Okay, okay.
Some real advice (and a debut).
(Hi, my name is Dee.)
Got credit card debt?
Listen up. You aren't the only one, so you just gotta suck that one up now. The sad thing is, as I've learned, credit card companies are marketing their introductory offers to younger and younger people. The reason why goes something like this: Younger people have buying power. You probably thought you were hot shit with your first part-time job, and as soon as you'd get that paycheck, you'd blow it.
That's hawt to a credit card company. Your paycheck is, like, drool-inducing. And think of the marketing, you know. If you're going to spend your money at your favorite stores, you can still do that with your card, buy even more stuff and pay it off at your own convenience.
"Convenience" doesn't just mean carrying a balance; no, no. Your convenience fills the credit card company's coffers in adjustable interest rates, promises of fronting you cash in advance, and so on.
This chapter isn't for the individual who's already worked out a solid plan to pay off the debt. That solution is simple. If someone tells you x number of days cash back or x number of months interest free, you just divide your balance those many days/months and pay it off in that time frame.
This is for the individual who's already sitting on some debt -- whether it's a few hundred on one card or several thousand spread out over several cards.
Get it together, people.
Step One:
Breathe. Carrying debt and obsessing over it is a great way to become super anxious. As one commercial states, when you're in debt, you feel debt all around you. It's like this big looming skyscraper of puffy unbreathable marshmallow.
Suffocating won't get your debt down any faster. A clear head will. So, when you get some time, go out and enjoy some time with friends, relax, read, write, play or listen to music, or do whatever you need to do to relax before you start debt planning.
Step Two:
Retrieve your latest credit card statements. Write down the names of your cards, your current balance on each card, and your APR (interest rate).
Step Three:
List your monthly income and expenditures. It's alright if you can't get precise amounts, but your list should include all the bills you write each month as well as your monthly pay. Also include grocery money, gasoline, and entertainment estimates -- let's face it, you can't pay debt if you're starving, right?
For bills that occur every few months, quarter, or half-year like car insurance or car maintenance, simply divide your payment into monthly installments (e.g. $600 due twice a year equals $100 per month).
In fact, it's pretty useful to overestimate your expenditures and underestimate your income as you'll wind up with a bigger "cushion" each month than you thought. This might also work out for people who work in gray-collar industries that build salary off of commission (e.g. fashion outlets, insurance, car sales) or tips (e.g. food service, cocktail service).
Anyway, the difference between your income and your expenditures is the amount of money you can put toward your debt. We'll call this the repayment amount.
Step Four:
Here it is.
The "snowball." The "snowball method" is a debt repayment method in which you arrange your credit cards in a set order and apply the bulk of your repayment amount to the most outstanding charges first, pay off that card, then move to the next one.
Personally, I choose to pay off cards with the highest interest rates and balances, simply because these credit cards will acquire debt more quickly than lesser ones. Either way, I don't care what order you choose. It's your choice. Just remember that you're applying the bulk of your money to one card at a time so that you're actually putting a dent into your overall debt.
Your computer can help track expenses and progress.
Check out these helpful pages:
Some real advice (and a debut).
(Hi, my name is Dee.)
Got credit card debt?
Listen up. You aren't the only one, so you just gotta suck that one up now. The sad thing is, as I've learned, credit card companies are marketing their introductory offers to younger and younger people. The reason why goes something like this: Younger people have buying power. You probably thought you were hot shit with your first part-time job, and as soon as you'd get that paycheck, you'd blow it.
That's hawt to a credit card company. Your paycheck is, like, drool-inducing. And think of the marketing, you know. If you're going to spend your money at your favorite stores, you can still do that with your card, buy even more stuff and pay it off at your own convenience.
"Convenience" doesn't just mean carrying a balance; no, no. Your convenience fills the credit card company's coffers in adjustable interest rates, promises of fronting you cash in advance, and so on.
This chapter isn't for the individual who's already worked out a solid plan to pay off the debt. That solution is simple. If someone tells you x number of days cash back or x number of months interest free, you just divide your balance those many days/months and pay it off in that time frame.
This is for the individual who's already sitting on some debt -- whether it's a few hundred on one card or several thousand spread out over several cards.
Get it together, people.
Step One:
Breathe. Carrying debt and obsessing over it is a great way to become super anxious. As one commercial states, when you're in debt, you feel debt all around you. It's like this big looming skyscraper of puffy unbreathable marshmallow.
Suffocating won't get your debt down any faster. A clear head will. So, when you get some time, go out and enjoy some time with friends, relax, read, write, play or listen to music, or do whatever you need to do to relax before you start debt planning.
Step Two:
Retrieve your latest credit card statements. Write down the names of your cards, your current balance on each card, and your APR (interest rate).
Step Three:
List your monthly income and expenditures. It's alright if you can't get precise amounts, but your list should include all the bills you write each month as well as your monthly pay. Also include grocery money, gasoline, and entertainment estimates -- let's face it, you can't pay debt if you're starving, right?
For bills that occur every few months, quarter, or half-year like car insurance or car maintenance, simply divide your payment into monthly installments (e.g. $600 due twice a year equals $100 per month).
In fact, it's pretty useful to overestimate your expenditures and underestimate your income as you'll wind up with a bigger "cushion" each month than you thought. This might also work out for people who work in gray-collar industries that build salary off of commission (e.g. fashion outlets, insurance, car sales) or tips (e.g. food service, cocktail service).
Anyway, the difference between your income and your expenditures is the amount of money you can put toward your debt. We'll call this the repayment amount.
Step Four:
Here it is.
The "snowball." The "snowball method" is a debt repayment method in which you arrange your credit cards in a set order and apply the bulk of your repayment amount to the most outstanding charges first, pay off that card, then move to the next one.
Personally, I choose to pay off cards with the highest interest rates and balances, simply because these credit cards will acquire debt more quickly than lesser ones. Either way, I don't care what order you choose. It's your choice. Just remember that you're applying the bulk of your money to one card at a time so that you're actually putting a dent into your overall debt.
Your computer can help track expenses and progress.
Check out these helpful pages:
posted by Anonymous at 7:11 pm
10 Cannon Fodder
