The nasty four letter word - DEBT

Okay, so we know it’s bad. There’s a lot of debt and money problems out there. So, what do we do?
If we have debt, then we need to re-work our budget so we are spending less than we make and we need to be focusing on paying off that debt. I’m not talking about reasonable mortgage debt; I’m talking about credit card debt, leon’s “don’t pay a cent event “debt, line of credit, etc.
What else can we do if we’re in debt?

Here are some ideas:
· Cut up credit cards so we’re not tempted to use them.
· Call credit card companies to try and get a lower interest rate.
· Use envelope system or cash-only for budget items. For example, I can pay all my bills and whatever is left gets divided into envelopes (groceries, entertainment, household supplies, etc.) This forces us to spend within our budget and when the money’s gone, it’s gone.
· Stop going to the mall (this is only if we’re in debt –otherwise I say, go for it!)
· Sell stuff on kijiji and craigslist that we don’t need and use that money to pay off debt.
· Reduce stuff on our budget.
· Work more.

What other ideas do you guys have if we’re in debt and we’re trying to get out of debt?
I’d love to hear your comments and feedback.

Welcome to my blog

Well, here is my first blog ever folks. I've decided to dedicate a blog to budgeting tips and general money information and stats. As some of you may know, I have lived on a budget for as long as I can remember. I thought that this was quite common, but the more I talk to people, I realize that I am feeling pretty alone in my obsessive budgeting. I work at a counseling centre where I personally see a lot of people who have financial problems. I have set budgets for so many people and I am amazed how people live. Why is it so hard to live below our means? Where did we get the idea that we could spend whatever we wanted.
So, I challenge you. If you are not on a budget, set one up. Write down everything you earn and then everything you spend. It really is that simple. It's easy to write down what you spend on utilities because those bills are pretty constant. You will probably guess what you spend on groceries and entertainment and in my experience, you will probably guess wrong. Keep your receipts for one month and then write an accurate budget sheet. See if you spend more than you make. If you do, no big deal. Just start cutting things from your budget until you make more than you spend.
Good luck.
If you need a budget template, just email me and I will send you one.
Let me know how it goes.