Debt and Marriage: How It is Tough to Love When You Owe

Many couples enter into a marriage with debt already in hand. Others accumulate debt together. Either way, nurturing a loving relationship can be hard when debt is hanging over your head. In fact, according to a study by Jeffrey Dew at Utah State University, couples who reported disagreeing about finance once a week were over 30 percent more likely to get divorced than couples who reported disagreeing about finances only a few times a month. Another inference can be made from this study: there is a whole lot of disagreement about money out there. Debt is a source of contention. … Continue reading

Taking Debt Too Lightly

Why is it so easy to go into debt and so hard to get out of it? I think for modern generations, there has been a culture of taking debt too lightly. Fortunately, for some of us, that culture is changing toward one of getting rid of debt or not getting into it in the first place. Meanwhile, there is still a more corporate culture that encourages debt, and it is one, as individuals, that we have to fight against in order to be solvent and live a good life. Being offered a loan, whether it is a home mortgage, … Continue reading

To Get Out of Debt, Start Small

The bills are piling up in the corner of your desk, and it seems that every day the mail brings a new stack to deal with. Although the collection agencies haven’t started calling yet, you know that it is only a matter of time before they do. You want to get out of debt and get back on track, but the whole thing seems so overwhelming. Fortunately, it really doesn’t have to be. Just start small and go from there. Most financial advice about debt will guide you toward paying off the debt with the highest interest rate first. This … Continue reading

Turn off the Television to Get Out of Debt

Did you know that simply turning off the television, or watching less of it can lead to more savings? I’m not just talking about the savings you will get from foregoing the $200 cable bill or the electricity it takes to run your television. I’m talking about the other hidden benefits, the secret savings that will kick in. Less Need to Buy Where do we usually find out about things that we absolutely need to have (although we never knew about them before)? Why the television, of course. It is still the number one way that we get our advertising. … Continue reading

Watch Out for Fake Collection Call Scams

Beware of fake collection call scams. They will try to separate you from your money in no time. With the current economy, many people are finding that they have to juggle a bunch of bills and may be used to getting calls from collection agencies, or they may have a friend or family member in such a situation. But what if the collection agency isn’t real? If you aren’t careful you could wind up giving your hard earned money to con artists. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which was formed from a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation … Continue reading

Get Out of Debt Support

Getting out of debt can be an exciting journey and a worthwhile goal. Just imagine how free you will feel when you owe nothing and can basically live however you want to live. You’ll be able to keep all of that money that you current spend on interest on your debt and apply it to where you want it to go. When you first start down the path of getting out of debt, you’ll want to make sure that you have some support systems in place. Not only will these support systems help you to stay motivated and to stay … Continue reading

All About ONE

No, I am not talking about the Three Dog Night song or the Purina food, ONE is a organization that aims to fight poverty and disease around the world, but particularly in Africa. Africa is a place hit hard by disease, especially diseases that could easily be prevented. ONE began in 2002 when Bono of U2, Sir Bob Geldof, Bobby Shriver, Jamie Drummond, and Lucy Matthew founded DATA (debt, AIDS, trade, Africa). This organization was developed to reduce Africa’s debt, help fight its poverty, provide AIDS treatment and prevention for its people, and end unfair trade rules. DATA had offices … Continue reading

The Importance of Working Together

You’ll double the chances of success when you work together as a team. Any lifestyle change, especially one related to getting out of debt needs mutual goals, accountability and support. Here is why working together will help you save money. Mutual Goals You have a mutual goal of getting out of debt, that is great! Believe it or not, just agreeing on this point means that you are already halfway there. Some couples or families say they want to get out of debt but may not make the commitment. Now, you just need to break this down to specifics. Decide … Continue reading

Is Your Degree Worth The Debt?

The idea behind student loans is that you borrow money to earn a college or graduate degree that will in turn enable you to earn so much money that you will be able to pay back the enormous amount of money that you borrowed to acquire the degree. While this is a good idea in theory, many people who have student loan debt are now feeling like their degree is not worth the debt that they acquired to get it. I can tell you that this is not just a feeling, it is a cold, hard fact that is supported … Continue reading

Getting Out of Debt: The Zero Based Budget and the CSA

Follow us as we get out of debt and be more purposeful with our money! This week, we are struggling with nailing down the zero-based budget and running into a couple of unexpected snags. Dave Ramsey recommends keeping track of your money with a zero based monthly budget. This means that you track every bit of income and expenses for the month, down to the penny so that there is nothing left over. This doesn’t mean that you spend everything, just that all of your money has a home, whether it is to pay off the electric bill or to … Continue reading