Getting out of debt isn’t easy. Sometimes it takes all you have to keep up with monthly bills and save for a rainy day, let alone pay the minimum monthly payments on your credit card. If you want to learn how to get out of debt, continue reading. This article will guide you on how to get out of debt with no money, with no job or with no income quickly.
Creating your own get out of debt plan truly is possible. With some fundamental changes to your lifestyle, you can get out of debt fast even with a low income.
However, turning around your financial situation doesn’t happen without some work. It requires:
- Commitment,
- Planning, and
- Strong self-discipline.
But luckily, it gets easier over time as you build better spending habits. Don’t wait to take back control of your life. There are many ways to get out of debt fast.
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Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get out of debt that won’t make you miserable. Here are some of the best strategies to become debt free in the new year.
How Debt Impact Your Life Negatively
Being in debt can negatively affect your credit score. It is a vicious cycle. High debt can drive a low credit score. A low credit score impacts your ability to get a low rate on loans. Paying higher interest on loans impacts your available cash flow.
Having bad credit can also affect your ability to get a job or your ability to rent an apartment or home.
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It’s common for people to think it’s ok to let a few payments slide when they are in debt. The impact to paying late leads to more challenges and more debt.
Learn how to get out of debt with bad credit, slowly by working side hustles to improve your earning.
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Strategies on How To Get Out of Debt Fast With No Income
1. Stop Going Out To Eat: How to get out of debt with no money
We get it. Going to a restaurant or hitting up the drive-thru is so much easier than making meals at home.
But while you’re enjoying the freedom of not having to cook for those picky eaters, you’re spending way more eating out than you would by eating in.
Instead, invite friends over for taco night instead of meeting up at a restaurant. And hey—if you want to splurge for guac, we won’t judge.
2. Pay More Than the Minimum
Make sure that you always pay more than your minimum payments on your credit cards, overdraft, or line of credit. If you only make your minimum credit card payments each month, it can literally take forever to pay off your balance.
That’s because the majority of your minimum payments will go towards paying interest fees rather than reducing the amount you actually owe (i.e. the principal).
If you want to pay off your balance quickly, pay as much extra as you can afford. Even an extra $50 each month will help. Try using a financial calculator to see how much you can save like this!
3. Meal Plan: How to get out of debt when you are broke
Okay, practically speaking, if you take restaurants off the table, how can you do this “meals at home” thing without stressing out?
Start meal planning! You’ll cut back on the amount of money you spend on food each month. That means more of your hard-earned income can go toward paying off your debt.
4. Avoid Expensive Hobbies
Do you really have $300 a month to spend on golf? Are you serious?
But it’s not just the golfers out there who need to rethink their club dues. Do you spend a ton at craft stores but never get around to starting your project?
Home improvement stores can also cost you several Benjamins in one visit.
5. Spend Less Than You Plan to Spend
Most of us have wishes and wants that are bigger than our paycheques. You might have heard the old saying, “You can have almost anything you want; you just can’t afford everything you want.”
Many people get into debt and stay in debt because they tend to buy what they want, when they want. Not even millionaires can afford to buy everything they want.
If you want something, don’t buy it unless you have the money. If you can be satisfied with less than you would ideally want, even temporarily, you can use the money you save to pay down your debt.
By the time your debt is paid off, you’ll probably have adjusted to your new priorities, and you can use the money that you are saving to put towards other financial priorities.
6. Cut Those Coupons: How to get out of debt quickly
You’ve probably heard this a thousand times—but are you doing it? You can save a ton of money just by showing a coupon to the cashier.
Just be sure you’re using coupons for products you already buy. Otherwise you could end up overspending on items you’ll never even use.
This is one way on How to Get Out of Debt With Frugal Living and Smart Shopping
7. Stop Borrowing Money
The first and most important step in getting out of debt is to stop borrowing money. No more swiping credit cards, no more loans, no more new debt. How to get out of credit card debt.
