• Budgeting Works!

    To gain financial freedom you must take control of your money, plan for the future and Stop Borrowing Money!
    Two families striving to gain financial freedom share their experiences.
    Blog Author Mona Weathers (monawea)


    Co-author, Manda C.

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Borrowing your way out of debt? Desperate times call for desperate measures: quit borrowing.

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The first step in Financial Peace is to resolve to quit borrowing. Our culture is very much centered on borrowing. First, we borrow our way into debt, and then we borrow our way out with consolidation loans, credit counseling, and high interest loans. Society even encourages us to be in debt by awarding us a FICO score that is used to give us loans. With the socialization of the mortgage industry, the government now has FICO based approval for home loans. Ultimately, this means that those who have not become a slave to debt will not be able to secure a home loan. I suppose there is the potential to save and pay cash for a house, but even Dave allows a 15 year mortgage as a form of debt.

Regardless of your FICO score, in order to achieve Financial Peace; QUIT BORROWING. We live in a society of instant gratification. We have a sense of entitlement. We work hard, we need big houses, big televisions, designer clothing, cell phones that have manuals thicker than the phone book of my home town (Marion, Alabama,) and a new car every few years. Count the number of commercials for cash advances, title loans, check cashing… etc. In case you didn’t know, these loans are a BAD idea, no matter what the “emergency” is. These commercials have women with shopping bags talking about sales that couldn’t be missed, young couples waving fistsfull of cash while driving off in a car from the title pawn saying “We even got to keep our car”. Guess what. You just pawned your car. It’s now THEIR car until you repay the loan. The interest rates that these places charge are criminal, and more often than not, you will struggle to pay it back, or you will lose the car. It will NOT be worth it. Payday loans work the same way. Additional loans are needed to pay off the first loans. Quit borrowing. No matter what society, or some marketing team tells you: you can not borrow your way out of debt.

The most alarming to me is cashcall.com. The “whatchu talking about Willis” former child star is crying that he tried to auction his clothes, and even his car, but then Cash Call gave him the money he needed. The rates on these loans are ridiculous, and vary from state to state. The way to stop this kind of indebtedness, is to #1 QUIT BORROWING, and #2, use common sense. As a resident of Virginia, to borrow $1,500 from cashcall.com, after the “loan fee” of $500, I’d walk away with 1k. After 12 months of monthly installments of $159.83 for a total of $1917.96, nearly 100% of the amount I walked away with. If I were to borrow $2600, the loan fee goes down to a mere $75 but I’m paying $216 a month for three and a half years. My total repayment would be $9095,10. The premise of the commercial is that poor Gary Coleman needed to sell his stuff to get money. Despite the message, that’s exactly what he should do! Calling cash call is the dumbest thing that could be done. Even if I needed this loan to keep my lights from being cut off, I’m paying them the equivalent to a light bill for the next 3.5 years, putting myself in additional financial stress for the next 3.5 years. I’m just extending my financial burdens. If you’re getting these loans to buy something you can’t afford, think about what you could have afforded. Think long term.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. When your finally desperate enough you will quit borrowing. QUIT BORROWING. But, they’re going to repo my car. Sell it, don’t title pawn. Sell it for blue book. They’re going to take me to court and get a judgment and destroy my credit. Okay. Since you’re not borrowing anymore, my FICO doesn’t matter to me. Being a mature adult means delaying gratification, being responsible for the consequences of my bad decisions, and making restitution. Continuing to make bad financial decisions isn’t going to save me from a judgment in the future. It will only prolong financial stresses which branch out into every aspect of my life. Ever laid in bed at night and worried about money? In the shower? Do you get a pit in your stomach when you check the mail, or screen calls because you’re tired of talking to collectors? Get out of it. Quit borrowing. Save 1,000 in cash for “emergencies”. Pay yourself first. Pay for your shelter, food, utilities, and transportation. If there is any left over, pay your unsecured debt using the debt snowball. You can not borrow your way out of debt. No matter how cute the commercials, it will only cost you more in the long run. Cut your lifestyle and live your wage.

You can not borrow your way out of debt.

You can not borrow your way out of debt.

You must make hard, common sense choices to get free of the debt you’ve incurred. After you’ve quit making excuses, rationalizing and making the decision to quit borrowing, reevaluate your lifestyle. What about all those necessities you can’t live without? If you’re serious about getting out of debt, if you’re tired of the stress that comes along with being in such debt, you’ll live without them. Go to the bare bones. Turn off the cable, do you need a land line and a cell phone? Cut down your groceries and buy generics. Don’t eat out. Don’t eat out. Don’t eat out. Cut all unnecessary spending. Starbucks got way too much of my money. Turn down invitations to birthday parties. Lunchbag it at work. Don’t eat out. Get a 2nd job or work overtime. Have a yard sale. Sell something. Come up with the money before you borrow more. You can not borrow your way out of debt. In the end, you have to make the decision either to keep living a lifestyle you can’t afford, and borrowing, or to live your wage, pay off your debts, and be free from these financial burdens. It isn’t forever. In fact, Dave estimates that it takes about 2 years for people to pay off their debt. Wow. 2 years of bare bones living or 5, 10, 15, 20, a lifetime of living in debt.

~Manda

September 17, 2008 | Filed Under Blogging Tips, Dave Ramsey Financial Freedom, Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University (FPU), Financial Freedom Journey Pep Talk, Financial Peace Baby Steps, Financial Peace University, Just Whatever 

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