Save Money with Debt Assistance
If you feel like you are drowning in debt, a debt assistance provider may be able to help you get your head above water again. However, before you take the plunge into debt assistance, consider whether you can get out of debt on your own.
A Second Job
The easiest way to reduce your debt quickly without resorting to debt assistance is to get a second job. Devote your earnings on your second job to getting out of debt. Apply the savings toward the highest interest debt first, then the next highest interest rate, and so forth.
If you don't feel you have the time or energy to devote to a second job, consider working your second job from home. With the Internet, many freelance jobs doing web design and copy writing can be done from home with a high speed Internet connection.
Sell What You Have
Look around your household and consider what you might sell, and apply the proceeds of sale toward reducing your debt. Perhaps you have a childhood collection of some knick-knacks or period merchandise that you could easily sell on craigslist, eBay, or in the classified ads of your local newspaper.
Another option is to have an old-fashioned garage sale. You may be surprised at how quickly you can make several hundred or even a thousand dollars by selling your excess possessions. As with the second job, be sure to apply all proceeds from the sale of these items to getting out of debt. This money is not a windfall; it is a means of providing debt assistance so you can reduce the crushing load of debt on your life.
Credit Counseling
If these modest efforts are not enough to get you out of debt, then credit counseling is the first tier of debt assistance that can start to make a difference in your life. A one-on-one session with an experienced credit counselor will provide you with resources you need to manage your debt and your finances. You will learn how to create a budget - perhaps for the first time in your life - and how to stick to it.
Together, you and your credit counselor will set up a debt management plan that includes all your creditors and all of your debt. The plan will leave you with enough money so you don't feel too deprived. That way you will be able to stick to the plan over the months or years that it takes to conquer debt.
Be Patient
This kind of debt assistance has been proven to work. It typically takes an individual up to six years to get all their debts paid off. Don't prolong the process by incurring new debt while you are undergoing debt assistance.
