Debt Cancer

Debt is a cancer that destroys one family at a time.  It’s a silent killer that creates stress, drama, and heartache.  At first it seems like fun and games and then it catches up with you.

America has been living on debt for the last decade or more and the world has followed suit.   In 2008 the bill came due and more people then ever lost their homes and jobs.  Out government’s solution was to have us spend more money.  They forget it’s hard to spend money you don’t have in a home that you are losing in a job that is already gone.  But if everyone goes back to spending money the economy will look good again, until the next due date.

The next due date came faster then anyone could anticipate, the car market collapsed along with the loans that were being used to buy cars.  The answer, buy more cars with the money you don’t have, the home that is gone, and the now part time job you took to replace the good job you had.  Our government’s response, pay the bills for the automakers and extend unemployment to 99 weeks.

I took unemployment for a couple months and I will never do it again.  The idea of a safety net was nice and the free money was even better.  No, not really.  It made me lazy, picky, and stupid.  I sat on my but for the entire time.  Then, instead of filing more paperwork to get my 99 weeks, I pulled myself off.  Went and got a real job again, and found my dignity and self worth.

During that time I depleted my savings and started to spend credit card money again.  I knew better, but just wasn’t paying attention.  Now it threatens to strangle me again.  But there is hope, I’m now paying attention and have started knocking it back.  I have a plan to finish it off, and this time it’s not coming back.

You need to get the same plan to kill your debt.  It’s going to take time, resolve, and a budget.  You have to pay attention to where the money is going and work a plan for spending it, saving it, giving some, and above all, get rid of the debt!  Every last bit of the debt needs to go.  If you leave anything it will grow back like cancer.  You have to get it all.  Credit cards should never have a balance, car loans never, never again, business debt and home debt should be paid off early, like as soon as possible.  The quote, unquote good debt your banker talks about is because it keeps him in business and makes his company lots of money.  You need to kick his but out of your house!  They can’t take anything you have if you own it out right.

Our country and world is in a crisis because of money.  Turn your life around while there is still time.  Get your life and home in order then you can help your neighbors, community, city, county, state, country, and then world.  It all starts with you.  You can do it!

Here are a couple links to people and systems that can help you.

– Dave Ramsey
– Clark Howard
– Jo Sangle

The definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  If you don’t’ like where you are financially get off your but and do something different.  You want to change the world? Make it better?  This is where we start.  Get our households in order, kill the debt, and do something great.

Stay Safe,

Ben