If you are dealing with debt, you aren’t alone. The average American household has an average balance of about $5,525.00 in credit card debt, and that’s not taking into account home, auto, and student loans.
Paying off your debt isn’t always easy, but having a plan can go a long way in achieving your financial goals.
Check out these seven tips that can help you to get out of debt more quickly, so you can save more, plan for the future, and live life on the road to a stronger financial future.
Get an idea of what you are currently spending.
To know where you’re going, you have to know where you’re coming from. Are you spending more than you make? Do you have excess money each month that you could be putting toward your debts?
Use our budgeting worksheet to get an idea of how much money you have coming in vs. going out each month.
Take a look at your spending habits.
Once you have a full financial picture of your monthly surplus (or deficit), figure out what your spending habits are and how you might change them to get out of debt. Maybe you’re spending too much on subscription services – or realize you’re spending more than you allotted for groceries each month.
Stay on top of your finances 24/7 anytime, anywhere with Web-Branch and Mobile Branch.
Prioritize expenses and identify areas where you may be able to save.
Once you have an idea of where you are spending and why, see if there are areas where you can cut back.
If you need some extra help deciding where to make cuts, our partners at Greenpath Financial Wellness have created an Aligning Priorities Workbook that is a great tool to help you to prioritize your expenses.
This workbook provides tips for people who:
- Have experienced a sudden change, such as loss of income.
- Desire more clarity on their short-term financial plan.
- Feel motivated to take action toward a goal, but aren’t quite sure where to start.
Hold yourself accountable and check back in on your spending habits.
Great, you’ve made a plan! But are you sticking with it? Plan your paychecks and check back to see how your actual spending compares with your plan.
Make adjustments as you need to.
Automate everything.
Set up direct deposits and automated payments so that you don’t miss due dates and get hit with a late fee.
Use alerts and overdraft protection to help you avoid mistakes.
- Set-up your Account Management tools like Bill Pay and e-alerts in Web-Branch.
Choose a debt payoff strategy that works for your situation.
When choosing a strategy, you will probably want to pay the minimum on all your debts and focus extra payments on one debt at a time. When you pay one account off, redirect the monthly payment to the next one in line, adding it to the minimum you were paying already. This way, each time you pay off one debt, your payment on the next one gets bigger.
- See which plan works for you, use our Payoff Calculators.
Schedule a one-on-one Individual Financial Analysis.
Taking control of day-to-day financial choices is the foundation for creating more opportunities. If you’re still unsure of where to start in paying off your debt, we encourage you to schedule a 30-minute one-on-one Individual Financial Analysis.
We use a Credit Report to show you just how much you are paying for credit. This review consist of rate analysis, payment history, type of credit, terms of credit and anything negatively and positively impacting your credit score. We use your financial goals, current situation, and customized solutions to help you achieve your goals.
