One of the biggest problems with many today is DEBT! [Even our own Government has put us all in debt] So what can we do about it? If we are really serious about eliminating the debt then we are gonna want to tackle the problem head on. To do this - This means we must eliminate the excuses! The biggest reason we can not get out of debt or make the necessary changes to move out from under the debt is- We make too many excuses! So I warn you, proceed with caution as this will not be a nice, sugar coated post!
You ask what excuses? Here a few noted excuses below:
O Whats it gonna hurt just one splurge! O, I dont have the money for it- I'll just go ahead and charge it - One time is not gonna kill me! Well, I only have a credit card for emergencies!
[Unknowingly, my husband can really make me feel guilty at times by insisting or hinting about something- I know we don't need or can not afford. There may be a time when we do have the money but I just want to save it for something else or just save it. Usually at those times is when the pressure is on, I fight so hard to resist.. For the most part I am successful, but there are times when I budge! If he could tell you, I am very stubborn and strong willed. When I have my mind set it is very hard to change my mind. When I say No, I mean No! [and he or our kids can add the guilt on good! But its for our own good!]
Helloooo! I can go on with countless worthless excuses we use everyday causing us to stay and sit in debt! So get ready! If you are really looking for ways to help you get out of debt and cut back spendings in general or have savings, Your gonna need to make some changes!
What I am gonna share with you is something that in my time of learning and praying to the Lord, He has lead us to begin doing and a specific book that we felt the Lord sent to us to help. Are we ready to get out of the "MONEY PIT"? [name of book 'Digging out of the Money Pit'] Each day [exception of missing a few days] I read a chapter of this book and soak up what it says. What an encourager! So to make a long story short, I will share with you for starters what we MUST do to begin the process of eliminating debt, as well as what things we have personally done to help cut out spending and save.
A few scriptures to reference whether you are walking with God right now or not, its still encouraging to know your not alone while walking through the storms:
Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Mark 10: 27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Proverbs 16:22 Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools.
I will reference more later on!
Where do I begin?
~Credit Cards~
You want to begin first off by opening up your wallet or bilfold. Do you have any credit cards? If so get them all out. How many do you have in front of you? Wow, thats alot! Just having one is too many. Get the scissors or the shredder and begin cutting or shredding each credit card up- Leaving NONE! Cut everyone of them up. There's no need for a krutch on a card. If we are truly serious about losing the debt then we must do what needs to be done!
When my husband and I got married I made it clear from the very beginning, NO CREDIT CARDS! But when we went to purchase our house the lendee requested us to build credit and get at least one. So nieve and gullabe we took the bait getting ONE! I didn't like it - I didn't want it. Having just the one credit card opened the door to one temptation after another. It became a crutch if you will. [Emergency excuse] Here came the debt! Now that doesn't mean we were careless with it! No, not at all! In fact we were very strict about the use of the card. It was the excuses we made to use the card that caused the trouble. We had it for 6 months to build a line of credit and then cut the card up into a lot of little pieces and since then we have had no credit card. But that 6 mos of using the credit card took us a little over a year to pay off because of interest. Now that excludes the Debit card which can also be used as a credit card and for a time was used on occasions as a credit card. [Blah] Hang on to your debit card because I am going to show you how to avoid using it as a credit card later on.
We as a people can be so uneducated at times when we rely on our self for advice! Duh! I say to myself... Lets think about this, STOP using the debit like a credit! There is absolutely NO reason or purpose to have a credit card! [Save the excuses for someone who doesn't mind the debt! That is a harsh statement but the Truth! Sometimes we need to be hit hard to get the message!] Not even as a back up for emergencies, Get rid of the cards! If you want to get out of debt, CUT the cards and close the account period. [Pay it off and close] Right now interest rates are sky rocketing whether you make payments on time or miss just one, you are going to pay triple your money towards payment/interest and rack up more debt.
Why am I so against credit cards? Listen, I have seen what a credit card[s] can do to people. My brother God rest his soul, after his passing- I got a rather huge awakening. I have never seen so many charge cards before in my life. When we opened his wallet up inside was a plastic card holder spot that opened out with about 100 slots for cards. I am not exaggerating. Nearly every spot for cards [or pictures] was full with 1-2 credit cards. Thats nearly a 100 credit cards. [You may be thinking - Ouch! Well that's not me! I only have 1 or 2 etc... Just your one is going to cause you more problem then it would WITH having NONE!] To make a long story short my brother was nearly $50,000.00 in debt with just credit cards. Not to mention his new mustang at that time and other expenses. [My mom would kill me sharing this information, but to give you an insight of how some people just dont have a clue - A true picture must be painted! Sure it is humilating but we all learn from experiences not phony stories.]
