Take it slow.
Its impossible for you to make all the changes you want to at one time. If you try to take them all on at once, you are bound to fall back into old habits discouraged. Paying off debts is not an instant fix; its a lengthy process towards a new financially stable. Take a few weeks to monitor your spending to find where your habits lie. Take another few weeks to try and curb your spending and form a budget that will benefit your lifestyle. Once everything is in check, then you can take all of your new found knowledge to begin your debt busting regimen.

Don’t forget to be realistic in your thinking.
Short term goals are extremely beneficial. Once you accomplish these you will have new found confidence in yourself and you will push yourself even harder to accomplish your long term goal of paying off all of your debts. Stop accruing debt first and then begin paying it down. Depending on the extent of your debt situation, it could take a few years to be debt free. Reward yourself every time you achieve one of your goals so that you can encourage yourself to continue. How happy will you be when you can open your credit card statements without a shock, or you can answer the phone without wondering who is on the other end of the 800 #?

Create your own method.
Don’t jump on fads or whatever may be popular at the time. Don’t compare your debts to the success or failure of another person’s plan. You are the only one who knows what is best for you and your family. Visualize your debt free future and what you would like to do with all the additional money at the time. Do you want to invest it? Do you want to go on a dream vacation? Do you want to retire early? It’s amazing what you will be able to do with your income once you aren’t stuck paying out to everyone but yourself.

Simplify and replace old habits.
Pay bills by check; pull cash out and leave your debit and credit cards at home; cut back on your spending. It sounds challenging at first, but as I mentioned in another post it takes 21 days for a new habit to form.

Mistakes will happen, we are only human after all. If you fall short or slip occasionally, just pick it back up and do it all over again. Don’t let small  hindrances deter you from your ultimate goal! Believe in yourself, you will succeed as long as you put your mind to it and follow your budget plan!

In an effort to help change my lifestyle and assist many others who have the same goals for this year, I’m going to begin a series on getting out of and/or drastically reducing debt. ?Based on the information that I will be researching through books, mentors and counselors, I am going to discuss the information here on my blog.  I would love active participation from my readers!

Whether you are in debt or not, please stick around and get advice or even give advice to those who need it.
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“I consider myself out of debt when…?”

First off, Congratulations in accepting the fact that you have a debt problem and you wan’t to overcome it!

I will consider myself out of debt once the only payments I owe are for “good” debts. I consider mortgage payments, car payments and/or insurance as good debts. What does being debt free mean to you? Will it be when you only have “good” debts to pay? When you don’t know anything to anyone? Defining this question starts building a great foundation for your debt free journey.

Before you begin you also need to consider and identify the reasons you got into debt in the first place. Is it due to you living beyond your means? Is it due to a job layoff, a divorce or a time of emotional distress? By identifying the reasons you are in the place you are  today, you can do your best to prevent the situation from reoccurring. I am in the situations I am today because I was living beyond my means, I was infatuated with material possessions and my addiction overtook my wallet.
And lastly, What are the reasons you want to be debt free?
- I want to own a nice house for my family.
- I want to be able to own reliable vehicles.
- I want to have money available in case of an emergency.
- I want to be able to provide for my future children.
- I want to be stress free