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Getting out of debt is such a relief that, no matter how you achieve it, it’s likely to generate a feeling of euphoria. Being released from the shackles that debt places on you is fantastic, however, staying debt free and ensuring you don’t relapse back into the red, it’s important to see your responsible approach to finance as an ongoing mentality.

Here are some steps to follow to help you maintain the right thinking about staying debt free;

Ease Yourself Back Into Using Credit

As you will be aware, when you’re living with debt, most forms of credit, even when desperately needed, are almost always impossible to obtain, with lenders worried that their money will be used by you as a ‘quick fix’ attempt to consolidate your existing outstanding commitments.

Now, having broken free of your debt, it is more important than ever to remember what you’ve learnt; it is possible to live without depending on credit. Now that you will be able to access cards with higher spending limits and other convenient forms of credit, it is vital that you do not start using them as a financial crutch.

By gradually introducing credit back into the way you organise your finances, you reduce the risk of becoming dependent on borrowed money again.

Get Over the Lows, but Don’t Forget Them

Living with debt can put a massive strain on you, in ways that go far beyond the sphere of personal finance. Indeed, it is not uncommon for the stress of debt to develop into more serious, potentially life destroying conditions such as depression.

Many people going through money problems suffer feelings of low self esteem and anxiety, and whilst it is certainly important to move on from these lows, it is beneficial to remember what it was like to experience them.

Try writing down an account of how that period of your life affected you. You may want to keep this document with your credit cards if you are trying to refrain from using them. Whilst the advice of others is often all too easy to ignore, the voice of your former self may be far more compelling.

Get Support

Whilst it is easier to ignore the advice of others than it is your own, it is much harder to make excuses to other people than it is to overlook our own misdemeanours. For this reason, sharing your efforts to stay debt free with a network of friends and family can be really beneficial.

One of the problems with credit cards are that you can spend without really feeling like you’re handing over any of your funds. However, if you’ve arranged to share your bank statements with your friends each month, you’re more likely to have the tangible sensation of a transaction taking place.

Don’t Give Up on Credit

Though, as stressed throughout this article, you should demonstrate caution with credit as you acclimatise to being debt free, this doesn’t mean you should give up on it together.

In fact, this won’t help your finances at all. As far as your credit score is concerned, if you don’t ever use credit your score won’t improve, meaning that, when you need to do some substantial borrowing for a major purchase, such as a house or a car, you’ll be running into difficulties.

For this reason you need to demonstrate that you can handle the responsibilities of using credit in your everyday life. Even if this only amounts to making one small purchase on your credit card each month then paying off the balance it will still help to rebuild your credit profile, ready for when you might need it in the future. Bear in mind your aim is staying debt free.

Nathan Laszlo writes about a number of issues surrounding debt. To read more from him about responsible ways of borrowing money, visit www.borrowersrecommend.co.uk.

Today there are many debt settlement and consolidation companies in US market who offers us to join various debt relief program to get us out of the maze of debt but nobody wants to ruin their life by falling in debt. So if you want to avoid debt then first you have to choose cash-only life style. While others who are still lagging behind would soon choose this life style after a horrid lesson of debt. It is quite possible to pay for you expenditure from your daily income than borrowing money. Discipline and sacrifice is the bottom line to live debt free which means we won’t pay for things we don’t need and haven’t saved for. Here are seven important tips approaches to get us rid of bad debt.

1. Make a Budget: Budgeting is crucial when you are planning to free yourself from debt. If you spend more than you make then don’t expect to cut out debt from your life. Calculate the amount you bring home monthly and accordingly reduce your expenses. Avoid the use of the plastic even if you face a cash crunch.
2. Increase your income: Try to find other sources of income which would help you to pay off your debt on time. Go for part time jobs which would draw some extra money in your pocket. Give a room of your apartment on rent that would pull in money and enable you to pay off your debt.
3. Avoid using credit: Keep your credit card for emergency use. If you want to purchase a luxurious item then try to save the amount and then buy it. Develop a habit of saving, before indulging into any luxury ensure yourself that you have enough money to invest in.
4. Pay cash- To get a new car: Want to buy a car? Are you thinking of buying a car on credit and planning to go for a monthly installment? Keep that lofty idea in the loft! You will never be able to pay on time and then you would be treated as a defaulter. I would rather give you an advice for few years take the public transport and save the money to buy a car. Use cash to get a car than buying on credit.
5. Credit card bills- Quickly pay it off: Payment of the credit card bill with high interest rate is crucial as the soaring interest automatically increases the debt. Paying the minimum amount won’t solve the problem of debt. When one credit bill gets paid then part by part clear your other credit card debt.
6. Try Ebillme: This is a modern form of payment option where the consumer buys online but pays in cash. You will never be asked for social security number, your bank account number and credit card number. It has fraud protection, the products are guaranteed to be best and the buyer’s satisfaction can also be achieved. When you go for this online shopping they don’t ask for payment on credit card so you don’t get into reckless shopping.
7. Future Savings is required: The sole purpose of saving is to have enough money to lead a peaceful life after retirement. All work no play can make anyone feel dull so in order to enjoy the life after retirement you need to invest in some after retirement funds.

To live a debt free life is not at all difficult if you take mature decision before going in for shopping. Always remember get thing which you can afford by cash and save money for the items which are unaffordable. If you get into a habit of using cash you would never burden yourself with debt.

Many of our articles are syndicated on other Personal Finance sites. These articles are for information only – and you should consult your financial advisor before taking action.