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got debt?
become DEBT-FREE save karyn
style
No, I
don't mean start a website (there are thousands of them today and none are very
successful) - what I mean is TAKE CHARGE, THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX,
and MAKE GETTING OUT OF DEBT YOUR NUMBER-ONE PRIORITY.
Disclaimer: I'm not a financial expert and
I'm not qualified to give financial advice, but since I receive so many e-mails from
debt-ridden people asking me for help, I decided to list some tips that might help you dig yourself out of the debt hole.
If you
have credit card debt...
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ADD IT
UP. Yes, add it up. I know from experience and from the e-mails I
receive from others that debt-ridden people often times have no idea how much
they really owe. I kept putting off adding up my bills, and when I finally did
the amount I owed was much higher than I thought it was going to be.
So ADD IT UP ALREADY! (Then pour yourself a cocktail.)
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DON'T JUMP. You can and will be able to fix your debt problem, so think
positive and put things in perspective. There are far worse things in life than debt. I
mean, it's only money, right? So change your
attitude - if you THINK you'll be able to conquer it, you soon WILL BE able to conquer
it.
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GET OUT A BIG OLE PIECE OF PAPER.
Using a marker, write down the amount of money you owe in big numbers at the
top, and then hang it somewhere where you'll see it every day (on the wall in
your room, on the inside of the closet door, etc.). By keeping the amount fresh in your mind, you'll
be less likely to go out to dinner, splurge on a pair of shoes, etc.
-
Try to
make a payment to your creditors EVERY WEEK. Every time you do, subtract the amount
of your payment
from the total owed, and write the new amount owed underneath the old one. On my old website, the
Grand Debt Tally
page was SO helpful to me because it forced me to look at
how much I owed every single week. The
smaller the number became, the more motivated I was to pay off the debt.
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BE
PROACTIVE. Do not let the debt control you. You control the debt.
There are several things you can do to make extra money to pay it off.
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Craigslist.org -
Craigslist is like a virtual bulletin board sort of website. Look in the
"et cetera jobs" area to find a variety of odd jobs. You can volunteer
for studies (be careful if they're medical studies), take surveys, help
someone move, etc. Also look in the "Wanted" section. You may have
something that someone is willing to pay cash for. Craigslist is also a
great place to sell unwanted furniture.
-
eBay - Clean out your
closets and sell stuff on eBay. People will buy ANYTHING - I've sold old magazines on eBay, broken
electronics, etc. Just make sure you're honest in your description.
And remember... when cleaning out your closet ask yourself this: Would you rather have another
pair of black shoes or be DEBT-FREE? When my debt got out of control, I
realized that I'd rather sit naked in an empty apartment than owe money to
credit card companies.
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Pay
for things with whole dollar bills, and save the change. If something
costs me $2.30, I give the cashier $3, and put the change in a jar when I get
home. I try not to use any change when paying for things. Once a
month I add up the change and send it as an EXTRA payment to my
creditors. It's a great way to save money without trying that hard.
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CUT
YOUR EXPENSES. Duh. Right? Pack a lunch, take the bus
instead of a cab, make dinner at home instead of going out, cancel the cell
phone - and send all of the money that you would have spent doing those things
to your creditors. People ask me, "Do you mean I have to stop living my
life?" The answer that is well... yes, you will have to sacrifice things in life if you want to pay your debt off.
There's no way around it. Buy a book instead of going to a movie -
it'll take you a lot longer to read it and cost you less money. You may
even learn a few new words. You don't have to stop living, but you will
have to make some changes in the types of things you do and the types of
things you spend your money on.
Good luck and I hope you are debt free soon!
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