Get Out of Debt, Live Off Grid By Les Oke Every week I am asked can it really be this hard to get out of debt.

Can It Really Be This Hard ? That was the question I was asked more often this week than any other. According to current research, it looks like it is. Behavioral economist Meir Statman, recently stated that "Getting out of debt is the financial equivalent of trying to quit smoking." My wife Jane, who has suffered through some earlier struggles to get out of debt says, "It's like gaining weight. You put on a few pounds during the holidays and you have to work like crazy to take them off." She is right. It is a whole lot easier to get in debt than get out. A few years back we needed help so we turned to the following book. What we learned literally saved our life and our marriage. Order (Get out of Debt the Off Grid Way) Now! At http://www.off-grid-living.com/Lifestyle/articles/debtfree.asp

It takes some time to implement the suggestions in the above resource, so here are some simple steps you can start right now! 1. Elect plastic surgery! You don't have to literally cut up your credit cards, but you must stop using them routinely if you're serious about paying off your debt. Ouch! Find some guidance, develop a plan and stick to it. 2. Go green for everyday spending, carry around a set amount of cash to use each week. You will find that you make better purchasing decisions when you actually have to fork over the green stuff and there's a preset limit on what you can spend -- when you run out of money, you stop. Simple, but very effective. 3. Make debit your backup when only plastic will do. The debit card can also serve as an emergency substitute for cash if you run out. This really works. 4. Leave your cards at home. Enforce the cooling off period on new credit purchases by taking the cards out of your wallet. Store them in a place that's not easily accessible (in a safe-deposit box) 5. Don't close the accounts. Having unused credit available from lenders with whom you've had long relationships will help boost your credit score.

Good Debt versus Bad Debt (Now the Good News) We've been talking tough about consumer debt, but we do realize that some debts are an inescapable part of life for most of us. Still, even when we carry debt, there are some basic debt management rules that will keep the lid on problems: Be especially wary of double-digit debt -- credit cards and loans that charge 10% or more in annual interest. At this level, balances snowball quickly, and it's tough to get a return on the borrowed money that beats this cost. Good debts, like some mortgages and student loans, combine two things: 1) a relatively low, tax-adjusted interest rate; and 2) the potential to invest in something that, over the long run, will grow in value. Ignore banker's rules for "acceptable" levels of debt. These are designed by banks to maximize their income. Their calculations cleverly keep you far enough under water that you continue to pay them interest, but not so deep that you go broke. Don't be a slave. Set tighter rules on your own.

Beating Debt Is Simple, But Not Easy Getting out of debt and staying out of debt is actually pretty simple, at least compared to most money management topics. It boils down to spending less money than you make, on a consistent, long-term basis. That's it. Nothing else will get the job done. Nothing. And it's easy too. Right? Wrong! While conquering debt is rather simple, it's a long road away from easy. One moment of weakness -- or worse, one cruel act of fate -- and you're scratching your way back out of the hole. Laid off, you get hurt, or somebody doesn't pay you and wham! How did something so simple get to be so hard? Well, beating debt demands a lot of will power over a long period of time. If you've been a human being for any length of time, you know that this is one tough combination to nail down. With effort it can be done though, consistent long term effort.

Your Personal Financial Divide Somewhere in every mountain range there is a line that divides water flow. On one side of the line, for example, water flows east. On the other, it flows west. Regardless of direction, these rivers and streams start out as a trickle but quickly pick up speed as they head down the mountain, finishing as raging torrents. Anyone who uses Hydro power to run their home knows what we mean. Money and wealth work exactly the same way. Over time, you'll end up on either the savings or the debt side of the personal finance divide. It doesn't take much to nudge you one way or the other, but once a direction is established, the momentum tends to build and it gets harder and harder to go back. If you want to "nudge" yourself in the savings direction, just remember that it all boils down to spending less money than you make, on a consistent long-term basis. Order your (Get out of Debt and Live Off Grid Guide) Now at http://www.off-grid-living.com/Lifestyle/articles/debtfree.asp

About the Author

We have lived Off Grid for 12 years now and in that time we have learned the best methods and finest resources needed to live Off the grid. Get out of debt in the process.