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In: Finance
20 Jun 2009Nowadays, while growing consumer debts have become a typical part of the way of life, many people dream of a time when they will be debt free but don’t know where to start. This article is full of debt free solutions to develop and maintain a debt-free lifestyle.
1. Commit to change. You will need to ensure that, when you go to a clothing store or have the need to buy something on impulse that you commit to maintain a debt free lifestyle and prevent yourself from buying a number of designer items. You will need to leave the store and after you have thought about the cost versus the benefits and if you really needs the items can you go and purchase what you were looking at.
2. Establish a Budget. You should look at your overall income and expenses and then look at how much you realistically have to spend. Then, you will be able to budget and know how much you have left for the month that you can spend on clothes and goodies.
3. Leave your Plastic Home. Credit Cards should only be for emergencies, or if you can afford to pay them off in full each month. Leave the plastic at home so you won’t get tempted.
4. Pay your existing Debts. Pay off your existing debts. Pay more that the minimum monthly commitment, and if you have any extra cash, put it into your debts so they can be paid off more quickly.
5. Choose one card. You should really consider limiting the number of credit cards that you have to just one or at the most two. This decision should be made by choosing the one(s) with the lowest interest rate.
6. Don’t impulse buy. You should prevent impulse buying and leave your credit card at home. If you are considering buying a large purchase then you should consider talking to a friend or family member who can help you weigh up the options.
7. Sell unwanted things Look around your house for the different things that you really don’t use and consider having a garage sale or selling the items on ebay to generate some extra cash.
8. Buy what you can afford. If you are an individual who wants to have a debt free lifestyle then you shouldn’t spend more than you earn each month. You should use a credit card and think of it as a useful tool to help you pay for things that you can pay off at the end of the month, but not consider it as an extension to the amount of money that you have to spend.
9. Set long-term Goals. You need to look long-term if you want to be debt free, as debt-free means living within your means whilst having investments to increase your income.
If you are looking to get a debt free lifestyle then you will need to keep track of and know what your finances are, and you will also need to resist the temptation to spend more than you have. You should also ensure, as time passes, that you are reducing the amount of overall debts that you have, even if this process is very slow.