You Have to Want To Get Out of Debt
May 11th, 2006 | by Molly's Brother |If you are on a limited income, but you want to get out of debt, build your savings, and explore investment opportunities down the road, one simple fact remains: You have to want to make more money.
SELL YOUR THINGS Part of getting out of debt or removing yourself from a financial crisis involves committing to live simply. When I got in over my head, it was because I succumbed to the clutter of my life. I simply had too much going on: too much work, too many papers, too many desires, too many thoughts. And all of this beget too many bills. One day I committed to simplifying my life. Not only did it allow me to face my life with a renewed sense of focus, but I also made money in the process. So, SELL YOUR THINGS. Utilizing CraigsList.org and EBay, I was able to part ways with items–objects!–that I really didn’t need in my life. I sold books that I knew I was never going to read. I sold my “Why The Hell Did You Buy This” CDs (there were quite a few of those). I packed up DVDs that–sigh–hadn’t even been opened. They still had that annoying plastic tape running across the top.
Venture beyond the books, CDs, and DVDs though. I am sure if you walked around your house, your apartment, your garage or your storage space, you would be able to find objects that you could sell on CraigsList. I actually found more success on Craigslist, believe it or not. People who just moved into the area or just graduated from college were willing to buy a set of dishes that was missing a plate or a beat-up old couch that, while still comfortable, I easily parted with. Use the internet. Find consignment stores in your area. Lay out your junk on a weekend morning and hold a garage sale. Do what you need to do to sell your things. Just make sure you do it.
DO ODD JOBS Take that gulp and swallow your pride. You’ll be amazed to discover that it was only the illusion of pride, as there is dignity in all work. (This my parents taught me from a very young age.) Since summer is coming, do some odd jobs on the side. Mow the lawns in your neighborhood. Offer to babysit–for a fee–for that couple across the street so they can go out one night a week. Clean your neighbor’s pool. Deliver newspapers.
GET A PART-TIME JOB Get a part-time job once or twice a week. (Think about waiting tables, delivering pizzas, or bartending as these jobs also include tips.) Even if you only make $30 after taxes, multiply that over the course of the year. Now take that money and pay off a credit card.
SAVE YOUR RAISE For those of you that might get a raise in the future, do something revolutionary with that money: SAVE IT. Use the money to help get you out of debt. Don’t use it to rack up more. You’ll find yourself at that life at the end of the tunnel in no time.
These are some simple ideas to help you pull yourself out of debt. On some level, complaceny got you into debt. Only an increased level of vigilance, focus, and hard work will get you out of it.
