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There are many things that you can do in your day to day life to stop the growth of your debts and to increase the chances of actually starting to reduce your debt. This does not mean that you should not seek professional help but rather utilize these tips as hand in hand tactics to get that debt out of your life much faster.

1. Make an expenditure list

Write down everything you spend. You will be surprised at some of the things you spend money on, that you do not have to. Just think if you cut out the journey to the coffee shop every morning you could save anywhere between $10-$30 a week. That probably equivelents at least one debt payment per month. Once you have the information written down you will be much more motivated to not spend in certain areas. It may even help you become a gourmet home cook or cut down on smoking.

2. Make best use of credit cards

See if any of your credit cards have interest free offers or transfer any credit card debts to a new interest free credit card. The 6-12 months in interest relief could give you the money to pay off another debt.

3. Catch up on the world for free

Watch the morning news on the tv or read it on the internet. You will save around $5-7 dollars a week in newspapers.

4. Assess all your household bills and expenses

See if there are any cheaper suppliers. I know I save a bundle when I combined my gas and electricity payments. You may also be able to cut back on certain cable channels or even combine internet / phone and TV. You may be able to find a cheaper supermarket for food or buy your gas from another station on your daily route.

5. Budget for the coming month

Look at your household income and work out a reasonable budget and if you can include a little cash to spare for those “out of the blue” moments.

6. Separate your money from debt money

Create a new bank account or, if your account allows it, a new pot. That way you can easily keep track of how much is left as the month draws on.

7. Leave temptation at home

Leave all credit cards, debit cards and check books that are unneeded at home. If you never need these cards, keep the account details on file and cut them up. I always enjoy seeing how many pieces I can cut a card into!

8. Get a long term plan

If you are in a large amount of debt then there is no point fooling yourself into thinking that it will disappear in a flash. Set yourself up for the long haul and it will be much easier to stick to and not get depressed.

9. Join Ebay and have a yard sale

“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”. Look around your home, if you have been there a while, chances are you have a lot of stuff that you really don’t need. Collect it all together and sell all the quality items by auction on ebay. The rest can be sold in a yard sale. You may end up with a bigger lump sum than you imagined.

10. Make some more money with your free time

With some of the free hours you have every week you could make some extra money from your hobby or find a part time job. I started blogging as a hobby and ended up making money on the side. Now it is my full time job. Your knowledge should not be undervalued. You may be an expert gardener or be able to create some great art to sell. Alternatively a couple of hours working at the a pizza restaurant or local store may actually be fun and prevent you from spending.

11. Ask for a raise

Most people feel undervalued at work. It is said “if you don’t ask you will not receive”, so ask your boss and you may be surprised. Company policy is often never to offer a raise unless asked.

12. Lose the shame of debt

Debt is very common and many people are in the same situation as you. If you let your friends and family know then the attitude towards you will be a lot more open and people will be more willing to spend time with you in non-spending situations. You may even be forced to take some free drinks from close friends on the occasional Friday night. Don’t be ashamed, these are your friends and you will be there for them one day too.

13. Speak to a professional

This is something that will go hand in hand with these tips and many professionals will give you many more ideas on top of these. You may be able to consolidate some of your debts or even wipe some off or propose settlement offers.

Creative ways to destroy your credit cards