Debt Was A Solution To A Problem That Shouldn’t Have Existed In The First Place
The biggest financial mistake I ever made was going into debt and then feeling like the only responsible thing to do was to pay off that debt as fast as possible.
I had seen my father go through 3 bankruptcies. I know how hard it can be to manage unsecured credit card debt and how vital it is to pay off, but just concentrating on debt will always leave you at 0 when you are done. That will lead to a revolving door of paying off debt and racking it up again.
It is vital to break that cycle.
When I learned to start saving and investing at the same time as managing my debt, I finally broke free of the debt cycle and gained real control of my finances.
How to Break the Debt Cycle Trap
Do a Financial Needs Analysis
Start at a managable amount to save
Commit to a certain % towards savings
Make your savings a bill and always pay it
Care more about paying yourself (reserves)
Create a debt payoff strategy
Work with a money mentor
Watch your reserves grow while your debt decreases.
Anything Is Possible If You Approach It On A Gradient
We all want things to happen right away, but sometimes things just don’t work that way. Just like weightloss, savings and debt won’t build up or disapear overnight.
The best way to gain control is to find out what level you can start saving at, even $10 a month and just start building from there.
If you approach savings at the right gradient you will build more and more confidence the more you save.
The trick is to put the savings there and forget about it. Build that account up so the next time you need to make a major purchase it’s right there for you.
You may build your confidence so high surrounding money that it could seem easier to make the money rather than touch your savings. I wrote an article about that HERE.
How Much Should You Save Each Month?
Not every situation is the same. Some people may need to save more and some less, but a very good starting point is setting aside 15% of your income into an Emergency Fund and Reserves.
It is a good idea to have 6 months to even 2 years of income set aside and grow from there.
Debt Payoff Strategy
Did you know that just throwing money at credit card debt will likely not make it go away?
There are strategies to paying off debt.
Factors such as interest rate, debt size, number of accounts open, personal preference, etc can all influence the best method to pay off debt.
I offer free consultation on this area and together with my team we have helped families eliminate over 50 million dollars of debt.
