There isn’t anything more important in life than getting out of debt. Getting out of debt isn’t just a matter of paying off your credit card bills. It will involve changing how you spend money, learning how to manage your available funds as well as setting up a retirement fund. Let’s discuss some do’s and don’ts to follow while you undertake this journey to get out of debt.
1.Put away the plastic.
As our rule #1, you must be ready to end your reliance on credit cards, and only pay using cash. This may force you to forgo splurging on “luxuries” like shopping, eating out, and other entertainment. If you are planning to be debt-free, this must be a guiding principle from here on out.
2.Addressing debt one at a time.
Many debt-ridden individuals who have maxed out credit cards, in addition to home loans, student debts, etc. will often try to address each of them every month. A better idea would be to cut all spending to just your essentials, and then using your surplus to pay off the debt with the highest interest rate. Once you have tackled that debt, you will move on to the debt with the next highest interest rate, and so on until you are debt free.
3.Do not neglect your retirement account.
Although you may be excited about your journey to becoming debt free, you also don’t want to skip out on funding your retirement account. Retirement savings accrue only with the power of compound interest, and time is of the essence here. The earlier you begin saving, the more you will have saved up come retirement time unless you are lucky enough to tap into other sources of income at a later time.
4. Do not go back to your old ways.
Some people find themselves initially going all in on the idea of being debt-free, but tend to lose focus over time. Some solutions here include reading this list of pitfalls we have listed here, as well as writing down the amount of debt you have accrued on a small piece of paper, and physically attaching that to your credit card. This way, you will be gently reminded of the goal you are trying to reach every time you feel tempted to go back to your old ways.