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We all make mistakes. Here are some of the mistakes that I have made in the past, and I'm hoping that by hearing my account of previous errors, you'll learn a thing or two about what not to do. I'm also hoping that you'll realize that even if you have made mistakes in the past, it's never too late to start over and do things the right way.   Keep in mind that it's also common for many of us to start out strong but still let life's pressures win and go against our better judgment. When this happens, we have to treat it as a life lesson learned and move on from there. Remember, admitted past stupidity can actually help us to do things the correct way later on down the road. God bless.

What is something that you do well that others might pay you for to do for them? It's a serious question that, if answered correctly, could result in increased revenue that you can use to get out of debt that much faster.   We all know that getting out of debt is a process, and the more weapons that we have to use towards destroying our debt, the better. Decreasing expenses is usually a good first step, but increasing income is going to eventually become necessary in most cases. We could go down the familiar path of getting a part-time job, but by asking a fairly simple question, we might be able to capitalize on that which we do well and come up with a way to monetize that specialty either directly or indirectly.   It's time to get started and really give this question some serious thought. Not doing so could be akin to leaving money on the table, and we all know that's not something that we want to do while we're on this journey to get out of debt and get into prosperity. God bless.

It's incredibly important to stay positive even while we're in the negative. Let me tell you how to do just that.   Sometimes it's about attitude, but more often, it's about action. Many of us are starting our journey to get out of debt and get into prosperity from a negative net worth. The situations that we find ourselves in sometimes can be just downright scary, but the good news is that we have the choice to stay positive even in what may quite literally be a negative situation.   The positive actions that we take tend to compound into a much larger habit that will give us the ability to not only persevere but also completely accomplish our goals. Don't get me wrong, the right attitude is critical, but even more important is taking positive actions day in and day out while we're on this very long journey.   Do something different, be something more, and take the positive actions that you need to take even while you're in the negative. Doing this habitually will ensure in most cases that you will come out

Beware of this new scam that may be hitting your mailbox soon (if it hasn't already). This scam targets folks who are getting desperate or folks who want to get on the fast track to reducing debt expenses in the form of reducing the interest rates on credit cards.   While this is definitely a scam, the notice being mailed out to folks does appear to make it seem official. Included in this notice is your name along with a personal case ID. You'll even receive a summary of what you owe on your credit cards along with an average interest rate. This scam notifies us that we've been selected to participate in an initiative that I have personally never heard of before, and that's because it simply doesn't exist.   The notice that you receive may be the same or similar to the content immediately following below:   We're assessing your situation. Supported resolution documentation requested.   You have been selected to participate in a Nationally Sanctioned Debt Reduction Initiative. This program allows select indivi

Close friends, relatives, and even some not-so-close individuals may offer us their opinions, and sometimes those opinions may come to us in the form of ridicule. It could be because the individual is envious, or they may not completely understand why you are doing what you are doing. Whatever the reason might be, the important thing is to not let this stop you from moving ahead with your goals.   Your mind is your own, and you have the opportunity to use your mind to your best advantage in every situation. While others may attempt to influence you, be sure to analyze what you're being told in order to toss aside any sources of influence that are coming from a spirit of envy or judgement. Focus on reaching your own decisions based on your own particular situation and your goals that you would like to accomplish for the future.   Above all else, keep in mind that the ill will that you may receive from others does not reflect poorly on you, but it does reflect poorly on them. Don't take it personally, and reali

It's time for a quick anatomy lesson. This lesson will be much different from what you might have been used to in high school or college courses. This particular lesson is focusing on the anatomy of a credit card.   What makes us desire to open a credit card to begin with? What draws us to trying and applying for credit cards, paying interest on the money that we borrow, and end up thanking the credit card companies for the opportunity? This is the mystery that I felt that I needed to solve, and I decided to do this by analyzing the anatomy of a credit card.   Of course, I'm not talking about the physical attributes of a credit card. Instead, I'm referring to the pull that credit cards seem to have on so many of us. I've overheard conversations where folks are actually bragging about a particular interest rate or a specific perk of a credit card that they own. Little do they know, in most cases, the credit cards own us - at least to some degree.   I want to make sure that while we're on this journey together