Reshaping your attitude toward money and debt is the most fundamental change that has to happen. In order to avoid digging yourself into a bigger hole of debt, you have to understand the true cost of swiping a credit card and taking out new loans.
Resolve to live on a cash basis while you make your changes. Don’t worry about debt consolidation or balance transfers at this point – you’re still in the early stages.
You don’t want to trade one kind of debt for another until you understand your situation and have a plan.
When we counsel people entering a debt management plan, we take their credit cards and cut them up. Resolve to live on a cash basis; it’s crucial to starting a new phase of life without taking on new debt.
8. Pay Off Your Most Expensive Debts First
One of the smartest strategies for getting out of debt is to make minimum payments on all of your debts and credit cards except for one. Chose the one debt that is charging you the most interest and focus all of your extra payments on paying off that one first.
Once your first, most expensive debt is paid off, take all of that money that you were paying on that first debt and focus it on the next most expensive debt.
Continue this method as you pay down each of your debts, and you will be left with your least expensive debt to pay down last.
This strategy will get you out of debt quickly, and you will feel encouraged as you see your progress. There is also a different variation of this strategy that a lot of people find even more motivating. It’s called the Snowball Method.
9. Renegotiate Credit Card Debt If Necessary
Like many other consumers, you may be unaware that you can renegotiate your credit card contracts to pay a lump sum amount instead of costly monthly payments. This is known as debt settlement. But how do you negotiate debt settlement?
All you have to do is ask. Give your creditors or lenders a call and request a lower interest rate on your credit cards. As long as your payment history is good, you have a chance of getting some relief.
You can also negotiate credit card fees. If your creditor is unwilling to work with you on a new interest rate, you may ask if they would be open to waiving some of the fees and recurring charges you face.
Credit cards are the only bills that can be lowered with a phone call. You would be surprised at how far a call can take you. Most companies will want to keep your business and will offer some other options to get a lower monthly payment.
Some bills that you could consider lowering include:
- Electricity
- Insurance
- Cable bills
- Phone bills
Don’t be afraid to shop around to find lower rates from competitors. Also, don’t be upset if a company tells you “no.” As long as you’re continuously making payments to all of your debts, you will see an improvement in your situation
10. Set up a Budget: How to get out of debt on a low income
Once you’ve tracked your spending, it’s time to create a budget. By using your regular spending as a guide, this budget should account for all of your needs.
The tracking will also show you places to cut spending. You’ll be able to see where you’re spending too much and where you can easily make cuts without deeply affecting your life.
Of course, you may also find places that need changes that you may not want to make. It’s important to find a balance between livability and a strict budget to get out of debt.
A vital part of the budgeting process is to put it in writing. It’s not enough to mentally plan how much you’re going to spend – it has to be recorded in concrete form.
11. Save on Groceries to Help Pay Off Debt Faster
To save some money to pay off your debt faster, try stocking up on groceries when they are on sale, or go one step further and stockpile when they are on sale and then skip one grocery shop every month and live off of the food you stockpiled.
You can stockpile non-perishable groceries like canned goods, cereal, and things that you can freeze like bread and meat.
Filling your cupboards when groceries are on sale and then skipping one grocery shop each month can save you up to 25% on your annual grocery bill.
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A family of four could possibly save $2,300 to $2,900 a year by doing this. Applying these kinds of savings to your debts, will definitely put you ahead in the long run!
The key to this strategy is watching for sales, only stocking up when groceries are on sale and freezing foods properly.
When you “skip” a grocery shop, you will still need to buy perishable groceries like milk, fruit, and vegetables, but hopefully you can skip the rest of what you would normally buy.
If you can’t skip a shop once a month, then try for once every other month. That can still save you a fair amount of money.
12. Track Your Spending: How to get out of debt
The next step in getting rid of debt quickly is to figure out where your money is going. It can be difficult deciding where to make budget cuts without having a full picture of what you pay for and how you spend.
