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Inside: Want to be debt free? Get a head start when you slash these 4 key areas of overspending and drastically speed up your debt snowball.
Congratulations! You decided to grab ahold of your finances and finally tackle your debt!
You wrote down all the amounts you owe on credit cards, student loans, car(s), your dad, etc.
You added everything up and immediately felt overwhelmed.
Want to be debt free? Get a head start when you slash these 4 key areas of overspending and drastically speed up your debt snowball.You’re thinking it’ll take you FOREVER to pay all of that off. I feel your pain. I’ve been there.
But I’ve found that there are four areas that you can focus on to speed up your debt free journey.
Get a head start and reach debt free status faster when you knock down spending in 4 key areas
1. Food
When I started getting serious about my debt, I first looked at the horrendous amount we spent on food. I’m a self-proclaimed foodie and my husband is 6’5” and 270 lbs., meaning he eats like 2 people all on his own.
To drastically cut down our food spending, I started to plan our meals weekly.
Related: How to make cheap and easy stir fry at home (it’s less than $5)
Every Sunday, we would go to Aldi and buy everything we needed for every meal. We took lunch to work every day and we had snacks so we wouldn’t be tempted to go to the vending machine.
Depending on your schedule, it can be challenging to come home in the evenings and still have to cook.
I suggest cooking what you can on your day off.
Pre-bagging and freezing crock pot meals or freezing entire casseroles so all you have to do is pop it in the oven works wonders. Believe me, I’ve worked some weird hours in my life and both saved me a ton of time and money.
Related: How to stretch your groceries when you have no money
I just finished reading Budgeting Made Easy. (You did a great job!) It all makes so much sense to me. I always thought I was pretty good with my money and not a very big spender. When I started looking at my prioritized budget, it made me look at what I'm currently spending on certain things. Looking back at the past 5 months of grocery bills was amazing! How am I spending that much money on food? I live by myself and shouldn't be spending that much each month for food. I buy things on sale that look good or I think I want, then they sit in the pantry or freezer until I forget that I even have them (while I continue to buy more things). So I definitely know where I can start trimming my budget already!
Karen
Knock down spending in 4 key areas to get a head start and reach debt free status faster
2. Housing
I always had a roommate and when my then-boyfriend and I moved in together, we chose the least expensive apartment complex in the city.
Now that he is deployed, we decided that I should live with my mother (and she agreed) while he is away. This way we can put our savings in hyper drive in preparation of buying a house when he returns.
Related: 11 Simple and Easy Ideas to Reduce Monthly Spending
Analyze your living situation and see if you can find a cheaper option.
Can you get roommates?
Are you living in a luxury apartment when a cheaper complex will suit you just fine?
Are you able to move back in with your parents temporarily?
Is house hacking an option?
Brainstorm all possibilities without letting what other people might think hold you back. You’ll thank yourself later.
Related: 12 frugal ways I cut costs to the bone to pay off our mortgage in 5 short years that anyone can do
Want to be debt free? Get a head start when you slash these 4 key areas of overspending
3. Transportation
I made semi bad decisions in this area during my debt free journey. I was having car issues.
Instead of paying for a mechanic to check out the transmission (I heard it could cost a lot just to look at it), I bought a gently used car.
That decision put me behind $16k in my journey.
I call it a semi bad decision because I purposely searched for a 3 year old or older car with low mileage as to not spend “too much”. However, looking back, I could have found a reliable car for the $5k I used as a down payment.Learn from my mistake!
If your car payment is killing you every month, really consider if you should sell your car. You can turn a $600 a month car payment into a $300 or less car payment.
If you think selling your car isn’t warranted, see if you can save on gas and walk more or ride a bike.
If you don’t live in a walker or bike friendly neighborhood, plan your errands accordingly so you won’t waste gas driving back and forth across town.
Get a head start and reach debt free status faster when you knock down spending in 4 key areas
4. Income
You can only cut down your expenses so much. At some point, you’re going to have to look at what you’re making and see if you can increase your income.
After I graduated college, I sold things online and kept my part-time job through my next three full-time jobs until I finally became debt free.
Related: How to make money by flipping creative items for profit
All of us (unless you are a die-hard minimalist) have things in our house that we no longer use. There are people that will give you money to take it off your hands.
I’ve personally sold on eBay and Craigslist. I have friends and family that’s sold everything on Facebook marketplace from a baby walker to a ’00 Chevy pickup!
Go through your stuff to see if there is anything you can put up for sell.
You Got This!
As someone who’s been there and done that, I can tell you that it won't be easy.
But once you make that final debt payment, it will feel like the world’s largest weight has been lifted off of you.
It’s also a great feeling to see more of your paycheck coming in your bank account and being able to stay there.
If you stay intentional and look at your food, housing, transportation, and income, you’ll be finished with your debt free journey sooner than you think!
‘Ello good people! I’m Ayannah, an army wife on a mission to achieve financial freedom and enjoy life while doing it. I believe it’s important to focus on both your health and your finances without sacrificing one for the other. You can read more about my story here.
