This guest post is from The Digerati Life.
No one likes having debt. Iâve got my mortgage to pay and a small amount on a balance transfer credit card. But other than that Iâve been pretty good at paying everything off and making sure I have as little debt as possible.
But for those who have more debt to contend with, debt consolidation is just one way of gaining control over your finances. There are a good number of strategies you can try to help manage your debt obligations. If you’re serious about getting your finances in order, I’ve got a few methods listed below that you can use to wipe out your debt as quickly as possible. Nothing new here, but the key here is to have the discipline and commitment to execute your plans.
1. Lower your existing interest rates. Donât stick with the same old credit card youâve had for ages if it has a painfully high interest rate. Spend some time looking around for something better instead — perhaps 0% APR credit cards may work better for you if you can transfer your balance to a card with a 0% intro rate and you can manage to pay off the balance during the intro period.
Debt consolidation is a good idea if it reduces the amount of interest you are paying. Find a good calculator and use it to figure out where you stand. Getting a read on your situation is the first step to improving your financial health.
2. Find ways to bring in more money and to funnel the extra cash toward your debts. You don’t need to take on a part time job: you could have a yard sale or you could try selling unwanted stuff on eBay. You can certainly make several hundred dollars quite easily just by looking around your home. Some enterprising people have even turned the sale of their clutter and second-hand possessions into a business.
Youâre probably thinking that there’s no way you could make that much money doing this sort of thing. But you’ll be surprised to know that most people actually have several thousand dollars sitting around their home, tied up in items they no longer need or use. Why not make that cash work for you instead of sitting on it all the time? I made around $750 in a single week once, selling off a load of DVDs I no longer wanted.
3. Cut back on all luxuries for a fixed period of time. Use the cash you save to pay back your debts faster. We all have various luxuries â’ big or small â’ that cost money. Now while there is nothing wrong with enjoying luxuries, if you are currently struggling to pay down your credit card, then you could certainly benefit from giving your card a rest for a while.
Try canceling that gym membership or foregoing your subscriptions to your monthly magazines if you have any. Put the money you gain towards paying off your most expensive debt first. That way, you’ll quickly find yourself paying less on interest charges over time. Alternatively, you can pay off your smallest debts first; this way, you’ll gain a sense of accomplishment over wiping out individual debts faster. This strategy has the added bonus of offering you motivation to clear your debt even more aggressively.
Iâve found that it pays to tackle any debt you have as soon as possible. Before long, you’ll have more money freed up to feed your stock broker accounts. I’ve certainly fared better financially by adhering to this philosophy. Once you go down this road, you should be on your way to becoming debt free.
Author: Jeremy Vohwinkle
My name is Jeremy Vohwinkle, and I’ve spent a number of years working in the finance industry providing financial advice to regular investors and those participating in employer-sponsored retirement plans.
