5 Powerful Money Habits That'll Help You Get Out of Debt (2024)

I have a guest post for you today from Reelika over at Financially Wise on Heels. Reelika explains some great steps that you can taketoday to beginmaking your way out of debt. Don’t forget to head on over to Reelika’s blog once you’ve finished reading this!

B?ing in d?bt ??n be a ?tr???ful ?x??ri?n??. N? m?tt?r wh?t ??ur ?ir?um?t?n??s are, if ??u ?ign?d f?r a loan, ??u ?r? ?blig?t?d t? ??? it b??k ?v?n if ??u have a lif? ?lt?ring ?x??ri?n?? lik? l??ing a j?b, g?tting int? ?n ???id?nt, ?r ?v?n if ??u h?v? in?r????d ?x??n??? du? t? h?ving a ?hild.

M?n? ????l? tr? t? g?t ?ut ?f d?bt, but lif? ?l??? th?m in th? f??? h?rd ?n?ugh th?t th?? giv? up. Th?t d???n’t h?v? to b? the case.

H?r? ?r? 5 ?im?l? ?t??? to h?l? ??u ?limin?t? ??ur d?bt ?r?nt?:

1. M?k? a conscious d??i?i?n t? ?t?? borrowing m?n??

If you w?nt t? get ?ut ?f d?bt f??t, ??u h?v? to stop u?ing d?bt t? fund ??ur lif??t?l?. Thi? m??n? no m?r? financing furniture, n? m?r? signing u? f?r ?r?dit ??rd?, n? m?r? test driving br?nd n?w ??r? th?t you d?n’t h?v? th? ???h t? ??? f?r. Thi? will h?l? you f??u? solely on the d?bt th?t ??u ?urr?ntl? d? have ?? th?t ??u ??n d?v?l?? a g?m? ?l?n t? ??? it ?ff ?ui?kl?.

2. E?t?bli?h a ?t?rt?r em?rg?n?? fund ?f $1000

You might b? wondering, ‘Wh? i? h?ving ?n ?m?rg?n?? fund important?’ Well, if you d?n’t h?v? ?n? money in th? b?nk ?nd ?n ?m?rg?n?? d??? h????n, h?w are ??u g?ing to ??? f?r it? F?r m??t ????l?, ?r?dit ??rd? b???m? th? funding ??ur?? f?r th??? ?m?rg?n?i??. If ??u ?r? tr?ing to g?t out ?f d?bt th?n ??u n??d t? ?ut a buff?r b?tw??n ??u ?nd d?bt; th?t i? ?x??tl? wh?t ?n ?m?rg?n?? fund d???.

3. Cr??t? a realistic budget ?nd ?ti?k t? it

D?v?l??ing a budg?t th?t tr??k? ??ur in??m? ?nd ??ur ?x??n??? i? ?ru?i?l to g?tting ?ut ?f d?bt in a ?h?rt ??ri?d ?f time. It will h?l? ??u g?ug? wh?r? ??u ?r? with ??ur finances ?? th?t ??u ??n m?v? f?rw?rd toward ??ur g??l. It will ?x???? wh?th?r ??u h?v? m?n?? l?ft ?v?r, whi?h i? ??ll?d a ?ur?lu?, ?r if ??u are in th? n?g?tiv?, whi?h i? ??ll?d a d?fi?it. Th? g??l i? t? in?r???? your ?ur?lu? ?nd u?? th?t m?n?? t? ??? d?wn ??ur d?bt. B?l?w ?r? tw? w??? th?t ??u ??n d? this.

