gingercakes3
Weekly Correspondent
- Melissa
- TFCU Member Services Representative
- Baking vs. the Movies
- Degree / Not yet
- Spender / No
- Saver / Yes
- Super Budgeter
Let’s Get the Ball Rolling
Posted on September 1, 2010
(In my best Buster Bluth impression) Heeey readers! As you can see, I’m pretty new to this particular blogosphere, but I am thrilled to be here. I’ll be honest, however, and tell you that when I was first asked to start contributing to Buck The Norm, I was a little nervous. Okay…I was mildly freaking out. But I took a deep breath, cleared my head and started formulating a plan of attack, so to speak. “Start small, take it one word at a time,” I told myself. Once I knocked that first word out, the rest was pie.
Contemplating how I wanted to write this first blog reminded me a lot of how I felt the first time I stared at the mountain of debt I’d accrued during college. Not only was I mildly freaking out then, but I also experienced shortness of breath, dizziness, and I was slightly nauseated. I’m sure those of you who’ve had to tackle beastly debt can relate. But rather than letting it sink my battleship, I took a step back and thought logically about how I could conquer my debt. (I find that strongly caffeinated beverages are one’s BFF in times like these.)
What did I do? I started small. Something my parents always taught me was, in times of debt, snowball it. I got the ball rolling by paying off my smallest debt first, and then taking that payment and applying it to the second smallest, then third smallest and so on. Mark my words, this has been a tremendous help to my debt reduction and one of the most helpful bits of wisdom I’ve ever received.
I know getting rid of pesky debt is a daunting task, but it is most definitely not impossible. If I can do it, you absolutely can. Remember to step back, take a deep breath, start small and before you know it, that debt beast will be nothing more than a housecat. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. I contacted BALANCE to assist me in financial fitness and they were my knight in shining armor. You can learn more here.
I’d love to hear stories of how you are defeating or have defeated your debt! Please feel free to leave your own experiences as well as any tips or feedback.
