http://www.destroydebt.com/blogs/cchadwick.html Out of the Sand www.destroydebt.com Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:11:41 GMT webmaster@destroydebt.com webmaster@destroydebt.com http://www.destroydebt.com/blogs/cchadwick/242-rising-from-ashes.html http://www.destroydebt.com/blogs/cchadwick/242-rising-from-ashes.html Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:11:41 GMT When my home was destroyed by a hurricane I felt hopeless and lost, but it turned out to be one of the most positive things to ever happen in my life. I was able to move to a new state and enjoy a fresh start at life. In my own life and the lives of others close to me I've seen beauty rise from ashe...
My Aunt has always been an inspiration to me. She stayed home to raise her children, and she was very active in their school and church activities. Her husband worked hard to take care of the family. Their home was always filled with laughter and stories being told. It was a joyful place to be. She was able to make meals that fed a large number of people from whatever she had on hand. Creative and resourceful, she managed her home well.

Life threw her a curve ball when my Uncle was forced to retire earlier than expected due to a heart attack. She found herself with a mortgage to pay, a family to feed, and very little money in hand to do so. I watched her struggle at first to hold it all together. With tears of frustration, she refused to give up on making life stable again for her family. She made some tough choices to save her family from ruin.

After being a stay-home mom for so many years, she knew the job market would be tough. She looked towards a job that would offer her a skill. Taking a job as a dispatcher for a local police department, she was sent to training school and learned the skills she needed. Smart move on her part because she was able to use those skills to secure a more stable and higher paying job with a company that offered increases in pay and position.

One of the hardest things I saw her do was leave her home. No longer willing to struggle to afford the mortgage, she decided to move into a smaller home. Since most of her children were adults she was able to save money in needing fewer bedrooms. She grew to love that little cottage style home.

She proved that it was possible to rise from the ashes of near ruin with grace. Was it easy? No. She struggled. She was tired, and often she would sit down and just cry. The key is that she never gave up. She strived to make things better, and she taught us important things along the way.

Learn a Skill
If you are a homemaker, take some time to learn a skill. Even if that skill is self taught typing, give yourself a chance to walk into the job market should you have the need. If you have internet access there are many places that offer eclasses.

Pay Yourself
Realizing how close to ruin she had come, the first thing my Aunt did was begin a savings account. Without fail, she deposits money into this account each pay day. Seeing the importance of retirement she places the max amount into the company 401K, as well. If possible, set up a direct deposit from your pay check for a certain percentage to go into your savings account each week. This takes it out of your hands before you actually see it and makes things easier.

Scale Down
Be realistic about what you can afford after a set back. You may need a smaller, more economical car. Your home may be too large or too expensive. These choices aren't always easy to make, but trying to meet a car payment or mortgage that is above your means is going to cause damage to your nerves and your credit report.

Love Yourself
What does this have to do with rising from financial ruin? There are days when you'll want to scream and run away. Allow yourself to feel those things, but don't give up or give in to the stress of the day. As time moves on and changes are made, you'll find you have more room to breathe. Love yourself enough to keep trying.

I know there are those here who are facing hard times due to unexpected health issues, job setbacks or any one of the other number of things life tosses at us on a daily basis. Take some courage in knowing that people do survive and make better lives. You can, too!]]> http://www.destroydebt.com/blogs/cchadwick/238-saving-money-at-the-pumps.html http://www.destroydebt.com/blogs/cchadwick/238-saving-money-at-the-pumps.html Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:29:14 GMT With gas prices on the constant rise many people are looking for practical ways to relieve some of the tension felt on their wallets. There are a few simple things you can do to make your next fill up less costly. Put the Card Away There are a growing number of fuel stations offering cents off per ...
Put the Card Away
There are a growing number of fuel stations offering cents off per gallon if you choose to pay with cash. This makes sense to the business, as it saves them credit card fees and puts cash directly into their hands. I've saved as much as 5cents per gallon using this method.

Grab Another Card
Large chain stores like Wal-Mart offer a savings per gallon if you use a gift card to purchase your gas. If you're going to be shopping anyway, add some cash to a gift card that you keep handy. Use the gift card instead of your credit card or cash at the pump. Savings here is normally around 3cents per gallon, but I have seen it as much as 5cents.

Don't Nickle and Dime It
Refuse to get into the habit of putting 5-10 dollars worth of gas in your vehicle at a time. Your vehicle gets better fuel mileage when filled. Besides being annoying with constant stops at the fuel stations, it can make you feel like all you do is pour money into your tank.

Hump Day Savings
Many fuel stations adjust their gas prices to be a bit higher on the weekends to catch those who travel. If it's possible, fill your car up mid-week, before the prices start jumping. In the summer, you may want to plan ahead and fill your car earlier in the week when taking vacations.

