Although it may look like an impossible task to get out of debt before Christmas, it isn’t so actually especially when you owe less than $10,000 to creditors. If you read this post and follow the tips mentioned here, then I’m sure you’ll be able to enjoy delicious foods and friendly banters with your family without any debt problems or stress. So without wasting any time or words, here’s how to have a debt-free Christmas.
1. Take up a second job:
The thought of doing a second job after a tiring day might not be appealing to you but it can fetch you a good amount of money. Instead of watching Netflix in the evening, you can use that time to make money. Simple jobs like pizza delivery and writing articles can help you to get extra cash. Use it to pay off your debts. Focus on those jobs that give you a minimum of $200 – $400 per week.
2. Give a garage sale:
Take an inventory of what you have and throw in a garage sale. I’m not saying that you should sell everything. What I’m suggesting is, sell the items that you don’t need. Try to pick items that have decent value in the market. Otherwise, you won’t be able to make a big amount of money. You can also choose items that you can’t sell on eBay due to shipping problems.
3. Settle your credit cards:
One of the fastest ways to get out of debt before Christmas is to settle credit cards since that allows you to pay less than what you owe. But for that, you need to save money first.
Create a budget to see how much you earn and how much you keep in your bank account. Thereafter, think about ways to reduce your expenses so that you can keep more money in your bank account. You can use this money to settle your credit cards since creditors would expect a lump sum payment. See also: Is it possible to settle the debt without hurting your credit score?
4. Opt for a balance transfer card:
A balance transfer card can help to reduce your debt load instantly. You can take out a 0% interest balance transfer card and pay off your outstanding balance on other cards instantly. Thereafter, pay off the new debt at a low-interest rate in the next 12 months. Check out – transfersHow to make the best credit card balance transfer to avoid mistakes!
What else you can do
Thousands of people are getting into debt at Christmas. Last night, when I was writing this article, I decided to check how many people go into debt for Christmas on Google. The results startled me. Nearly, 74% of Americans couldn’t budget properly for the festive season and incurred an average of $1054 of debt in 2017. As per the financial experts, if consumers make only the minimum monthly payment, then they won’t be debt-free before 2023. Adding fuel to the fire, consumers would end up paying $500 interest during the tenure.
It’s high time to stop going into debt for Christmas because that affects the overall financial planning in the next year. Remember, a recession can hit the country at any time. So you should start taking steps to build a recession-proof financial life from now on. And, the first step is to get out of debt before Xmas.
Do you feel that what I said is wrong from any angle? If so, then feel free to post your feedback in the comment section.
Have any ideas on how to pay off debt before Christmas? Share them with us too.