If you can not break free from the excuses to use a credit card- I will budge [only a little] and throw you an alternative solution.
Get a Visa Gift Card - Yes, I said GIFT CARD! Begin adding money on it little at a time and keep using the excuse: "I need it or only use it for emergencies." [This away you are not relying on a limited line of credit ($) that you dont have to begin with and you have to pay back with interest.]
In return you are relying on yourself to provide money that which YOU WILL have because you are the one putting the money on the card, not the banks. Eliminating monthly payments w/ interest and eliminating the excuses that can or are covering up the secret truth to an unwanted benge. When and If you really have an emergency, you can fall back on this gift card.
However, Keep in mind that you will have a fee to pay on the gift card after leaving money on the card for a period of time. [This will go in effect this June/July on any gift card.]
~Whats next? ~
After eliminating the ALL of your credit cards you want to sit down with all of your current bills together before you on the table. Obviously you have a computer or you wouldn't be reading this post. On computer in the microsoft excel or word [word perfect ok to],
We want to create a budget planner [w/ or w/o columns] or buy one noting:
All of our current bills
Recording each payday [bill paying day] what Current Balances are and date due.
Recording the $dollar$ amount of ALL Payments made and date sent.
Updating information frequently - each payday/bill day
~ Whether you believe Gods word and go to church or Doubt His word and go to church ~
[Before making any payments out to anyone, We want to give back to the one who is trying to help us, with paying our tithes/offerings. Giving from our heart not just because the bible says. Have faith, I assure you he will provide.]
Do you doubt your tithes will help? Try it! Test God on the promise He gives to provide, you will be surprised.
In one week of not only paying our tithes but reaching in to my purse and just pulling out a wad of money and throwing it in to the offering plate [with a glance at how much I threw in, testing God] He not only gave back to us, he doubled what we gave. Anymore the night before church I go to bank get out some money and throw it in purse. I know how much I get out, come Sunday morning in church, I would just reach in with out looking or counting and grab some money. Close my purse back up, glance at what I am giving in the offering plate, {I cant help but get a kick out of what I give and him doubling a week later. Its just hilarious because O ye of little faith and here he is just proving us everytime. So just Try Him!}
[Maybe you dont go to a home church or have a church but know of a church. Pray about what church to give your tithes to. For a while we paid our tithes at our previous church for a few different reasons. Reasoning is not important as long as we know we are being obedient, thats all we care about. Thats not to say we dont make contributions to our current church. So where you pay your tithes does not matter and is no ones business but yourself. As long as your obedient to His call and giving with a giving heart. No one else needs to know your reasonings to anything and they can not tell you where to pay your tithes! Why am I sharing this, I really feel like their is so much deception out there and influence that can be misleading, I urge you to guard yourself, keep praying and wait on His call or directions!
Another thing to do - Roll payments in together
What do you mean rolling one payment in to another?
To roll a payment in together with another means you are paying more money towards one bill [like making two payments at one time towards that one bill]
An example is this : Say we have 3 credit cards with the following balances:
Credit card 1 balance of $93.85
Credit card 2 balance of $212.45
Credit card 3 balance of $452.88
Instead of paying a minimal amount towards each card - Take the highest dollar amount of your bills [in this case Credit Card # 3 is the highest] You will send the minimal amount required for that payment plus [+] a little extra towards that bill only. [Dollar amount you send can be anything from $10.00- $50.00. What ever you can afford extra to send on just that bill] Now, that does not mean no payment gets made on Credit card 1 & 2. Your still sending the minimal amount needed to pay on Credit Card 1 & 2 with sending a little extra on Credit card 3. All cards/bills are being paid. Thats how you roll payments. The sooner you get rid of one bill the sooner you begin to eliminate all of your bills getting them paid off faster.
So you will want to keep tabs of where the money is going if you are not doing that all ready. You will also want to roll payments if you are under alot of bills.
For more on getting out from under the debt, join me in post #2.
Its not my attempt to offend you but if you were offended by this post, please accept my apologies to the extent that Truth is Convicting and necessary for our growth. We are all in the same boat. God never intended on us to live in debt. He has a much better plan for us and it involves us being debt free.
Blessings everyone!
I will attach a link here momentarily to Post #2
No comments:
Post a Comment