Twelve Secrets to Reduce Your Debt and Stop Living from Paycheck to Paycheck
Article by Kelli Wilkinson
Twelve Secrets to Reduce Your Debt and Stop Living from Paycheck to Paycheck.
By: Kelli Wilkinson
Eighty percent of Americans are broke before their next paycheck is deposited in the bank! Easy credit and large credit limits from credit card companies has allowed Americans to purchase a life of stress, anxiety and guilt. Of course, this is only half of the equation. The other half is…
Overspending The age-old and foolish tradition of keeping up with the Jones is being replaced with a greater foolishness – keeping ahead of the Jones. Some people must have the very best of everything or some simply must have “everything”.
These unrestrained desires lead to a condition called oniomania. People that suffer from oniomania are referred to as “shop-aholics”. Shopping and spending money temporarily suspends negative feelings the shop-aholic is having. The long-term consequences of unbearable debt, guilt and stress are never brought to mind until it is too late.
This overspending also leads to an out-of-control clutter condition. Closets overflow into living spaces. Living spaces fill-up until the home is no longer a calm and inviting place. This leads to a vicious circle. The additional stress and anxiety caused by a cluttered and dirty home leads to more shopping to relieve the anxiety and stress.
Symptoms: Like all addictions, oniomania, has common symptoms:
* Shopping or spending money because of being disappointed, angry or scared* Shopping/spending habits are causing emotional distress or chaos in your life* Getting into arguments with others about your shopping/spending* Feeling lost without your credit cards* Buying items with credit cards that you probably would not buy with cash* When dining out with friends or business associates, you almost always insist on picking up the tab–whether you can actually afford to, or not* Spending money causes a “rush” and anxiety at the same time* Shopping and spending money feels like you are doing something forbidden or reckless in your otherwise careful life* Feeling guilty, ashamed, embarrassed or confused after shopping or spending money* Many purchases are never used. The price tag/sticker is still attached.* Lying to others about what you bought or how much you spent* Thinking about money – how much I have, how much I owe, how much I want to have* Spending a lot of time juggling accounts and bills to accommodate spending
The one symptom that all addictions share is industrial strength denial. In order to overcome the denial a brutal self-assessment of their behavior and the reasons underlying those feelings is required.
Twelve things to do to reduce your debt and have money left at the end of the week:1. Do not carry credit cards/checkbooks around with you.2. Make a shopping list and only buy what is on the list.3. Keep only a limited amount of cash on you – for essentials.4. Destroy all credit cards except for one for emergency use only5. Don’t window shop – ‘lead us not into temptation!’ Or, only after the store is closed.-ïŠ6. Avoid discount warehouses and big box stores. Have a certain amount of cash to spend if you do go to one. Many big box stores include groceries. It’s hard to avoid going since we need to eat. Do this: Write-out your grocery list and do NOT deviate from the list. Do NOT wander into the general merchandise areas of the store.7. Stay away from catalogs, TV Shopping Channels and Internet stores.8. Don’t play games or try to justify purchases.9. Try to avoid advertisements (magazines, newspapers, flyers, etc.), where possible.10. Plan other activities when you would normally go recreational shopping. Take a walk, do some gardening or exercise, call a friend and chat.11. Talk it over with someone else. The “Buddy System” works for compulsive spenders the same as it does for other addictions.12. Start a blog. When you feel the urge to shop/spend, start blogging about how you are feeling. Include those feelings of regret, anxiety and depression that come after the shopping spree. There are free internet blogging sites and you can use an anonymous screen/web name. Nobody ever needs to know who you are if you want to keep your identity a secret.
Here is a social networking and blogging site that pays you to blog and to make friends. Not only will you be able to relieve some tension and anxiety, you will make money to relieve some of your debt. Make friends, hang out, get paid.
About the Author
If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about speed cleaning, decluttering and organizing I invite you to visit my website. You can register for my free ebook “Home Cleaning and Organizing Tips For Busy People” and receive the free 10 lessons email course on cleaning and organizing.
Kelli’s web site: http://www.declutter-your-clutter.com
Kelli Wilkinson is a professional organizer. She is a single mother of two young boys that keep her hopping