Credit card balances and other debts can creep up on anyone faster than you can imagine. The convenience of being able to charge goods and services has become almost an addiction to many, and it can be hard to kick. Getting stuck in a financial place where you are only making minimum payments can leave you in serious debt for years to come.
The average household can carry up to $25000 that can stay with them regardless of their efforts. Whether it is credit cards, education loans or a mortgage, your debt is something that is hard to get away from. Many people claim that the size of their debt is largely responsible for the amount of stress that they feel overall.
When you are looking to finally get ahead, having a debt problem can leave you feeling like you are never really getting anywhere. It’s never too late to talk to a professional financial and debt advisor to help you get on track.
You may have several cards that all have high-interest rates or you may have bad credit loans monthly payments that are barely making a dent in your principle. Either way, it could be time for you to make a plan to finally get yourself in the clear. Take a look at the following steps that you should be taking if you want to get the debt monster off of your back for good.
Track Your Monthly Expenses
Keep all receipts no matter how unimportant they may seem. Most people are quite surprised with the amount of money that they are wasting on non-essential items on a regular basis. You may be paying for expensive morning coffee’s, ordering in or taking out for your lunches and impulse spending that can add up.
Once you have things all mapped out, it is time to start cutting the fat. Make your own coffee daily, take a bag lunch and reduce the amount of take out meals that you get. Things like lowering your cable, internet and phone packages are a good place to start. Although you may not like it, curbing your entertainment spending may be a sacrifice that you need to make.
Get Professional Help For Making a Solid Plan
Although you may have worked out a budget based on your spending, it is important to go through all aspects of your spending and come up with a solid plan. Now is the time to make an appointment with a reputable financial advisor that can help you to implement your plan and be able to start getting up out of the debt cycle. You cannot keep the same habits that got you into debt if you want to make any lasting changes. Make a realistic list of the things that you absolutely need including transportation, housing, utilities, and food and then go from there.
Small Consistent Payments
If you find that you are scraping together a large monthly debt payment, try breaking it down into smaller amounts. It may be more budget friendly to break up that lump sum payment into weekly or bi-monthly installments. Even small payments can still add up and go a long way. Your main priority is to be able to make payments that exceed your minimum monthly payments.
Faster Payment Schedules
Once you have completed your budget you will have a realistic idea of where to put your money more wisely. Making more than just one monthly payment on your debt will bring down your interest payments fast and start chipping away at your primary amount. Start with just one extra payment a month and see how it goes and how it affects the rest of your budget.