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Are you really frustrated?
Does it sometimes seem like the dollars are slipping through
your fingers while the bills just seem to keep mounting up?
It's a familiar feeling for many of us nowadays.
Sometimes, though, like most things in life, taking a step
back from it all and starting to get some simple things
right can make a huge difference on the big picture.
If your debts have been getting you down recently, here are
10 great ways to start slashing them today:
- First off, consider going on a "cash diet" for the next
few months. Lock away some of those credit cards in a safe
deposit box... or just cut them up altogether! By all
means keep a low interest rate card for emergencies, but
definitely rid yourself of any store cards. Why? Because
they encourage you to buy junk you don't need at exorbitant
rates of interest!
- If you're having difficulties with any of your lenders,
approach and deal with them personally. Not only will they
appreciate your initiative, but will be far more responsive
down the line if you're having further repayment
difficulties. The one thing that irritates them most is
someone ducking and diving the problem.
- If you think you can afford to pay off any of your loans
in one go, approach your lender and offer a reduced final
settlement of any thing between 25 and 75%. Try and get the
best deal. They can only say no, and might just say yes to
get some money in.
When I was deep in debt, I was fortunate to pay off a bank
overdraft in this way. In fact, they proposed straight off
a settlement of 75%...not me!
- Ask for a promotion at work. Believe it or not, it's
estimated that one in two people who actually do this get
one.
- Shop around to get the best deals on utilities like gas
and electric...
A home energy audit can help save hundreds of dollars a
year on heating bills. Ask your supplier who may be able
to this for fr~ee or at very low cost.
Many countries now have websites where you can make sure
you're getting the best deal. Try doing a web search for
"energy savings" plus your country.
A good US site for this is: http://snipurl.com/4vjo
If you're in the UK, try checking out:
http://www.uswitch.com
Also, make sure that any new appliances are energy
efficient. This alone can save you hundreds of dollars a
year.
- If you have a spare room, why not consider renting it out
for a while. Many governments are now introducing great
tax breaks if you do this. For instance, under the UK
government's 'Rent a Room' scheme, you can earn up to
£4250 a year without paying tax!
- Check to see you're paying the right amount of tax. You
might possibly be due a refund. Every year governments
rake in hundreds of millions in unclaimed tax.
You can get fr~ee software programs to help you with this.
Try: http://www.taxact.com
- Buy cheaper insurance and investments. Shop around for
the best deal on all types of insurance, including life,
home, health, travel and pet cover. This could save you
thousands over the coming years!
- Consider shopping more online. Online stores often give a
discount as they don't have the same overheads involved
when selling offline. Search for those goods you want using
a search engine or ask the retailers themselves if they
have an online store. Here's a great fr~ee resource to get
you started: http://www.cmcaig.com/essentials.zip
- Have a direct debit set up so that your debt payments
leave your account the day your paycheck is paid in. That
way, you'll be less tempted to spend it.
And when you do get out of debt, charge a direct debit to
another account and pay in a regular monthly amount (as
much as you can afford.) Call this your own personal
wealth insurance. You'll never regret it.
By adopting the above strategies, the light at the end of
the tunnel will start shining that little bit brighter.
Instead of spending more than you earn, you'll soon be
earning more than you spend!
Good luck!
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