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Simple Ways to Eliminate Debt

Published by admin on December 17, 2009

Simple Ways to Eliminate Debt

Ask a friend who made resolutions for the New Year and you’re bound to hear them reply “Pay off all my credit cards.” Ask them what is required to achieve that goal and many of them will not have a clear cut answer.

The obvious first step to paying off debt credit cards debt or paying down debt load is to reduce or eliminate the use of all your credit cards. For some people this first step can often be one of the most difficult. If you’re used to spending freely with plastic and worrying about the consequences later, it is difficult to get rid of this “buy now, pay later” attitude.

To gain control of your careless credit card spending habits, sometimes you will have to cut your credit cards by making it impossible to use them. While other people are going to lock their credit cards or hide them in a safe place and vow to use them only in case of emergency.

The second step to reduce debt and pay all your credit card debt is to start by paying more than the minimum balance due. Most credit card companies require a minimum monthly payment of 2.5% of the balance. For example, if you have a balance of $ 1100.00 on a credit card, charging an annual percentage rate (APR) of 18.9% is the minimum monthly payment would be $ 27.50. It will take 66 months or 5.5 years to pay the balance of $ 1100.00 making the minimum payments. The credit card company will make $ 676.94 in interest from the use of that certain credit card.

Monthly payments are purposely kept low for the credit card companies so they can earn as much as possible from the interest rate charged to you, the consumer. And by paying only the minimum payment will keep you in the intricate network of credit for years and years to come.

If you paid only the minimum due month after month, ask yourself this question: “Do I have an extra $ 10.00 that could apply to payment of this month?” I’m sure most of us could find a way to get an extra $ 10.00 per month. Try to cut a few cups of coffee or lunches at your nearby fast food restaurant and in no time flat you will put aside the extra money you need.

Now it’s time to unveil “The Simple $ 10.00 Debt Elimination Solution.”

Take that extra $10.00 and add it to the minimum monthly payment above, therefore, making a payment of $37.50. Except that, thanks to the addition of $10.00 a month for the minimum payment, you’ll trim 23 months or almost two years off debt card! On top of that saves you $277.00 in interest alone! That money is you can put toward savings or paying off the other debt that you have. Just imagine how much you would be able to save if you apply the same simple strategy for each of your other credit card debts!

Paying your credit card debt will not always mean having to make huge monthly payments or painful sacrifices. It just takes some basic planning and strategy simple and effective way to make it work.

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