Getting Out Of Debt And Making Life Changes With How You Manage Money
Having financial problems seems to be common with a lot of people today, and you can tell this by the number of people that file bankruptcy each year. If you are struggling to pay your debts, it might be wise to seek help from a bankruptcy trustee or credit counselor. Visiting a counselor will not obligate you to file for bankruptcy, but it could enlighten you to the options you have for getting out of debt. As you look into your options, keep in mind that staying out of debt may require a complete overhaul with the way you manage your money.
Why Are People In Debt?
While there are times when people have legitimate reasons for getting into debt, there are also many times when it happens purely from a person's mismanagement of money. This often involves overspending or making poor choices with spending habits. If you really want to get out of debt, you will need to be completely honest with yourself and with your credit counselor. By doing this, you can find out what has caused you to end up in this position, and this will help you learn how to get out of it. It will also help you find ways to stay out of debt for good.
What Are The Options?
Bankruptcy is always an option you could consider; however, you may not be able to file if you do not meet the Canadian requirements. This is why it is important to meet with a specialists to find out what your options are. If you qualify, you could choose bankruptcy, or you could choose a consumer proposal, debt settlement, or credit counselling services.
All of these options can help you eliminate the debts you have; however, each may have consequences. For example, if you file bankruptcy, the consequences you may have may include:
- Losing some of the assets you have
- Making payments to the trustee for nine months, or longer
- Experiencing a decrease in your credit score, which may linger for many years
Each option for getting out of debt has pros and cons, and it's important to weigh these before making your selection. That is one of the things a bankruptcy trustee will help you with, but ultimately it will be your decision which option to use.
What Life Changes Must Occur?
Through one of these methods, you can get rid of the debts you have. It may take a few months or a few years to accomplish this, but it is possible. As you make this decision, you should also be thinking about your future and how you will stay out of debt to avoid going through this again.
As you think about this, you may want to start finding ways to learn how to control your spending, and a great way to do this is to take credit counselling courses. These courses will teach you may things, which may include the following three principles:
- Learn where your money is going – Keeping a list of every expenditure you make can be revealing and shocking, but it will help you fully understand where your money goes each month.
- Find ways to reduce your monthly expenses – Looking for ways to cut back on your normal expenses each month is a great way to reduce your monthly expenditures.
- Look for ways to save some of your income – Getting into the discipline of saving at least some of the money you earn each month is one of the best strategies for staying out of debt. This will help you build an emergency fund, and it will help you learn to live on less money.
If you go through some type of debt program that helps you get rid of debts, you could easily land in the same financial mess in the future if you continue living with the same habits. The best way to prevent this is to make some key life changes with the way you spend your money.