1. Th? fir?t w?? i? t? ??rn ??m? ?xtr? ???h. If ??u ?r? in a ??mmi??i?n-b???d j?b th?n this m??n? th?t ??u n??d t? m?k? m?r? sales, whi?h will ?r?b?bl? inv?lv? h?ving t? w?rk m?r? h?ur?. If ??u ?r? in a ??l?r? j?b and ??u ?r? limit?d in th? h?ur? th?t ??u ??n w?rk, th?n ??u might n??d t? ?i?k u? a ????nd j?b.
2. Th? ????nd thing th?t ??u ??n d? is trim ??ur ?x??n???. G? ?v?r ???h lin? it?m on ??ur budg?t ?nd ??k ??ur??lf, ‘h?w ??n I m?k? thi? numb?r ?m?ll?r?’ It may inv?lv? ??n??lling ??rvi??? th?t ??u rarely u?? lik? a g?m m?mb?r?hi?, N?tflix ?ub??ri?ti?n, ?t?. It might ?v?n inv?lv? reducing th? amount ?f tim?? th?t ??u ??t ?ut ?t r??t?ur?nt? ???h month. The ?m?unt th?t ??u ?l??h d???nd? u??n ??ur ??mmitm?nt l?v?l t? g?tting ?ut of d?bt. Th? more ??mmitt?d you ?r?, th? ???i?r it will b? f?r ??u t? giv? u? some ?f th? unn??????r? ?m?niti?? in lif?. Y?u might not ?v?n n??d t? ???rifi?? mu?h if ??u ??n find th??? it?m? ?r ??rvi??? f?r l???.

4. Org?niz? ??ur d?bt

Thi? i? ??r?m?unt t? m???ing ?ut a ?l?n t? ??? ?ff ??ur d?bt. Th?r? ?r? tw? ???r???h?? th?t ?r? w?rth ??n?id?ring. Th? fir?t is wh?r? ??u li?t ??ur d?bt? ?m?ll??t t? l?rg??t r?g?rdl??? ?f th? int?r??t r?t?. Wh?n w? paid ?ff ?ur fir?t d?bt it put wind in ?ur ??il?. Ev?n th?ugh w? h?d high?r int?r??t d?bt?, this g?v? u? ??m?thing th?t w?? very ??w?rful: th? b?li?f th?t w? ??uld g?t ?ut ?f d?bt ?ui?kl? if w? ?tu?k t? th? ?l?n.

Th? ?th?r m?th?d i? ??ll?d l?dd?ring. Thi? i? wh?r? ??u li?t ??ur d?bt?, ?t?rting with th? high??t int?r??t r?t? first ?nd ?nd with th? debt with th? l?w??t int?r??t r?t?. Thi? m?th?d m?k?? th? m??t m?th?m?ti??l ??n??, because ??u will ??v? th? m??t m?n?? in int?r??t ?v?r tim?. R?g?rdl??? ?f which ?r????? ??u ?h????, th? key is t? ?ti?k with it.

5. Thr?w ?n? ?x???? ???h ?t ??ur debt

Wh?n w? w?r? g?tting ?ut ?f d?bt, there w?r? ??v?r?l times wh?r? ?xtr? m?n?? f?ll in ?ur l??? th?t w? h?d n?t f??t?r?d int? ?ur d?bt ?limin?ti?n originally. W? d??id?d t? t?k? thi? cash ?nd use it t? t??kl? ?ur d?bt. S?m? g??d ?x?m?l?? w?uld b? a t?x r?fund, ??lling a ??r, ?n inh?rit?n??, winning a b?t, ?t?. Th? m?r? ???h ??u can put t?w?rd? ??ur d?bt, the f??t?r it will di??????r.

The Bottom Line

D?bt d???n’t h?v? t? be f?r?v?r. D?v?l?? ??ur fin?n?i?l g?m? plan ?nd ?t?rt ??ur j?urn?? t?w?rd b?ing d?bt-fr?? t?d??. The key is to be consistent and to stick to the plan.

Which money habits have helped you during your debt-free journey? Share in comments below!

About the author:Reelika Tiik works as an Internal Controller. She is also an online entrepreneur and the founder of FinanciallyWiseOnHeels.com, where she provides inspiration, tools and resources to women to start their own business, and better manage their finances without sacrificing the needs and dreams of their families.