Debt Trap: What You Don’t Know Can Kill You
A 5 Step System To Help You Shake Loose!
Jonnelle and I attended a great live event this past weekend here in Houston about money. We’re strong believers in reading books, going to events, and finding coaches that help us win… this event was an example of that. There’s one cause we feel very passionate about that we wish more people knew about. There is a silent killer amongst us that destroys more lives than anything we can think of. The worst part? You could be trapped in it’s clutches and not even realize you can do something about it… Month after month people live paycheck to paycheck to paycheck and become rather comfortable with it. The truth is most people are 2 weeks away from financial ruin and that is no way to get the best of life. So today I’m going to share with you a 5 step proven process that anybody can follow to make finances worry free!
The Silent Killer? DEBT… and Debt is Stupid
So there’s no confusion these are examples of debt: Credit Cards, Car Notes, Mortgages, Student Loans, Installment payments (i.e. furniture payments). Before some wise guy comes on here talking about the advantages of debt and how a mortgage is good debt let me say… SAVE IT! One thing I know for sure is that 100% of foreclosures happened to homes with a mortgage… now tell those people who got foreclosed on that a mortgage is “good debt”. (fyi: root of mortgage; mort means “death”, gage means “pledge”)
The truth about debt is that it robs your future funds to get stuff you want today. Debt takes up your #1 wealth building tool… your income. There’s a great book that I know of that says… “The borrower is slave to the lender”… sound familiar? If you were to lose your income will the people you borrowed money from be forgiving or would they want their goods back? If you wanted to quit your job to stay home with the kids, pursue a life-long dream, volunteer full-time, or just because you want to… could you? Let that marinate…
Look, I’m not cynical about debt as a whole and I’m not saying you shouldn’t borrow money for anything but I know for a fact that it destroys homes like nothing else out there so I won’t continue on my rant here I’m just going to share some numbers…
These Numbers May Scare You
Wall Street Journal says, “Nearly 70% of consumers live paycheck to paycheck”
Gallup/Bankrate.com says, ” 68% of Americans could not cover a $5,000 emergency with cash without having to go into debt for it.”
U.S. Courts says, “Annual bankruptcy filings have almost doubles since the bankruptcy laws were reformed in 2005, bringing us back over the one-million-per-year mark.”
Federal Reserves & Census Bureau says, “The average American household has $91,000 in debt, and the total consumer debt has doubled since 1980. In 1980, the total consumer debt was $1.3 trillion; today, it is $2.6 trillion.”
A Marist Institute Poll Published in USA Today says, “55% of Americans “always” or “sometimes” worry about their money.”
Christian Financial Concepts says, “In 1929, only 2% of the homes in America had a mortgage against them. By 1962, only 2% did not have a mortgage against them.”
Multiple studies say that money conflicts is still the leading cause of divorce today.
5 Steps To Get Control Of Debt
1. You must SAVE money.
Duh right!? It’s a real simple formula… live below your means and not above!
2. Quit borrowing more money!
Dave Ramsey says you can’t get out of a hole by digging the bottom out… so stop!
3. Prayer really works.
When in doubt go to GOD… prayer works and if you don’t believe it then well try it anyway!
4. Sell something.
One of the fastest ways to increase your income and or to get some extra cash for an emergency fund is to sell the junk you’ve already bought.
5. Take a part-time job or start a home based business.
Need more money? GO TO WORK… like I said earlier your #1 wealth building tool is your income and increasing it, even if just temporarily, is a great way to get out of debt or at least get some breathing room.
Follow these 5 steps and you’ll immediately start seeing a change in how you view money and your personal finances. To find out more about the event me and my wife went to or who we use as a “coach” when it comes to our personal finances go over to DaveRamsey.com, click on “new here”, and learn about the “Baby Steps”… This is the very information that we have that has allowed us to handle our finances worry-free. Go there now!
Jarmar……………….
P.S.
FYI: We have no affiliation with Dave Ramsey or his products… He is simply a resource we use and feel as though he can help you or someone you know as well! The 5 steps came from a small portion of his live event in Houston, TX.