motivation

rabbitfoot · #1 (**permalink**) 09-29-2004, 07:33 AM

How does everyone motivate themselves to tackle their debt. Everytime I even think about it I want to cry. I'm not terribly in debt, but enough that I have ahard time getting the motivation to look at where I am and what I need to do. Is there a secret?

2moretrees · #2 (**permalink**) 09-30-2004, 01:51 AM

I think yuo need to find your own motivation. What motivates someone else will probably not motivate you. You need to look at the money issues and find the goal that will make you want to get your debt under control. I don't think there is a magic bullet.

Tree0164 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-02-2004, 01:28 AM

There is a light to the tunnel was a source of motivation. I would recommend the snowball method is tacking each credit by itself-you can do this by highest interest % or by the small amount on each card. You pay as much as you can on the card you are attacking, and the mimumum amt on the others. Once a card is paid off you focus on a second one until they are all paid off.

Also reading money saving boards is helpful and motivating.

rabbitfoot · #4 (**permalink**) 10-04-2004, 08:58 AM

Theresa,

Thank you for the support. I know that it is something that I need to face head on, I'm just having a hard time doing it. I am coming here more often and just reading seems to help me get the courage. I'll keep at it.

Tree0164 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-04-2004, 02:10 PM

Rabbitfoot... baby steps. I highly recommend also checking out www.totalmoneymakeover.com boards for folks that have debt. Also get a free months's subscription to www.fool.com There are several yahoo frugal/budgeting groups out there too.

Good luck!

rabbitfoot · #6 (**permalink**) 10-07-2004, 07:33 AM

Theresa,

Thank you for the information. I will check them out.

samiam37 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-01-2004, 08:05 AM

Thanx, that was usefull for me too.

miclason · #8 (**permalink**) 11-03-2004, 08:52 AM

I have this mental image of saying: "say bye-bye, vampires!!!!" and cutting up my cards (you HAVE to bring your cards to the bank, it's a requisite to cancelling the accounts, otherwise, they issue a new card so you can cut them up IN FRONT OF THEM....and, of course, they charge you for that card!!!...could you believe that??)...just thinking about that makes me want to pay more and more!! (and, yes, when I think of the amount of debt that I have it makes me want to cry, too!)

terry1156 · #9 (**permalink**) 11-03-2004, 06:05 PM

I have always found that writing down a single goal helps quite a bit. Something specific that you can measure. If you have $5,000 in credit card debt, a goal of getting rid of all the debt is great, but quite large and will take a long time. Making the goal to reduce the credit card debt to $4,900 or $4,500 is much easier to head toward. Then once it is reached, make a new goal. It also enables you to give your self alot more pats on the back for doing the right thing.

seaar2000 · #10 (**permalink**) 12-06-2004, 02:41 AM

I want to get my car paid off one year early this is my motivation. Have been putting extra money on my car payment and when I get my taxes I am going to pay of the rest of my car and put the rest in savings. After my car is paid off I am going to pay extra on my house mortgage to get that off my back.