Keep your credit card for emergencies

Tempting offers for credit cards seem to be getting constantly pushed under our noses, and it can take a lot of willpower to resist them.

Rather than accepting every offer that comes your way, if you really are offered a card with an interest rate that’s simply too good to pass up, keep the card for emergencies only.

We all have times when unexpected expenses are put upon us- whether it’s car repairs, a forgotten birthday, vets bills or home repairs. As events like these usually can’t be planned for, it’s all too common to find yourself seriously strapped for cash.

Using a credit card for emergencies only does take some willpower, although it will definitely be worth it in the long run.

Setting aside a little extra

With the much anticipated January payday nearly upon us (phew!), it can be all too tempting to get back into the routine of spending aimlessly again.

However, if you spent a lot on your credit card over Christmas, you really need to think about paying it off sooner rather than later.

In addition to budgeting for your regular bills and monthly outgoings, you should make a concerted effort to set aside a reasonable amount each month to pay off any festive spending- otherwise the interest will undoubtedly start piling up and you could end up still paying off Christmas 2009 in Christmas 2010!

Consolidating your debts

If you’re struggling to keep track of all your monthly payments for your store cards and credit cards then you might want to think about consolidating them all.

There are many benefits to consolidating your debts- not least because you won’t have to worry about paying lots of separate bills every month.

If you can find a credit card with an interest free period or low interest rate (although they are very rare at the moment), you should definitely try and snap the offer up and transfer all of your existing debts over.

So take a load off your mind and get hunting for a debt consolidation bargain now!

Feeling skint this month?

January is a difficult month for just about everyone, and we’re all feeling the pinch after Christmas.
Bars, restaurants and shops are all really quiet (well, after the madness of the sales!) as nobody has any spare cash to hand.
However, after a couple of weeks of being good and staying in, many of us get itchy feet and want to start enjoying ourselves again. It can be all too tempting to put an expenditures on credit and store cards, although you need to be strict with yourself and try to refrain from doing this.
If you really must spend- substitute a big night out for a night in with friends and a few bottles of wine, and if you’re desperate for that new pair of shoes that you NEED, why not sell off some of your old clothes on Ebay and use this money to treat yourself. This way, you won’t be adding to your money woes.

Battling the aftermath of Christmas

Christmas is always an expensive time of year, and it’s all too easy to get carried away with yourself and spend far too much.
Many people put purchases on their credit cards, with the mentality that they’ll deal with the payments when they have to.
However, now it’s mid- January, credit card bills are starting to drop through the door, and Christmas spending can no longer be ignored.
Unless you have a credit card with a really good APR, you need to make sure that you pay off as much of your card as possible.
Just paying off the minimum amount is a bad idea, especially if you’ve spent lots.
This is why it’s a good idea to pay off as much as you can as possible. Think of other areas that you can cut down on spending and use it to pay off extra credit card debts.

How to reduce your debts in five easy steps – Step 5

Step five try to make all of your goal monthly repayments each month it’s ok if some months you pay more off one of your expensive then a different one the next just try to stick with paying as much off them each month that you can and make you sure you keep track of how much you have paid and how long you have got before they are all paid off and you will soon be debt free.

How to reduce your debts in five easy steps – Step 4

Step four now you are starting your payment plan you should contact your lenders and creditors and find out if you can improve your teams of your debt like lower the interest rates or maybe reduced settlement on your debts. You can also think about moving some of credit cards debts to a credit card with a lower interest rate just make sure you keep you balances below 35% of the credit limits to avoid damaging your credit score or you could look into getting a person loan to consolidating all of your debts.

How to reduce your debts in five easy steps – Step 3

Step three you have to make a plan for reducing them debts so make a goal for how much you are going to pay off each month and try to stick with it. Make yourself a chat so you know where you are up to with your repayments so you know how much you have paid and what is left to be paid. Also try and see if you can pay off more each month by working out how much you have got left over from your monthly income to do this you start by taking away your minimum debt payments and your monthly expenses from your monthly income after taxes then what is left over you can use to pay off the debts with the highest interest rates.

How to reduce your debts in five easy steps – Step 2

Step two is to make a monthly budget to do this you will have to get another piece of paper and put down all of your income and out goings e.g your wage and any tax credits ect are your income then you have to put down your out goings eg rent/mortgage utilities bills, food shop and any other expenses now you can see how much is left over. Now work out how much you can pay off for each debt but remember the more you pay off the quick you can say you are debt free.

How to reduce your debts in five easy steps – Step 1

Step one is to find out about your debts for this the first thing you should do is to get hold of and print out your credit report  then get all of your financial documents together e.g loans, credit cards and catalogues so now you can check where you stand with your debt this can be on the scary side. On a piece of paper write down each of your debts including the balances interest rates and the monthly re payments the ones with the higher APR try to pay these off first.

Advice, services, and products:
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