Unfortunately, too many Americans have become enslaved to the all-might dollar. The truth is, however, that money was never meant to be your master. It was never meant to tell you what to do. Instead, you should be telling your money what to do! Davey Ramsey said it like this: “If you don’t tell your money where to go, you’re going to wonder where it went.”
Money was always meant to simply be a tool for you to use to better your life, not rule it. If used correctly, money can be a powerful tool that allows you to live a comfortable life as well as help others in need. But what happens when you’re not using money, but money is using you? We live in a high-pressure sales environment where we are bombarded daily with opportunities to go in debt for things we don’t necessarily need. The good news is, there is still time to turn your situation around and put money back in its’ place! Here are a few simple steps to help you get started:
1. Create a budget: On paper, write down your monthly income and monthly expenses.
2. Create a plan: Now examine your budget and look for ways to make changes. What are some unnecessary expenses you can eliminate? Where can you cut back and save money?
3. Eliminate debt: Once you have trimmed down your budget to just what is necessary, begin to make a plan for tackling your debt. Choose the debt with the smallest balance and put all your extra resources to paying it off. Then work on the next smallest debt, and so on.