Debt Management
“Always live within your income, even if you have to borrow money to do so.” -- Josh Billings (1815 - 1885)
Debt management runs the gamut from creating a debt management budget to filing for bankruptcy. In every case your debt management program must begin with an honest look at your debt situation.
Debt Management Program
Most people are very private about their personal finances, but for a debt management program to be effective, debtors must be brutally honest with themselves. Every source of income and every monthly expense must be accounted for, because an understanding of your personal debt problem will help you to identify the appropriate debt management solution that best fits your individual circumstances.
Debt Problems
There are debt problems that occur due to circumstances completely out of your control, but if debt problems are a re-occurring theme in your life, you might consider counseling to get to the root cause of the behavior (or habits) that keep landing you in this situation.
Debt Management Budget
“Some couples go over their budgets very carefully every month. Others just go over them.” -- Sally Poplin
Most of us make valiant attempts at putting together a debt management budget which we pledge to follow wholeheartedly into the glorious sunset of financial security, only to abandon our best of intentions within a few short weeks. The fact is, doing a realistic assessment of one's personal finances can be an unpleasant task to say the least, but if you are starting to feel stressed out because of your financial situation, it's time to try again.
First Step towards an Effective Debt Management Solution
A debt management budget will provide you with a cold, hard look at your financial situation and is recognized as the first step in effective debt management.
It is important to be completely truthful and forthright about your financial situation or you will be wasting your time developing an unrealistic debt management budget that helps no one. If you want to start on the road to economic recovery today, be brave, be truthful and congratulate yourself for taking the first step.
Successful Debt Management requires Determination
“Motivation is what gets you going, habit is what keeps you going” -- Jim Ryan
The first objective of your personal debt management budget is to determine how much money you earn and how much you spend. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left column make the heading "Income", on the right column make the heading "Expenses". Are we having fun so far?
Under the heading "Income" list all monies you receive each month before taxes.
For most of us the "Income" list is shorter than our next, and most feared entry, "Expenses"! OK, so now it's not looking like all that much fun, but hang in there. On the top of the "Expense" column list all your "fixed" expenses, like mortgage payments, rent, car payments, insurance premiums or any other monthly expense.
You must agree that compiling the 'fixed' expenses list was rather easy, now comes the most painful category of all, your variable expenses, like groceries, recreation, clothing, and the ever-expanding "entertainment" category. Many of you have been making a critical mistake at this point.
Don't rush. Take your time to record even your seemingly insignificant expenses. The more information you include at this point the easier it will be to track your spending habits, identify necessities, and prioritize the rest of your expenses. Remember, the goal is to provide you with a stress free way to make ends meet. It is critical that you maintain the family's necessities, food, housing, clothing and health care.
Debt Problem to Debt Management Budget to an Effective Debt Management Solution
It is far simpler to resolve debt problems from a secure base than one in a constant state of disaster management. After completing your debt management budget, find time to sit down and ask the hard questions, "What can I do without?" and "Can I wait to buy it later from savings?"
Your answers may show you immediate savings or conversely, prompt you to find a debt management solution. A debt management program that can help you eliminate debt problems forever!
If you lack the self control required to prepare a personal debt management budget as the first step toward an effective debt management solution, and if you are unable to distinguish between your wants and needs, then it may be time to consult with a Certified Credit Counselor.
