You can quickly achieve financial freedom with these 14 proven steps to tackle your debts faster. With the aid of these steps you will get the tools and advice for tackling and paying off debt faster. Start here if you’re having trouble managing your debt and don’t have a strategy for paying it off. 

Expert-recommended financial methods and straightforward money management for teens and advice for adults are among the basic ways to reduce debt that anyone can undertake. 

14 Proven Steps To Tackle Your Debts Faster

14 Proven Steps To Tackle Your Debts Faster Today

Make a note of every loan you have, including its type, balance due, and interest rate, before you begin making payments. Determine whether this debt is a mortgage, student loan, credit card, or another type of debt. 

Then begin formulating a strategy using these 14 simple and proven steps to tackle your debts faster and the repayment methods to use: 

  1. Establish a budget. 
  2. Pay off your highest interest rate debt first. 
  3. First, pay off your smallest loan.
  4. Pay more than the required minimum. 
  5. Use balance transfers to your advantage. 
  6. Stop using your credit card. 
  7. Use an app for debt payback. 
  8. Remove credit card data from online merchants. 
  9. Sell unused household stuff and gifts. 
  10. Change your habits. 
  11. With a side business, you can raise your income. 
  12. Consider consolidating your debt. 
  13. When you achieve your goal, try to not revert to your poor behaviours. 
  14. Take it slowly and step by step 

Step 1: Establish a budget 

Create a monthly budget to track your income and expenses as you work toward paying off your debt. 

Starting the debt repayment process structured is simple with a budget. Yours might be as straightforward as a spreadsheet or as intricate as using budgeting software like Mint to keep careful tabs on each expense and debt repayment.

Read- What is an Emergency Fund?

Step 2: Repay the highest-cost debt first 

The debt avalanche technique entails paying off loans with the highest interest rates first and tackling the most expensive debt last. 

You should continue making the minimum payments on your other, less expensive debts while concentrating any extra money you have on your most expensive bills throughout this repayment plan. 

By eliminating undesirable debts, such as credit card debt, more rapidly with this technique, you may end up saving money in the long term.

Read – How to Invest Your Emergency Funds 

Step 3: Eliminate the smallest debt first. 

With this technique, also referred to as the debt snowball, borrowers must start by paying off their smallest obligations. 

Starting with a small obligation and paying it off completely is simpler than trying to take on a big student loan or mortgage debt, and paying off a small debt may give you the drive you need to keep moving forward with your debt repayment plan. 

The first debt to pay off depends on a person’s financial situation and other variables.

Step 4: Make More Payments Than the Minimum Balance 

You will probably need to pay more than the minimum balance due on your credit card accounts each month to significantly reduce your debt. 

Credit card debt management, which frequently carries high-interest rates, may be very expensive. 

Additionally, you can think about making additional mortgage payments, provided that they wouldn’t be better spent on other bills. 

Step 5: Use balance transfers to your advantage 

You can transfer your debt from one account to another through a balance transfer, possibly taking advantage of cheap introductory rates.

Depending on the card being used and other choices available, some people may not be able to apply for a new credit card and go through the process. 

If you are confident that you can quickly pay off the balance, this plan will work best for you. 

Step 6: Stop using your credit card

Stopping usage of your credit card is one of the 14 proven steps to tackle your debts faster. Consider taking all of your credit cards out of your wallet if excessive spending is causing you to incur more debt than necessary. 

This tactic is straightforward, but it might help you focus on keeping your money under control by removing the temptation to overspend.

Step 7: Use an app to pay the debt 

Using apps to pay your debts is also one for Rh 14 proven steps to tackle your debts faster. Apps for tracking debt repayment, like Tally and Undebt. it gives consumers a visible, understandable tool for doing so. 

Utilize free credit reports and services that let you keep a close eye on your credit score in addition to these apps. 

Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, three of the biggest credit bureaus, are required to yearly make this data freely available to consumers. 

Step 8: Remove Credit Card Data from Online Shops 

Take this self-control strategy a step further by erasing credit card information saved online on websites like Amazon if taking your credit card out of your wallet isn’t enough. 

Consider taking steps to break the habit of online buying since it can be a serious obstacle to financial freedom.

Step 9: Market unwanted household items and gifts 

Sell unneeded goods from your home to generate some extra money. With websites like Facebook and Craigslist, where practically anything can be purchased and sold.

The stores that specialise in consignment apparel like Poshmark and the RealReal, this is simpler than ever. Use all of the proceeds from your sales to reduce your debt. 

Step 10: Modify Your Behavior 

According to Colin Moynahan, financial advisor and founder of Twenty Fifty Capital, excessive spending and amassing significant debt are frequent manifestations of behavioural problems. 

Make the required lifestyle adjustments to begin paying off your debts after being honest with yourself about your everyday expenditures and habits.

Food, shelter, and health care are examples of necessary expenses. Then there are the discretionary items, according to Moynahan. “When discussing avoiding debt, priorities come into play. 

Does this cost have to be incurred or is it optional? Most folks would likely be shocked to learn how much of it is discretionary if they read their statement line by line. 

Step 11: Boost your income by starting a side business

You can dig more quickly the bigger your shovel is. By taking on a second job or a freelance project, you can increase your income stream. You can then use the additional money to pay off your debts more quickly.

Jobs that are simple to start and can earn you enough money to start paying down your debts include tutoring or working as a virtual assistant. 

Step 12: Take Debt Consolidation into Consideration 

Through debt consolidation, individuals can pay off all of their debts with a single loan and a single monthly payment. 

Consolidation may also result in a lower interest rate and give the chance to arrange better repayment terms for some debts.

Step 13: Refrain from resuming bad habits If You Achieve Your Objective 

To remain debt-free after achieving your objective, you’ll need to continue practising sound financial practices. 

To prevent getting into debt again, take the time to comprehend how you got there. 

According to Moynahan, “the only way to properly pay off the debt, in the long run, is to cure the underlying reason, which is typically spending, or else the debt will come right back.”

Step 14: Take It Slowly and Step by Step 

It can be overwhelming to see your overall debt load, but keep in mind that you won’t be able to pay it off completely at once.

Your debt repayment process will be more successful if you concentrate on paying off one loan at a time. 

Keep track of your progress, acknowledge your accomplishments, and continue making progress until your debt is entirely paid off.

Conclusion 

People think that debt can occasionally be beneficial for improving your credit score or achieving objectives (like buying a house) that would be challenging to complete without a loan. But staying out of debts completely is the best

Also, having a lot of additional debt can hurt your credit score and result in interest charges you didn’t plan to make. Celebrate each additional payment and the repayment of debt.

Hope you like the thread, on the 14 proven steps to tackle your debts faster? If you do, please leave a review and make suggestions too. 

Author

Hi, I am Chidimma, the Chief Editor of StartupSpot. I hold a bachelor's degree in Business Education (with a major in Accounting) from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria and online certifications in Digital Marketing by SEMRUSH Academy. Startupspot was therefore born (in 2021) out of my passion to reach startups, small businesses and a greater audience to educate them about startups, the challenges facing startups and how to manage their finances. I also wish to educate people (especially women) to attain financial independence. I hope you find the contents useful, and should you need further help, I hope you ‌reach me.