Strategies and Tips for Debt and Cash Flow Management

• Consolidating all consumer debt (that is everything you owe, except for your mortgage) and making it a priority to pay it off in a timely fashion, getting reduced rates and maximizing your effort in wiping the financial slate clean.
   
• Paying off high-interest credit cards first
   
• Use a line of credit if you can as the interest rates are typically lower
   
• Suspend any kind of spending on any credit card and establish good habits paying in cash for purchases
   
• Use all store-based cards wisely or not at all, if that is the disciplined approach you have chosen
   
• Store-based card often have no annual fees and you could qualify for them even with a low credit score – showing restraint and good fiscal management by making your payments on time, every time and keeping the account up to date, will go a long way to regaining your confidence and repairing your credit.
   
• Utilize the service of a good credit counseling service to assist you and deal with your habitual over-spending and shopping addiction
   
• Use credit card statements for budgeting purposes for accuracy and tracking
   
• Loans are handled no differently – the strategy is pretty much the same: find the highest loan balance and the highest rate and start paying the latter first
   
• Avoid any new debt
   
• If after a six month period you have paid like clockwork, contact your creditors and negotiate a lower rate at that time to ease the burden a little bit
   
• Student and educational loans are approached as investments in your future and is a hybrid and shoulder debt category really. Loan-payback for all tuition debt needs to be included in your family budget. Taking a second job (evenings and weekends might be the answer here, ,while honing and practicing your skills and gaining some more experience as well!). This might lead to better business opportunity later and higher paying jobs later in life!

Take heart. Family budgets are not here to depress you even further. The fact that you are taking pro-active measures to participate in your life, sends the right signals, not only to creditors and credit counselors, but also to the family members that care so deeply about you too!

Next article: Creating Fun Activities for Your Children On A Family Budget

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