A quick finish up to take you back through it all:
1. Get organized -- notebook, file folder system, and bill paying method (computerized or hand written).
2. Review your whole situation -- how much do you spend monthly in debt and bills; what are your overall debts; where do you spend your money; how can you reduce your spending; how can you eliminate your debts; how can you increase your credit score; what should you have saved; where are your savings; are they doing as much as they can for you?
3. Take it one step at a time. Pull it together over a month. Write it down. Figure out where you can decrease spending to find extra money to both put on your debts and to put into your emergency savings. Try doing some of the suggestions for reducing spending.
4. Decide which debt to pay off first. Take that credit card out of your wallet. (Take them all out -- go all cash). Keep going.
5. Don't get stern with yourself. Just make choices.
6. De-clutter your things. Stop bringing in new things that don't add value to your life.
7. Think about ways you can increase revenues. Can you turn a hobby into a business? Can you pick up extra hours? Can someone work a second job part time? Do you want to do any of those things for the extra money? (If you are spending more than you bring home, you MUST decrease spending and increase revenue; if you are not in that situation, you have lots of choices to make.)
8. Imagine yourself -- the relief of paying bills on time all the time, the peace of mind that comes with having money in case of emergency, and, for me, the ability to buy some things that have value but that I cannot afford, the ability to vacation, certainly repairing and maybe renovating my house.
HAVE FUN. I will be providing you with contact information for any ideas you have, thoughts, dialogue, and feedback. Right now, I am not set up to handle that sort of thing. Hopefully soon.
I hope you've enjoyed reading and you will utilize some of the advice.