Take Control of Your Finances

take control of your finances

1. Adjust your lifestyle so that you are no longer adding to your debt.

2. Pay bills on time to avoid unnecessary late fees and high interest charges.

3. Use a debit card instead of a credit card to make sure you are spending money you have, not increasing your debt.

4. Free up money by each month by finding ways to reduce your expenses.

5. Start building a small emergency fund; in many cases $1,000 is a good target.

6. Once you’ve got your emergency fund in place, start paying off your debts.

7. Pay off your highest interest rate debt first.

8. Consider consolidating your debts to a lower interest rate, but only if you’re unlikely to run up the other debts again.

9. Take advantage of free and low-cost credit advice. Your installation’s family support center may offer free credit counseling. Personal financial counselors can help you establish a spending plan which includes restructuring your spending, and developing a plan to get you out of debt.