It is not easy to get out of debt. For many, accruing debts is easy but they can't just realize at what point it can destroy your financial life.
It can be difficult to keep up with monthly expenses and save for a drizzly day, let alone pay the payments each month on your credit card.
When you thinking of monthly bills when in debt can be very frustrating.
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to get out of debt that are easy to apply. You can even get out of debt on a low income.
That said, this article compiles some ways that will help you get out of debt.
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What's the Average Debt Per Person?
According to Experian's 2019 Consumer Debt Study, the average American had $90,460 in debt in 2018. Mortgages, credit card balances, auto loans, personal loans, and student loans are all included in this figure.
Here's how it looks by generation:
| Age Group | Average Debt Load |
|---|---|
| Gen Z (18-23) | $9,593 |
| Millennials (24-39) | $78,396 |
| Gen X (40-55) | $135,841 |
| Baby boomers (56-74) | $96,984 |
| Silent generation (75+) | $40,925 |
How Debt Can Negatively Impact Your Life
Being in debt can make it difficult to qualify for other loans. To buy a house, for example, most lenders require a debt-to-income (DTI) ratio of 43 percent or less, including future mortgage payments.
The DTI ratio is calculated by multiplying your current monthly debt payments by your monthly gross income. Assume you have a $300 student loan payment, a $500 auto loan payment, and a $200 credit card minimum payment.
Your gross monthly salary is $3,750, so your DTI is 26.67 percent. In this case, the maximum mortgage payment you could get is $612.50. Depending on where you live, it may be nearly impossible to find a home in that price range.
If your DTI now exceeds 43% without a mortgage payment, you may be unable to obtain a loan. Too much debt can also make it difficult to save for pension, your child's college education, or other objectives.
Furthermore, if you work in law enforcement, finance, or the military, your employer may run a credit check when you apply. If you have too much debt, you may be rejected because a vulnerable financial situation puts you at a statistically higher risk of accepting bribes.
Organize All of Your Debt and Bills
Before you can devise a debt-reduction strategy, make a list of all of your current bills and loans.
Examine your bank and credit card statements from the last six months and make a list of all recurring loans, bills, and other fixed expenses.
Include the monthly payment, total balance, interest rate, term, and any other pertinent information on your list. For example, keep track of which loans are currently in deferment or on a special repayment plan.
To ensure that you haven't overlooked anything, review your credit report to see all existing loans and lines of credit.
You can check your credit report once a week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, which will eventually be free once a year.
Check your credit report from all three credit bureaus. Because some lenders do not report credit activity with all three, if you only check one or two, you may be missing out on important information.
7 Effective Ways to Get Out of Debt
Now you're tired of debt and are looking for a way to get out of them, the following ways might be useful for you.
1. Create a Budget
If you don't have a budget plan, you might not realize you're spending more than you earn. Budgeting, as tedious as it may sound, can be an effective tool for managing your finances and planning for the future.
A budget can be created with software and budgeting apps such as Mint, You Need a Budget, or PocketGuard, but it can also be created with a notepad and pen.
To begin, make a list of how much money you have coming in each month. Include earnings from your job as well as any other sources.
Next, make a list of all of your recurring, fixed expenses. Rent or mortgage, utility bills, insurance premiums, minimum credit card payments, and groceries should all be included. Consider how much you normally spend on non-essential expenses including entertainment or dining out.
If you're spending more than you earn, or if your budget lacks breathing room, look for areas where you can cut back to reduce your expenses. As an example:
- Carpool: If you drive to work, see if a coworker who lives nearby would like to carpool with you. Alternatively, you can create a profile on RideShare.org to find a carpool partner. You can save money on gas and car maintenance by carpooling.
- Shop with a shopping list: Preparing your own meals and eating at home is a great way to save money, but it's also a good idea to shop with a list—and stick to it—to avoid making impulse purchases.
- Reduce streaming services: If you have multiple streaming services, choose one or two favorites and cancel the others.
- Switch to a new cellphone plan: If you have an expensive cellphone plan, ask your current provider if you can switch to a less expensive version. Alternatively, shop around with different providers to find a more affordable plan.
Read Also: Can you get rid of dept without paying?