Errand Planning
This one sounds simple, but we sometimes end up backtracking and looping around from business to business when we are running errands. Choose the route that will allow you to make the most of your time in and out of the car. Consider going in to pay the bill instead of sitting in idle at the drive up window, especially if there is a long wait.

Other Gas Saving Tips
* Don't sit with your car idling. It uses more gas to idle than to restart your car.
* Check your tire pressure. Proper tire inflation will increase your per mile gas savings.
* Don't carry a huge, heavy tool box in your car if you don't need it on a daily basis. It adds weight and reduces fuel savings.
* Check and change air filters regularly.
* Avoid heavy traffic areas when possible to decrease idle, stop-and-go time.

By doing a few, simple things you can increase your savings at the pump, saving yourself some well earned money and a bit of stress.]]> http://www.destroydebt.com/blogs/cchadwick/230-organizing-for-debt-payment.html http://www.destroydebt.com/blogs/cchadwick/230-organizing-for-debt-payment.html Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:16:13 GMT You've decided to remove your head from the sand and start paying off your debts. This sounds wonderful, but I am willing to bet that most people have lost track of what they owe to which company. This is a result of being overwhelmed by the debts, refusing to open incoming bills, and ignoring phone...
First, take a deep breath. Prepare yourself mentally because this isn't going to be a walk in a rose garden. It may get overwhelming at times while you are organizing. If this happens, walk away from the table. Take a walk outside. Do the dishes. Breathe. During the process you may begin to feel hopeless. You may wonder if this mountain of debt is conquerable. Again, remember why you are doing this in the first place and take a few deep breathes.

Collect all your unopened bills into one pile. Into another pile place any opened bills or reoccurring payments. The next step takes a bit of time and patience, but it has to be done. Open all of the unopened bills and organize them into piles. If you have 5 bills from Dr. Fred place all Dr. Fred’s bills in one pile. Bunny Foo Credit Company’s bills go into another pile.

Once you have these piles in front of you tackle one at a time. No doubt you’ll be seeing repeat bills. Be sure to look at the account number on each invoice. There may be 10 bills from Kick Me Hospital, but some of those bills may be for different services and hold different account numbers. You’ll need to keep one bill for each account that is owed. Check the dates on the invoices and keep the newest ones. Toss all the other paperwork in the trash once you have a single copy of each bill.

Look at you! Well on your way to being organized, you can manage the next step with ease. Purchase an inexpensive 3-ring folder with pockets. Add some loose leaf paper to the inside. Give each debt a page within the folder. Place the name of the creditor on the top line with contact information on following lines. Under that information put your account number and the amount owed. Place the actual copy of the billing invoice into one of the pockets and move on to the next.

As you send in payments to the creditor you can keep track of the payments and new balance on the page dedicated to that particular debt. This saves you valuable time when you desire to make a payment. More importantly you are now in the know about how much you owe and can make better decisions about payment options. ]]> http://www.destroydebt.com/blogs/cchadwick/221-3-reasons-to-stop-hiding.html http://www.destroydebt.com/blogs/cchadwick/221-3-reasons-to-stop-hiding.html Tue, 27 May 2008 04:56:46 GMT A large number of people deal with mounting debt and unpaid bills by sticking their head in the sand. Pretending that the debt does not exist may work for the short term, but in the end you'll come up for air only to be slapped in the face with late notices and a bad credit report. How do I know thi...
Wrong. It counts... and counts... and counts...

The problem with sticking ones head in the sand is that the world doesn't stop moving above you. Hiding is so much easier than facing the problem head on, so why should we come out of hiding?

Reason 1: Improved Self Esteem- Running from responsibilities tends to do a number on ones self esteem. The cycle is vicious. You create an expense, and the bills start to arrive. You ignore the bills, and they begin to pile up on the kitchen table. You pass that table several times a day and each time you are taking a hit to the self esteem level. You begin to feel like a loser. You feel less than successful. Be kind to yourself by taking charge of your debt and finances.

Reason 2: Better Living- While you think you're doing well enough by ignoring the bill pile on that table, you could be doing so much more. It's amazing how much standard of living is directly attached to the way one looks at their finances. How can we pay off debt and have more money to live? I know it sounds contradictory, but once you begin to pay down the debts that have accumulated, you'll find that you have more money than previously counted. Aside from that, you'll begin to heal your credit score. As time passes, this results in a better home, vehicle, and more quality free time activities.

Reason 3: Cleaner Environment- Without all those bills piled on the kitchen table, you might actually use it to entertain. Not only do you get a cleaner table, but you cut down on the amount of paper being produced. See, now you are tackling those debt issues and making the world a better place in which to live.

Sit down tonight and make your own list of reasons to pull your head out of the sand. Don't be afraid to share those reasons with others. Someone else may be inspired by your reasoning and focus on their own debt reduction as a result.]]>