Many bloggers on personal finance attack a specific debt issue in an article. But consumers are struggling with debt problems at most twists and turns because reduced and eliminated incomes, ballooning debt at high interest rates, and depleted savings impact every decision in one’s life. Here is some quickfire advice on areas of debt problems, with debt solutions – solid advice for straightening out one’s finances and getting past the initial hurdle of inaction and indecisiveness.
Housing
Debt Problems: Making one’s mortgage payments, deciding when to foreclose or do a short sale, deciding whether or not to rent or buy a home, how to handle housing costs in a budget, and whether to “invest” in real estate.
Debt Solutions: Do not be afraid of a short sale or foreclosure. Depending on your financial situation, this can be the best course of action. Also, do not be afraid to delay purchasing a home. Is it much better to make sure you have income security than to get into an obligation in which you must swing a hefty monthly payment. Set up a budget and look at it honestly: is it feasible to comfortably swing the mortgage payments were you to choose a 15-year mortgage? If not, do not even consider a 30-year option. Finally, the DebtGoal philosophy is clear: treat housing as an expense, not as an investment.
Getting Finances in Order
Debt Problems: How to jumpstart getting organized, setting goals, and tracking information.
Debt Solutions: simplifying for success, clutter control, setting SMART goals, and using a debt tracking form are the “quickfire” remedies for inaction. Get up and get started; it takes minutes to get this going.
Budgeting
Debt Problem: How to get spending under control.
Debt Solution: Set up a quick budget in minutes and use it as a hard boundary for spending. Understand the difference between discretionary and non-discretionary expenses. Trim away your monthly discretionary costs, and focus on funding the basic living expenses of food, housing, and transportation. Even with the non-discretionary items, choose the frugal option. Use a no-frills vehicle, grocery shop instead of frequenting restaurants, and rent a room instead of a full apartment.
Raj Patel writes for DebtGoal.com, a do-it-yourself system for getting out of debt and lowering your interest costs. DebtGoal.com incorporates all of the techniques discussed in this post and can help users understand and get visibility to and manage their debt finances.
