When I started writing about my finances in April of 2005, I had one goal – I wanted to get out of debt! At its core, No Credit Needed is still a debt reduction blog. Sure, I now write about a wider array of topics, and my goals have changed and evolved, but the primary message of this site will always remain the same – Debt reduction rocks and it feels great to be debt free!
Over the past three years, I’ve written several articles and created several resources that might help those who are ready to get out of debt. (At the end of this article, I’ll link to a few of my favorites.) But, all of the resources in the world are useless, unless one has –
Determination
Unless you are ready to make some sacrifices, change some habits, and rework your spending patterns, you’ll never get out of debt. Three years ago, I looked into the mirror and said “Enough!”. I made up my mind, I stopped making excuses, I got mad, and I changed my life.
We live in strange times, where people make (and are allowed to make) a thousand excuses for their behaviors. And, to be honest, I’ve made my share of excuses, too. In the past, I would complain about my salary or talk about how I “needed” something or “could not do without” something. I would justify my foolish borrowing habits. Guess what? It didn’t matter if I could justify them or not, I still had to pay my debts!
Intensity
Honestly, you have to go a little crazy. Get rid of the negative voices in your life and push yourself like you’ve never pushed yourself before. Write notes to yourself, put them in your wallet, and dare yourself to go off budget. Be different. Be weird. Be unique. Be the one person that you know who worries more about the future than about impressing people in the present. Trust me. When you are debt free and you’ve had a taste of financial peace, you really won’t care what other people think. And, you’ll be able to do more and help more and be more than you ever thought possible.
Focus
Stop waffling. Stop over-thinking. Stop looking for shortcuts, handouts, or, God help us, bailouts! Find the next step in the process and put everything that you have into taking that next step.
We go to work and we work hard and we bring home our paychecks. But, for some reason, many of us stop ‘working’ once the money is ‘ours’. Don’t be foolish. Work just as hard, if not harder, when managing your money as you did when earning it. Create a plan and follow the plan. Be a laser, not a flashlight. Direct all of your energy towards your next goal.
If you fall, keep your head up. Don’t let other people, the sheep-ple, keep you down. You have to be important to you. Your family has to be important to you. Your future has to be important to you. You deserve freedom. But, you have to keep your focus, keep you eyes on your goal, and you have to keep moving.
Pumped? Good! Here are some resources that might help you along the way. But, remember, this is YOUR debt reduction journey. You are in charge. You have just ‘hired’ yourself as manager of your finances. Do the best job that you can, continue to acquire more knowledge, and kick butt. Seriously, you can do this, if you want to bad enough.
Time To Call The Credit Card Company
Making Multiple Extra Payments Per Month (Micro-Payments)
33 Days And 33 Ways To Save Money And Reduce Debt
These are just a few of my favorite resources. For even more, check out the debt reduction category in the archives.
If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to subscribe to No Credit Needed via RSS or daily Email.
I would personally like to thank you for starting this blog. I began reading pf blogs about a year ago. I went to your archives and started at the very beginning of your journey. I had been very slow in paying off debts and saving money. You helped me kickstart a plan. I even started my own blog. Thanks NCN.
thank you! great post and i’m PUMPED!!! i appreciate the way you encourage us to become debt free.
many blessings to you as continue on this journey of equipping us to make this life change!
Thanks for the blog. I ‘woke up’ in June/July and am now putting my excuses aside. Creating a blog seems to be doing me good in keeping track of my ups and downs. Although it is decreasing ever so slowly…I know one day that I will get there. : )
Thanks for the blog!
I realized my debt problem around August last year when my old car died and I had new car fever……
Getting a car loan, I took a look at my finances and realized I had 10k in debt and that I just added 17k!
I’m working the snowball and I’m down to about 8k. Your blog, Dave’s daily radio show, and other sources keep me focused and on track.
THANKS!