As a personal trainer, wife, and mother, Amberly Lago was living the California dream until it turned into a nightmare in May 2010. As she rode her Harley down Ventura Boulevard on that breezy, sunny day, Lago was hit by an SUV, throwing her thirty feet down a busy street and shattering her right leg.   After months in the hospital and thirty-four surgeries later, Amberly’s leg and severed femoral artery were spared, despite the initial recommendation to amputate. Amberly found the hope and faith needed to not only save her leg but also her career, her dreams, and her dignity.   Truly facing the greatest challenges that any of us could even begin to imagine, Amberly has found the ability to walk again while continuing to live with chronic pain after being diagnosed with CRPS. Her unwavering commitment to regain her active lifestyle of training clients transformed her tragedy into victory and motivates her audiences from all walks of life to find resilience in their own difficulties.   I consider myself to be

What do you do once you and your spouse have finally come together and are on the same page? You may not be there quite yet, but eventually, you will be. It's important to know the next steps that you'll need to take in order to move forward as one towards accomplishing your goals.   While many folks may have many different ways of working together as a team, the most important thing to do is to respect each other's opinions. You and your spouse come from different walks of life, and when the two of you got married, one of the challenges awaiting you was to be able to merge those two differing backgrounds into one. The wonderful thing to keep in mind is that once this has happened in the realm of personal finance, you will become a more powerful foe against debt, and you will win at personal finance together as one. God bless.

Let's take a moment to reflect back on the year and see what we've accomplished and what we need to do in order to keep moving forward.   It's important to end the year by celebrating some wins, coming up with different strategies for the losses, and making sure that we start the new year on the right foot overall. Forward momentum heading into a new year is always a good thing.   I do want to make mention that I don't put much value on new year's resolutions. The primary reason for this is that the vast majority of folks will eventually stop working on their resolutions within the first few months of the new year and will feel that they have to wait until the next year in order to begin again. If we allow ourselves to reset regardless of the date on the calendar, we'll make more progress throughout any given year - and that's a good thing.   If you haven't already done so, please join in on the conversation at https://facebook.com/followmeoutofdebt. A lot of things will be happening within this group, so you

It's about time for us to have a conversation. Let's get on the same page and close out 2018 with community and get on track to a prosperous and successful 2019!   If you haven't already done so, please join in on the conversation at https://facebook.com/followmeoutofdebt. God bless!

There is a specific moment in our lives that we can pinpoint when we've finally had enough. This is the moment that I like to refer to as the turning point. It's a point when we actually feel ourselves doing something so dramatic that we almost don't recognize the person looking back at us in the mirror!   When the spark of change comes, it's important for us to identify this opportunity. We all have pain points, and some of those pain points speak more loudly than others. When we identify what's truly bothering us in our lives, we have a unique chance to do something different in order to improve the situation. This is the specific turning point when we're introduced to somebody else in the mirror. We've now got a renewed sense of purpose. We now have something to fix that's broken, and we're finally up to the task.   Stop for a few minutes and think about your turning point, especially a turning point that has to do with your personal financial situation. When did you decide that you've had enough when it c

Why is determination so important when we're trying to get out of debt (or trying to accomplish any other goal)? One reason is because determination in of itself is a natural motivator that keeps us going. This is incredibly important when it comes to accomplishing our goals.   Often times when we realize that there's a problem, this will cause the brain to go into problem-solving mode. We try to come up with a solution or an answer to the problem, and this resolution actually becomes the source of our motivation: our core determination.   Determination keeps us going for the long haul. Determination keeps us from getting lazy. We utilize determination to get us through the tough times because while we may not be able to see the end, we already know what our expected outcome is going to be.   Determination may not be the only thing that we need, but it certainly is the key that's needed to get things started. God bless.

You don't want to cut up those credit cards just yet, even if you are getting out of debt. The primary reason is because of the hit your credit score might take. You'll want to at least take this into consideration because a healthy credit score is still important.   Of course, if you're someone who may go back to bad habits once you have paid down or paid off your credit cards by charging more and getting yourself back into the same predicament, then by all means, close the accounts. It's more of a question of whether or not you trust yourself, and only you can truly answer that question. Even if your credit score does take a hit, the good news is that it likely will only be a temporary hit. You should eventually recover as you continue to move forward with your debt payoff strategy, but you'll want to keep an eye on things over the next several months once you begin closing credit card accounts.   For the others who have a good level of control over their spending habits and who have learned their lesson by

