Try Making More Than One Payment Every Month

A lot of people don't think about this but it's a very good tip and like so many other things, you will be amazed how much faster that debt gets paid down by following this simple step. I'm sure we've all experienced the pleasure of getting a little extra money when we didn't expect it. Yes, I can hear you now, "NOT ME!" The thing is though, it's not always about getting a little extra money but rather just using a set amount of out of each paycheck (because a lot of us are paid twice monthly) to put on your credit cards. It doesn't have to be a lot, just a little something extra and you are suddenly paying that debt down even faster. Just think of all the interest payments you could save yourself! Try it out for a month or two and see how it works and share your comments.

Share What's Working For You

Everyone is welcome to leave their comments at the end of each post on my blog. I'd like you to share what is working for you on your way to getting debt free. You can also ask questions and communicate with other visitors. So get started and leave your comments. Take care and God bless.

Here is a little something to make you laugh. This is a real video of a man that was arrested for DUI. See just how ridiculous he is!

Use That Tax Return To Pay Down Credit Debt

Okay, today's post is a difficult one for all of us big spenders out there. Let's face it, it's really hard to get a handfull of money and not go out searching for the best and biggest thing to spend it on. I ask you to imagine this though, whatever amount you get back on your taxes that could be immediately applied to your credit card debt, think how long it might otherwise take you to come up with that kind of a payment. Some of us are lucky enough to get a couple of thousand dollars back on our tax returns and that kind of money put directly on credit cards makes a huge difference in the long run on our payoff time. The most idea thing would be to take a percentage of your tax return and put it into a savings or IRA and then apply the rest to that nasty debt. It might hurt a little at first but you'll be thanking yourself later!

A Good Laugh...

Here is our joke cartoon for the week. Remember to keep laughing. It's good for the soul.

Don't Carry Your Credit Cards With You

Okay, today's post is going to sound like a no-brainer to a lot of people out there but as I've talked with many it appears that people still aren't grasping what a huge difference this one trick all by itself can do for helping to get credit card debt under control. Have you ever thought about simply not carrying your major credit cards with you every where you go? I had this tip first given to me by a friend years ago and I thought to myself, "You're joking, right?" I ask you to think about it though. If we really lived day to day as if we didn't even have the credit card (which is a heck of a lot easier to do if you don't have it ready at hand all of the time) then suddenly you would start learning to tell yourself, "I don't really need that and I cannot afford it anyways". This is a trick you will need to start training your brain to do no matter what if you want to win the war against credit card debt. We have to get back into the frame of mind where we tell ourselves, "NO!". I will admit, this is a very hard one for me as well but I'm going to do it right along with you and maybe we can help each other out by sharing our experiences. Leave your comments at the end of each post and let others know what is and is not working for you on the road to getting debt free, or at least trying really hard! Until next time, God bless and put those credit cards away in a drawer at home. For some people you cannot just cut them up so this is the second-best thing. Do it and see what kind of a difference it makes for you.

Not Always A Good Idea To Close Credit Card Accounts

This is a really terrific peice of advice I picked up recently that I didn't know about for years. Often times I figured it was a good idea to keep up with closing old credit card accounts that I wasn't using because I thought it was a good way to keep control of it all. Well, to my surprise I have since discovered after talking with others that this isn't always a good idea. Apparently some creditors see closing accounts as a sign that you cannot handle the different accounts, in other words, you aren't responsible enough with them so you need to get them closed out and canceled for good. Yeah, I was shocked to hear this too because like I said, I always thought it was just good credit card mainteanence. You should definitely always talk with your creditors before you close out any accounts and be sure whether or not closing that account would put any kind of negative effect on your credit. And remember too to be sure if you are being charged annual fees just to keep a credit card open. Those accounts, when not in use, I would say close no matter what because you certainly do not want to pay out of pocket just to keep a card open. That wouldn't be very smart at all. As I say with everything, always double-check with your creditors first before you make any big changes. Don't be afraid to ask questions because it directly affects you!

Stressed Out?

I've seen a lot of comments lately on TV talking about how out of hand credit card debt is and how much Americans need to get a grip before credit card debt completely ruins their lives. Because of these comments I thought it would be a good time to add a little something about dealing with the stress of your credit card debt. Number one is that it is very important to be honest about your debt and talk to friends and family about it. Often times when people know what you're really dealing with they will have much more respect for you in the long run. Also, when people know and understand your situation with debt they too can offer you advice and encouragement to keep working hard at paying it down. Secondly, it's important to vent about the things that stress you so talk about it with those who are close to you and don't worry yourself sick that it will never get better. It will! Another great outlet is to add your comments below each post on this blog. All it takes is for a few people to start commenting and sharing for a whole new world of support to open up right before your eyes. So relax, we're all basically in this together otherwise there wouldn't be so many people out there searching for ways to make it better. Take care and God bless until next time!