Credit Card Debt Freedom is Possible


Credit card debt have you drowning financially? You're not alone. The average American household carries $9,205 in credit card debt, according to CardWeb, an online industry tracker. Not managed properly, this debt can come to eat up all of your disposable income leaving little or nothing for bare necessities. Some people in this situation respond by charging more but that will only get you further in trouble.

Fail to plan and you plan to fail

There is this cliché that states that if you fail to plan you plan to fail. The first thing you need to do is evaluate where you want to be. Do you want freedom from your credit card burden? Is so, you need to develop a different action plan to the one you are currently following. Makes sense doesn't it?

Start by listing all of the debt you currently owe along with a list of what your monthly obligations are for each debt. At the top of the page, list the amount of income available to pay these debts after essentials like food, hydro, etc... are taken out. When listing essentials, it's important to include a certain amount for clothes, medical and entertainment because no matter how good your intentions, you will spend some money in these areas. If you budget ahead for them, you are less likely to just waste it.

Start paying one credit card first

Don't try to pay off all of your credit cards at once. Doing this will take too long and end up discouraging you. You're better off concentrating on getting one card paid off, then putting the money you've freed up from that one card and applying it to the next one and so forth.

Which credit card charges you the highest rate of interest? Start with that one. Pay the minimum due on all of your credit cards expect for the one you have chosen to focus on first. On that card, put as much money as your budget allows onto the card after all of your expenses and debts have been factored in. Keep doing this month after month until the credit card balance goes to zero.

Loose all credit cards except one

Plan to keep one major credit card for unexpected expenses, car rentals and emergencies. Get rid of all your other cards as you pay them off. Most people can't resist the temptation to spend money on a clean card. If this describes you, you're better off without many credit cards than you are to get right back into deep credit card debt.

Follow this plan, and depending on how much you owe, in a year or so, you should have pretty much achieved credit card debt freedom!

Joe Duchesne is the webmaster of Bootdebt.com a website dedicated to helping people with credit card debt, debt consolidation, getting out of debt and becoming financially literate. Reprint freely as long as you keep this resource box and include a live keyword rich link back to my website.







Related News



Sugar-cane farmers call for tax rebate - Jamaica Gleaner

Sugar-cane farmers call for tax rebate
Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica -3 hours ago
Farmers need to go forward with relief from debt that is over seven years old, debt that is to the Sugar Industry Authority and Jamaica Cane Product Sales," ...

It's Wait and See for Bond Traders - Wall Street Journal

Telegraph.co.uk

It's Wait and See for Bond Traders
Wall Street Journal -4 hours ago
"Logic, albeit logic in an irrational market, points to system relief on its way," said David Ader, head of government bond strategy at RBS Greenwich ...
Lehman CDS Datapoint of the DayConde Nast Portfolio
all 239 news articles

Emerging debt-Asian spreads tighten, but mood remains wary - Reuters India

GulfNews

Emerging debt-Asian spreads tighten, but mood remains wary
Reuters India, India -2 hours ago
South Korea's five-year CDS moved in by 20 basis points to about 350, tracking a strong rebound in the won as investors found some relief on the action ...
Video: Asian Markets Tumble During Friday TradingAssociatedPress
About this author:Seeking Alpha
Asia stocks rally on hopes for bank rescuesReuters South Africa
The Island (subscription)
all 605 news articles

Banks get relief on farm lending, debt waiver - Business Standard

Banks get relief on farm lending, debt waiver
Business Standard, India -Oct 3, 2008
The government today decided to ease the burden on banks on account of the farm debt relief package and subsidised short-term agricultural loans. ...
Farm lending comes to a haltHindu
all 2 news articles

OIC members urged to build debt relief solidarity - African Press Agency

OIC members urged to build debt relief solidarity
African Press Agency, Senegal -Oct 9, 2008
"I am calling for the development of a tangible action plan to establishing a system of debt relief or cancellation by rich Islamic states for economically ...


Paulson Speeds Consideration of Guarantees for US Bank Debt - Bloomberg

Sydney Morning Herald

Paulson Speeds Consideration of Guarantees for US Bank Debt
Bloomberg -4 hours ago
Treasury Assistant Secretary Neel Kashkari, the aide charged with running the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, is scheduled to give an update of ...
Fumbling for solutionsSocialist Worker Online
Paulson OKs Bank Stock Purchase PlanNPR
US to buy stake in banksPittsburgh Post Gazette
Wall Street Journal - Kentucky.com
all 2,865 news articles

How FG spent N308.3bn debt relief funds - The Punch

How FG spent N308.3bn debt relief funds
The Punch, Nigeria -Oct 1, 2008
By John Ameh, Abuja Nigeria realised and saved an estimated N308.3 bn from its debt relief efforts after the Paris Club wiped off its $19.3bn debt in June ...
FG Spends N2.4 bn Debt Relief Fund on Education –W’BankTHISDAY
all 6 news articles

For whom the Pike tolls? - Boston Globe

For whom the Pike tolls?
Boston Globe, United States -4 hours ago
The trouble is that the Turnpike Authority has a $2.5 billion debt and no obvious source or revenue other than tolls to pay for it. ...
There's a better solution than raising tollsBoston Globe
all 4 news articles

Gov't mulls plan to take ownership stakes in banks - Bakersfield Californian

BBC News

Gov't mulls plan to take ownership stakes in banks
Bakersfield Californian, CA -11 hours ago
At center is Sierra Leone's Minister of Finance and Development David Carew, and at right is Matthew Martin, director Debt Relief International. ...
Video: Cash injection for US banks?ReutersVideo
all 1,123 news articles

Total Debt Freedom Earns a Place in the HOT 50 List of Canada's ... - PR.com (press release)

Total Debt Freedom Earns a Place in the HOT 50 List of Canada's ...
PR.com (press release), NY -Oct 12, 2008
Cooper says: “With all the available options out there, competition remains fierce in the debt relief arena; it’s our people and our investment in ...