Gail Vaz-Oxlade, host of TV shows Til Debt Do Us Part and Princess, and author of 4 books, is sponsoring today’s giveaway – 3 autographed copies of her book Deb-Free Forever.
To be entered to win, just leave a comment below answering the question “What’s your favorite tip for staying on top of debt?” Winners will be randomly selected using a random number generator. Sorry, this giveaway is now over. Winners will be notified via email.
Be sure to check out Gail’s blog and her books (all available on Amazon).
US and Canada residents only please. Winners will be notified by email and asked to provide their mailing address. Void where prohibited.
My best advice is do not take more debt and pay down the debt you already have aggressively. Debt freedom is the best feeling!
My favourite tip is to not spend more than you can pay off at the end of the month! We always know how much is on our credit card (keeping receipts), and pay it off in full at the end of the month. No surprises!
Don’t spend more than you have !! Pay off your credit card bill each month. Re-use, recycle, make do without.
My advice from personal experience: get a credit card early on, and charge one thing each month (like a phone or electric bill) that you KNOW you can pay off. Make a credit card payment the same day to avoid any late fees. You establish a credit history that way without getting yourself in trouble.
My favourite tip has already been said – don’t spend more than you have! (Which means if you can’t pay your credit card bills in full at the end of the month, it’s time to stop spending.) But my second favourite tip is just as helpful – keep track of your money! When you know where every cent has gone, and you know what’s coming in, and you know what’s going out, it makes it a lot easier to stay debt-free (or to ensure you are paying down your debts if you have them.)
Question yourself on every purchase over $5 as to why it is needed, what you will do with it, and what you would sacrifice to have it. Seems like a small dollar amount to question but I find it is usually the small purchases that debt-us-down, not always the big ones (eg. clothing, restaurants, books, beauty supplies, pet supplies, entertainment, etc.).
Think really hard before making a purchase. Ask yourself if you really need it, if you own something similar you can use instead, etc. If you feel you must purchase it then keep the tags on and file the receipt. Don’t use it for at least a week and then decide if you still really need it. If you don’t return it to the store as soon as possible and remember to ask yourself how to avoid buying things again in the future. The less you bu he more you’ll save and ultimately this will keep you out of debt or help you focus on paying your current debt off. You can also write down how much you owe and keep it in your wallet in front of your credit cards. It’ll remind you to think twice about using your credit card.
My recent motto is credit is not an option. I cut up my credit cards and my husband (couldn’t quite cut them up) gave me his and they are in a jar (since he wouldn’t cut his up I hid the jar). We plan out our budget for the whole month. Spending more than we have is just not an option. I have managed to put more money in savings than I did all of last year and pay off two credit cards within 3 months. We just had a bathroom crisis and it was sooooooo stress free because we have the money in savings to handle it without touching credit cards!! Talk about freedom!
When I was paying off my credit card debt years ago, I automated the monthly minimum plus whatever amount I could afford at the time (started with $10/month and ended with $1K+/month). By automating the payments and paying more than the minimum, I automatically had control over my debt payoff journey.
I also tracked every single payment in an Excel sheet that I had set up to auto-populate pie charts. Seeing those visual reminders of my hard work motivated me to keep kicking that debt’s bootay to the curb!
My best tip is to actually think about the costs and benefits of something before deciding to go into debt in the first place. If after careful analysis, you decide you can service the debt, even if things don’t go perfectly, and you’re purchasing something that will bring you long-term happiness, go for it.
Best way to get out of debt is not to accumulate debt to start with! Fancy expensive cars a bigger house! Keeping up with others. Be happy with what you have.
Rather than clothes or shoes, my shopping vice is books. Whenever I get the urge to go to the bookstore, or check out Amazon, I go straight to the library or to the library website and order books to pick up. It helps me get the need to indulge out of my system and it’s free! No more “small” $40 purchases on my credit card that add up quickly that can contribute to debt problems.
Saving toward your goal is the best piece of advice I’ve ever received. It’s not completely practical for major purchases like a home or car, but I use this method for purchases ranging from movies to education. It feels good to pay up front and not have to worry about how to pay the bill when it comes later.
know and understand the difference between a need and a want. be thankful for what you have and teach this to your children
having a spending plan for *everything*, including a monthly allotment for eventual necessities is a must. I’ve tried allocating all of my extra cash to debt repayment before, only to find myself stuck needing to use credit for necessities, like food and bills and the pair of jeans that gets destroyed by a carelessly placed bleach bottle 🙂
if you set aside a certain amount each month to things that you know will come up eventually, you can avoid accumulating more debt while you’re paying down existing debt. otherwise, it’s like filling a hole that has the bottom dug out of it. You can’t get out of debt while you keep accumulating more!
Firstly, don’t spend more than you make and make sure you need, not want what you purchase. For everyday household bills like utilities & mortgage, I automate the payments every two weeks to come right out of my bank account. Splitting up the monthly bills into smaller amounts makes it easier to swallow and automating as much as you can, means you don’t have to worry about forgetting to pay something.
My favorite tip for staying out of debt is to use cash instead of credit cards.
Writing down every expense and sharing the results of my debt reduction on line helped me save more and pay off all of my cards. I have accelerated paying off my home and will pay that off 8 years earlier than planned.
We keep track of every penny we spend and stick to a budget. We budget for everything and every dollar has a purpose whether it’s spending/ saving or paying down debt. It really isn’t even that hard once you find a method that works for you.
Examine every statement you receive. Banks and credit companies make errors too!.
My tip: Take a few moments each day to track and think about your money. What did I spend? Were all of my purchases either something I needed or something that added to the quality of my life? Am I getting closer to my financial goals? It feels great when you see it adding up!
I had to laugh at the other Amber’s post – it wasn’t me, but it could be! I have to really watch myself on Amazon…and I work in a library!
My favourite tip is PAY YOURSELF FIRST. I’ve set up automatic transfers each payday into a Car Savings Account and Emergency Savings Account. People always say they can’t find money to save but if you automate saving you don’t even miss the money. I had to replace the brakes on my car recently but I’d saved up the cash so paid it in full with my debit card – was a really good feeling! 🙂
Use the jars and budget binder that Gail recommends! Seeing where your money goes makes a real difference in understanding debt and how we acquire it. Thanks GAIL!
I no longer carry around cash and credit/debit cards with me. I can’t spend it if I don’t have it with me, so this cuts down on a LOT of impulse buying.
Write out a plan to eliminate debt in a certain amount of time. For example, you set a goal of getting out of debt in 2 years and know that it will take $500 a month to make that happen. It will help you see clearly what is needed to get where you want.
My fav tip for staying on top of debt; don’t spend more than you make. It seems like such a simple thing, but so many people live above their means these days. Don’t put it on your credit card unless you have the money in your account to pay it off. Don’t get caught in buy now/pay later traps, save for the item instead.
My best tip is to track/account for every penny. Plus breakdown your expenses into manageable categories. For example a trip to the walmart might be for some diapers, groceries, junk food, cleaning supplies, etc. When loading them on the checkout belt, also group the “like” items together. You might see that your “junk food” pile is quite large and may decide not to purchase too much. >> Just give them back to the cashiers and tell them you changed your mind.When you get home, breakdown the total bill into each of theses categories. This is make you think twice of what is really important and not.
pay your credit card in full each month with AUTO pay in full!