What do you do when the going gets good? If it's not going good for you just yet, trust me, it will. When it does, you'll want to be well-prepared for this exciting time in order to make the most of it.   Of course, we've all heard the saying about when the going gets tough, right? Well, here's the thing... we can look at things from the perspective of life being tough or we can look at things from the perspective of being thankful for what we do have going for us at the present moment. A positive attitude will beget more positivity in our lives. There is an answer to every problem, there is a way out of any mess, and the key is to be positive in order to realize these things and uncover these truths.   The bottom line is that many of us have gotten so used to having problems that we may not know what to do when we actually begin to win. While the ways to win differ for each and every one of us, the important thing to note here is to take it slow once winning does happen. Celebrate a little. Take some time to

Today I'm responding to two listener e-mails. Did I mention how much I love our community?

To-do lists help us to stay on track and stay organized, and this is why I love them. I have used to-do lists for many years, but it wasn't until recently that I had realized that there is a much better way of utilizing to-do lists than simply checking off some items on a piece of paper.   What I had realized is that while I was jotting down every little thing that I wanted to accomplish, I was actually diluting the overall sense of urgency of my entire to-do list. I had no idea what was a priority and what wasn't, and because of this, my actions were not focused or properly balanced when it came to accomplishing my bigger goals.   I've come to the conclusion that the best method to create to-do lists is to define the problem, think of a task that will fix or help fix the problem, then do a mind-map exercise that easily goes along with defining my task or goal that I want to complete. Doing so has helped me to drill down a bit before I actually build my to-do list. Overall, I'm left with a higher quality to-d

It's that time of the year! When it comes to shopping for Christmas, including Black Friday specials, do you typically find that you spend to the point where you have no idea what had happened that ended up wrecking your finances come January? Most of the time when this happens, it's usually because of poor planning. This year, we're going to change that.   There are many ways that we can enjoy the giving spirit of Christmas while still staying on track with our finances and with our plans to pay off our debt. First, and most importantly, don't go into more debt to shop for Christmas gifts. Giving is terrific to do, and I would never tell folks to not give. There are plenty of ways to give without spending a fortune and putting yourself deeper in debt because of this.   If you're a particularly crafty person, have you considered making gifts for friends and family at Christmas? This could be a creative and fun way to stretch the holiday shopping dollars and bring true joy to others when they receive somethin

There are bargains to be had at the local thrift store. If you're wise about this, you could combine shopping for clothing and other items at the thrift store along with shopping at your local dollar store and limiting your grocery spending. This triple threat will equal more cash in your pocket and more financial resources to aim at paying off debt.   What we've learned about thrift store shopping is that you can't try it just once. You have to give it several attempts because the inventory changes almost daily, and you may not find what you're looking for the first time. You also have to have an open mind and search out the best quality items from what's available with almost every trip. Prices are sometimes negotiable but not always. The bottom line is that you'll end up saving so much money by shopping at the local thrift store that you won't really care much about negotiating prices, anyway.    If you've been listening for a while and would like to help support this show, it's really easy to do. Simply g

You have to speak truth when it comes to your current debt situation. We have to be real and speak the truth as far as why we are on this journey of getting out of debt. All of us will come across at least one or two road blocks and other challenges along the way that may set us back and derail our progress.   When this happens, it's incredibly important to make the decision that giving up is simply not an option. A large part of how we do this is by remembering the why in all of this. When we speak the truth into the situations that we face, we are reminded of what first brought us to the moment when we decided that we were going to live a different life free from a large debt burden. It's never a good time to give up, and we must persevere, especially when times get tough.   If you've been listening for a while and would like to help support this show, it's really easy to do. Simply go to http://followmeoutofdebt.com/support and select your level of monthly support. Your contribution helps to keep this show

Using a cash envelope for grocery spending is a great way to control how much you're spending in this budget category in any given month. There's something about driving to the bank or the ATM to fill an envelope with a pre-determined amount of cash that physically and psychologically sets a limit as to how much we're going to spend at the grocery store.   There's no doubt that the grocery line item in the budget is typically one of the larger line items for most of us. If we can be in better control of this particular line item and be able to prevent going over what we had previously budgeted, this will almost always put us at an advantage financially. What's more, if we do go over in the form of running out of cash and need to reach for our debit card to make up the difference, we can utilize this information to tweak our grocery budget for the following months. Over time, we will vastly improve our chances of correctly estimating how much we are going to be spending on groceries in any given month.   I've