2. Increase Your Income
When it comes to saving money, there are only so many shortcuts you can take.
Following the creation of a budget and the elimination of some expenses, your next objective should be to increase your income.
If a raise or promotion at your full-time job is unlikely, look for ways to earn extra money on the side.
Consider changing your tax withholding at work as well. If you get a tax refund every year, you may have too much money withheld, money that could be used to pay down your debts in the meantime.
Request a new W-4 form from your employer to reduce your withholding and increase your take-home pay. In the event that you do not receive your tax refund, earmark it for paying off debt.
Read Also: Can you pay student loan with a credit card?
3. Use the Debt Avalanche Strategy or Debt Snowball Method
When you have found some extra money to pay off your debts, you must decide how to best put it to use. The debit avalanche and the debt snowball strategy are the most used strategies in this case.
The debt avalanche strategy is sometimes referred to as the most effective tool for many people.
The debt avalanche method requires you to make a list of all of your existing debts, ordering them from the highest interest rate to the lowest.
While continuing to make the minimum payments on each account, you allocate any extra funds to the account with the highest interest rate.
When you've paid off your highest-interest debt, start moving on to the account with the next highest interest. Keep going until you have paid off all of your debt.
You will pay off your debts quicker and save more money in total interest by tackling the highest-interest debt first.
You can also try the debt snowball method for debt reduction if you pay more than the minimum payment. This debt repayment method requires you to pay the minimum on all of your debts except the smallest, which you will pay as much as you can toward.
By "snowballing" payments toward your smallest debt, you'll quickly eliminate it and move on to the next smallest debt while paying the minimum on the rest.
Assume you owe $5,000 on a credit card, $1,000 on an auto loan, and $10,000 on student loans. You would use the debt snowball method to pay off the auto loan first because it has the lowest total balance.
The debt snowball method can motivate you to focus on one debt at a time rather than several, allowing you to build momentum and stay on track.
The only time you should avoid using the debt snowball method is if you have a payday or title loan.
These loans typically have much higher interest rates, ranging from 300 to 400 percent APR on average, and should be paid off as soon as possible.
4. Consider Debt Consolidation
If you have high-interest debt, debt consolidation can help you pay it off faster.
You take out a personal loan from a bank or another reputable lender and use it to pay off your other debts with debt consolidation. Going forward, you'll only have one loan to manage and one monthly payment to make.
Furthermore, if you have good credit or a family member or friend with good credit willing to cosign for you, you may be able to qualify for a debt consolidation loan with a lower interest rate than you were paying on your previous debts.
This will allow you to pay off your debt faster and save you money in the long run.
5. Commit Windfalls to Debt
When you get a tax refund or a stimulus check, instead of putting it in your bank account or splurging on yourself, put it toward your loans.
You have the option of committing the entire windfall or dividing it 50-50 between debt and something fun, such as a future vacation or an expensive dinner.
Other unanticipated windfalls, such as inheritances, work bonuses, and cash gifts, can also be used to pay down debts more quickly. Remember that when it comes to debt repayment, every little bit counts.
6. Settle for Less than You Owe
You can also contact your creditors and negotiate a debt settlement, usually for much less than you owe. While you can handle this yourself, there are a number of third-party companies that offer debt settlement services for a fee.
While paying less than you owe and avoiding old debts may appear to be prudent, the Federal Trade Commission warns of some risks. For starters, some debt settlement companies require you to stop making debt payments while you negotiate better terms, which can harm your credit score.
7. Be Diligent Moving Forward
While you are working to pay off your current debts, it is crucial that you do not undermine your efforts by incurring new debt.
Avoid the temptation to consolidate credit card debt with a personal loan or balance transfer card unless you're extremely diligent about not using the card after you've paid off the balance, or only charge what you know you can pay off every month.
When you successfully pay off a debt, apply the extra money you saved to pay off more of your other debts.
Make the extra money work harder for you by putting it toward additional debt payments in months when you make more money than expected or your expenses are lower than expected.
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Final Thoughts
Paying off a debt is one of the most difficult thing to do for many. However, to be eligible for most offers, it is important your credit score should have a good rating.
Paying off your debt will help avoid any damages on your credit report and making you eligible for more opportunities.