking and savings account statements, your credit card statements, and your monthly bills. Then start looking for things to cut. I know, I know, it's hard to live without cable TV, cell phones, internet access, the morning paper, weekend dinners and entertainment. BUT DO IT ANYWAY - at least until you get your debt back under control!

5) Make some extra spending money

Sometimes making more money is the best answer! There are lots of ways to make money - selling some of your valuables, getting a part-time job, starting your own business. Despite some of the ads you read, there's no really secret to making money - you just need to find something you like to do, and work hard at it!

6) Think positive!

OK, there were only supposed to be 5 tips, but this one is the best one - no matter how hard life can get, no matter how much debt you have, the one thing in life you can control the most is how you think. So rather than focusing on what you don't have, be thankful for all that you do have. Nobody dies wishing they had made more money or worked longer. But many people do regret all the fun and meaningful things THEY DID NOT DO! So make some time to have fun, think positive, and find little ways to enjoy life EVERY SINGLE DAY you are here on plant Earth!

Wondering what makes me an expert on debt? Well, I lived through it. I know what it feels like to struggle. And I know what it feels like to overcome financial problems. There's nothing special about me. I work at a college, so I don't make a heck of a lot of money. I didn't win the lottery. And no rich relatives left me a pile of money.

I just learned a few simple strategies - actually, I learned the 5 tips you just read about - and stuck with them until my life changed for the better.

And you can, too - just follow the tips above, believe in yourself, and DON'T LET ANYONE OR ANYTHING STOP YOU FROM REACHING YOUR GOALS in life!

© 2005 Debt-Tips.com

Kris Bickell is the owner of www.Debt-Tips.com, a helpful site for consumers struggling with credit card debt. For more tips on getting out of debt, repairing your credit, saving money, and making extra money online, sign up for the free course "5 Simple Tips For Getting Out Of Debt Faster & Saving A Ton Of Money!" at: http://www.Debt-Tips.com/ And learn how Kris became debt free in less than 2 years and saved nearly $10,000 using these tips!


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