Proactive Steps to Remain Debt Free Essay

During the financial crisis of 2008, there was a deflation in home prices and inflation in gas prices. The houses lost 31% of its value while the cost of gas head for $5 a gallon. Driving to work became even more expensive, and stressful, at a time when I was worried about even keeping my job. Inflation was the main reason behind my debt. I relied on my credit cards to purchase items I couldn’t afford at that time. The fact that my income didn’t increase made me fall behind on my credit card payments which led to late fee charges.

* Create a budget- creating a budget will help you not spend more money than you have. Creating a budget will also help you stay out of debt.

What would you do if you had $15,000? Perhaps you donate money to charity, or perhaps buy a new car? Maybe you could finally get that watch or purse that you’ve always wanted. The issue is that many people thought they had this much money. Unfortunately, they paid with credit and are now paying 18% extra on their purchases; in some cases, it’s even as high as 26%. That equates to paying roughly $18,000 dollars for something that only cost $15,000. Many Americans are regrettably faced with these bills today, but there is hope. There are people out there who want to get us out of debt, and back on our feet. This essay will look at two of those people, Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman. Of course, you will have to decide which will work best for you. Hopefully this will help you find your way to being debt free.

Track all spending to see what your spending money on and how much. Cut back on cable by not paying for premium channels drink more water and don’t eat out as much.

Living in debt has become the norm for most U.S citizens, with nearly 80% of the population in some kind of financial dilemma. Even the national government is trillions of dollars in debt, and the main cause is spending money we don't have. If everyone would stop using credit cards, taking out huge loans, and buying houses that they really can't afford, the economy might slowly regenerate. Many people don't understand how fast debt can build up and how much interest rates can increase that debt. Yes, life would be a lot more difficult for many people if they could only use money they actually have instead of paying it back later and adding on debt, but sometimes change is needed. No matter how difficult this change may be to implement, it may

Make daily, weekly and monthly budgets and stick to it faithfully. Your expenses for food,

We all know gas prices fluctuate, and some weeks are better than others. Something that will help cut down spending on gas each month, could be choosing to ride with a friend or co-worker to work. Depending on where you live, public transportation may or may not be a viable option. However, if you live in an area where there are multiple options for public transportation, then take advantage of those services and watch your wallet get fatter!

In regard to saving money, I have found that one of the simplest deals by taking back control over the credit card companies. Faster than expected, credit card debt accumulates quickly. Each purchase on a credit card is not limited to the price on the sales tag, when the entire purchase price is unpaid on the subsequent bill. Be realistic with your purchases. When living on a cash budget, discuss how much “ money is ‘available’ ” for spending as well as how often that amount is withdrawn (Do You Know Where Your Money Is). Avoid signing up for another credit cards when contemplating how to handle expenses. While it may appear that paying off one credit card with another would make it more manageable, it is only compounding the problem. In order to determine spending allowance to pay off debt, I recommend to construct an excel document of the expenses for each month.

Create a Budget Ledger. You don't have to have a formal accounting degree or a leather-bound journal, but you should have a consolidated list of spending for several months. List what the debt is, the amount that is owed, the minimum payments, how much you pay in interest, etc.

Hannah you should put back some money into an emergency savings account. Just in case you have unexpected disbursement that come up. Like the emergency room visit a month ago that would have helped you out instead of putting you in debt. It would have took care of that and wouldn't have put you in debt.

This may not seem like a major move in becoming debt free, but it gives us well needed practice in changing our behaviors to start becoming money minded. For me this was a step that was already complete, however, for some this may be the hardest step to take because it requires them to change and become committed to a new process (Ramsey, 2012).

This is a problem that we all face at some point in our life when bills start piling up higher than the Empire State Building. We might even reach a point where we feel like all we do is work for the sake of bills. Well put all that behind you because I am here to give you the plan to success that you have been waiting for. This is a little plan I like to call the 10-30-60 plan to success and the way it works is pretty simple. What you basically do is take 60% of your paycheck and leave that aside for all your bills that you need to pay. Then you take 30% for savings (rule of thumb) and that is where you address the saving-for-the-future part of your paycheck. Finally, the last 10% of your check is all free for you to spend! Now it might sound too good to be true so let me go a

Many families and single people are forced to live on a budget. The process of living within a budget takes will and determination but to reach happiness and avoid poverty, it is worth the sacrifices. There are many economic reasons, such as a new baby in the household, job loss or change, the children’s education expenses or retirement. All of these occurrences can cause financial burdens and, the need to control and tightened spending. Even the wealthy, have to budget and arrange their unrestricted expenses against their limited incomes. It is possible to live well on a tight budget but there has to be an understanding of the expenses, a good attitude and a clever plan.

While watching Dave Ramsey I learned a lot about finances, but most importantly I learned about debt and how to avoid it. People often want to buy now and pay later which just leads to debt, but there are ways to avoid debt. Creating a foundation is the first step to having a debt free life. In my opinion, the second step is to avoid debt altogether and not get trapped by debt cards and student loans. The third and final step would be to budget and stay on your budget.

Do not live a life that you cannot handle, spend within your means. Be honest with yourself, if you can’t afford something, don’t buy it! Affordability is much more than the amount of money in your bank account, it also is how long it will take for the money you spent to be back in your account. Think of your finances as a long term process, not a short term fix. This is also why you should limit your credit card usage. If you rack up your credit card and lose your sole source of income,