Saturday, October 11, 2014

By Estelle Larsen


There are many people in the world today who live with debts. This causes immense stress, affecting their health and well being. They would do anything to be relieved of the burden but do not know where to start. This is where some advice may be needed on how to be debt free for life.

There are those who are in total denial of their problem and continue to live way above their means. This always catches up with them at some point and they are forced to deal with the situation. Even those who are very much aware that their income does not cover their expenditure often still continue using credits cards to the point where this no longer becomes possible.

Getting the problem under control requires paying some careful attention to details. Your monthly budget needs some careful analysis. Monthly income and expenditure need to be examined. Most people have debts like mortgage loans, credit card payments, car payments and student loans to deal with on a monthly basis. All debts need to be listed down to the smallest amounts owed.

Once these facts and figures are available, it is possible to come up with a plan. Some people prefer to do this themselves and others find it helpful to consult a financial adviser. Such an adviser is usually able to come up with a way to consolidate debts so that a single monthly payment can be made and this helps to eliminate a lot of stress.

If you come up with a plan on your own, you need to decide what to pay to each creditor on a monthly basis. First paying off debts with the highest interest rates makes sense. If these are not paid down as quickly as possible, you end up paying far more. Sometimes creditors may reduce the interest rate if you ask for this.

It is very important to communicate with your creditors. Ignoring them is the worst option and they are often understanding if this communication takes place. A payment plan can be drawn up for settling outstanding amounts.

When striving towards a debt-free existence, making many small changes to your lifestyle will be necessary. You will need to economize wherever possible. Savings can be made on groceries by using coupons, taking advantage of special discounts and buying cheaper brands. Petrol can be saved by making one trip to do a number of errands instead of separate trips. Utility bills can be reduced by saving water and switching off lights when leaving a room. All these fairly insignificant savings add up and make a difference. Monthly expenses are reduced in this way, leaving more over to pay off debts.

All this involves discipline and being strict with yourself but the benefits are worthwhile. You will begin to see how your debt burden is being reduced and this will offer incentive to continue. Eventually you will get to the point where you are actually able to begin saving and investing for the future. It is possible to reach this goal and to maintain these positive habits for the rest of your life.




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