I owe money to banks and credit card company. What should I do?

Question

I estimated my debt to $3,000.. I wanna pay em off little by little.. What should I do? Do you guys recommend Consolidating Companies? If yes can you recommend companies..

I feel that my life is over!!

Answer 1

No, do not use consolidating companies; why pay them a fee for something you can do yourself.

First make a budget and stick to it. Make sure your expenses do not exceed your income; if they do cut back on your spending. If that means you need a less expensive car or apartment, bite the bullet and scale back. Eat at home; it is much cheaper to buy food at the grocery store and prepare it yourself than it is to eat out.

When you get paid, pay on your debts first; that way they will always get money every month. Pay more than the minimum payment; the minimum payment barely covers the interest charges; that's how credit card companies make their money. If you have a budget and see where your money is going, you make find it easier to save more money each month to pay on your bills.

Finally, when you go shopping and feel like buying something, ask yourself this question first -- Do I need this or just want it? If you really need something, buy it. If you just want something because it is pretty or because all your friends have one, don't spend the money. Do this for 1 month and see how much money you save.

Answer 2

Debt can be Depressing. But, $3,000 is nothing; think $40,000!!!!
You have several options;
One; Move and not leave a forwarding address and put your new phone and utilities in another name.
Two; Call the companies and ask to speak with a Credit Counselor (This all the Consolidating Companies do and charge you to do it). Tell them you in a Financial Bind, but, do intend to pay this Debt!!! Most times they lower your interest rates and minimum monthly payment. Just do not keep paying the minimum, pay as much as you can manage!!!!!! BUT, now the government has sided with these companies, they may not deal with a person like they did when they knew they not get much if a person file Bankruptcy.

Answer 3

One thing you can do with the credit cards is to balance transfer them all to one card that gives you breaks on the interest rates for balance transfers. Do not keep transfering your balances though as this will hurt your credit, but once or twice won't hurt. This will at least help you with the interest that you are paying.

1. Do not spend money you don't have and come up with a plan for how much you can afford to pay off each week/month/ etc.

2. Pay off the debt that has the highest interest rate first. It will cost you less in the long run.

3. Make MORE than the minimum payments on the credit cards otherwise you are barely covering the interest charge.

4. Try selling things you don't need anymore on ebay or at a garage sale, etc. to come up with some extra cash.

Answer 4

I'm not so sure consolidating makes sense for that small an amount. Pay them off as quickly as possible. Pay off the highest rate debts first. As soon as a credit card is paid off close the account so you won't run it up again.

If you add the amounts and interest rates to your original question someone might have more ideas. You don't need to identify the store/company, just something like:

Credit Card 1 ... $1,781 ... 18%
Credit Card 2 ... $ 803 ... 24%

etc.

Answer 5

NO! Don't use CONsolidating company. $3000 in debt is not the end of the world. Your life is not over. Read the book "Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey and you will get a great plan to get these paid off.

Answer 6

Depending on how much you earn start by setting a payoff deadline and then pay them each something every month, maybe 10% until it is paid off and then be more careful with your credit in the future. Never pay someone else like a credit counseling place to pay your bills, you may end up paying more in the long run.

Answer 7

Sorry, I know it may seem like a lot, but in comparison it isn't.
About 43% of American families spend more than they earn each year.
Average households carry some $8,000 in credit card debt.
Personal bankruptcies have doubled in the past decade.
Call the people you owe an work it out with them. Something is better than nothing which is what they are getting right now.

Answer 8

Take a blank piece of paper or a spreadsheet. Write down the name of each account you owe money to. Write down the balance you owe. Write down the interest rate for that loan or credit card. I'd also write down what your minimum monthly payments are. Include car payments....mortgage...school loans...all of your debts.

Put these in order sorted by highest interest rates first. The highest interest rate accounts are the ones that are costing you the most money each month. Pay the minimum on all of your other accounts and tackle the highest interest rate account first. Pay any additional money that you might have toward this account and try to pay it off. Once you pay that one off, take the money that you were paying to that account and apply it to the next account in line until it's paid off. Then work on paying the next one off.

For this to work, you need to make significant changes to your spending habits. DO NOT USE CREDIT CARDS AGAIN!! Save them for emergency use purposes only. Get a debit card tied to your checking account and ween yourself off of credit cards. They have the same convenience, yet don't allow you to over spend. All of this change is going to require committment on your part.

Try cutting out on eating out. You would be amazed at how much $40 in groceries can carry you. About the same ask one dinner at Applebee's for a family of four can pay for a week's worth of meals at home.

Good luck.

Answer 9

This is a small debt to get out of. Try sending double the payment and you will be out of debt sooner then you think. If you just send the minimum payment that is designed to get the maximum amount of money out of you

Answer 10

in line with have been you reside, i stay interior the united kingdom and you ought to easily telephone the mastercard employer and ask for a ability type, that's a type you fill in pointing out how lots earn, paying out, (positioned each and everything i.e gasoline electric powered, water, television license, hire, meals and so on) then they'll artwork out what you may locate the money for, that's the way i taken care of all my debt while all of it went uncontrollable and that i exchange into getting courtroom subject concerns by way of my door, do no longer overlook with regard to the mastercard employer telephone on a daily basis to get it taken care of clarify you're keen to conform, as for bailiffs taking your sisters sources, this is been completed, my chum did no longer pay an excellent and while they went to her mothers handle the place she lived they took her mothers products, because of the fact her mum or herself could no longer pay out, you basically choose a million letter arriving a this handle and then they'll type you as residing there, because of the fact do no longer overlook they in specific situations seek the mail.