It’s best to track all of your monthly bills for at least a month as well as daily spending. Don’t forget to include your debt payment obligations while tracking.
There are a number of ways to track your money. Some of the most common ways include:
- Keep receipts
- Use a budget worksheet
- Use banking app trackers
- Keep notes in a notebook
- Use a free money management app
Whatever method you choose, make sure it is one you will remember to use every day and will help you get a full picture of just how much money you spend. Live debt free.
13. Get a Second Job and Pay Down Your Debt Aggressively
Getting a second job, or consistently picking up an extra shift or two, is a common way for many people to pay down their debt.
This strategy for becoming debt free doesn’t work for everyone, but if you can make it work, you could be debt free within a short number of years.
For this to work, you must apply all of your extra income to debt repayment. Working the extra shifts or hours also doesn’t need to be permanent. Once your debts are paid off, you can look at scaling back again.
You could also consider generating some extra income to pay down your debt by capitalizing on a hobby you enjoy, or a skill set you might have.
For example, if you happen to be a good writer, consider freelancing articles for blogs, newspapers, media outlets, or on a freelance website.
If you’re crafty, consider selling your creations on Etsy. If you’re a handyman, see if you can pick up some extra jobs (you may even be able to find websites that can help connect you with people who need your skills).
Some people also use their home to generate some extra cash.
Is it possible for you to rent out your basement, rent out the storage space in your garage, rent a room in your house (you could maybe do this on Airbnb), or can you take in a student for some extra income?
Basic Tips for Getting Out of Debt
Not into starting your own business? Then consider a different side hustle.
Become a driver for Lyft or Uber. Or deliver pizzas at night to bring in extra money. You can even deliver other types of food in your spare time by working for places like Uber Eats or Grubhub. It’s a small sacrifice for extra cash in your pocket.
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Quit the Comparison Game
You know who wins at the comparison game? No. One. Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses! Remember, you’re living like no one else now so that later you can live and give like no one else.
In 20 years, you won’t have a financial worry in the world while everyone else will still have car loans, mortgages and credit card bills.
Starting your own business has never been easier! Do you have a knack for making things?
Sell your products online. Are you an animal lover? Take up dog walking or pet sitting. Whatever it is. Get resource to show you how you can turn your favorite hobby into a serious money-making machine!
Traps to Avoid When You’re Getting Out of Debt
Okay, now that you’ve got tips on how to get your debt snowball rolling, let’s talk about some things that could trip you up along the way. Here are a few traps to avoid as you baby step your way to debt freedom:
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Filing for Bankruptcy
When you’re scared and don’t have enough money to pay the light bill, it can feel like bankruptcy is your only option. If you feel that way, it’s time to slow down, take a deep breath, and remember that there’s hope.
Bankruptcy shouldn’t be your first go-to. Sometimes it is necessary, but we want you to do everything you can to avoid it. And we’re here to help.
The road to debt freedom can be tough. But remember, your future is worth the work you put in today. You can do this. You can learn the step-by-step plan to pay off debt and save more money even faster.
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Credit Card Balance Transfers
Just like debt consolidation, credit card balance transfers will only offer you a temporary solution. Sure, it might give you a little extra breathing room in your paycheck, but it’ll keep you in debt for longer. Why?
Because you’ll be tempted to spend those “extra” dollars on something other than your debt. Remember, the only way to beat debt is by throwing everything you have at it—until it’s gone.
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Debt Consolidation
You’ve probably heard of it. And maybe you’ve even fallen prey to it. But hear me: Debt consolidation is a bad idea.
With consolidation, combining your debts for a lower interest rate will make you feel like you’ve done something to help your situation . . . but in reality, it’s only going to keep you in debt longer.
The only form of debt consolidation we can get behind is student loans. Learn how to get out of debt slowly and use side hustles to pay your way out of debts with low income.
Keep Learning to know how to get out of debt with no money and bad credit. Education on money management never ends. Comment below and tell us how you are getting out of debt.