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We at Christian Retirement have identified a strategy to enable you to win the battle against credit cards waged by your bank and credit card companies.  We posted the following on the blog at Freedom From Credit:  Top Secrets Credit Card Companies Don't Want You to Know.

It is possible for most people to become totally debt free within 24-48 months.  Here is the plan.

1.  STOP charging immediately!

No cheating allowed.

2.  REFUSE 

Refuse to carry your credit card with you!  If you don't have it with you, you can't use it.

2.  BE PATIENT 

Be patient and Understanding with yourself.  Remember that it took time to get into debt and it will take time to get out  

3.  DECLARE WAR  

Direct all your energies toward getting out of debt.  Develop a plan.  If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time

4.  ICE

  In Case of Emergency…you will want to establish an emergency fund.  Avoid the need to use credit by saving $1,000 cash to be used for true emergencies and nothing else.  

5.  ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT  

Create realistic expectations.

6.  DOUBLE DOWN

Pay off your credit cards.  Once you have accomplished all the steps above it is time to begin paying off your credit cards.  Put as much cash as you possible can on your credit card with the lowest dollar balance each month until it is paid off.  Next, attack the card with the next highest balance.  Keep doing this until they are all paid off.  Don't forget to continue making the minimum payments on all your remaining cards while you concentrate on paying them off one by one.   

7.  CONSOLIDATION

Before you jump from the proverbial frying pan into the fire consider this as a very dangerous move.  Why is it dangerous?  Bill and Mary were $25,000 in debt when they consolidated all their credit card debt into one account.  Less than five years later they were $50,000 in debt.  Why?  Though they had good intentions about paying off their cards and getting out of debt, in reality, they became too friendly with their old cards and charged them back up to the limits and were twice as bad off as they were when they started.

8.  MOONLIGHT

Find a part time job and sock every single cent you make on paying off your credit cards.  

9.  HELP

Don't be afraid to ask for help.  Talk to someone who has succeeded in getting out of debt.  If possible, ask parents, adult children, spouse, or some other significant person. to help fund your freedom ride.  Caution, don't ask   and run the risk of embarrassment unless you have demonstrated the fact that you are committed to becoming debt free.  If they don't believe you are serious about getting out of debt and controlling personal spending, you will be wasting your time. 

10.  CELEBRATE your victories!  

You are working hard at experiencing freedom from credit.  Celebrate when you pay off your first credit card.  Celebrate again when you pay off the second.  Keep paying them off one by one and in a couple of years you will look back at where you were then compared to where you are now and you will either be debt free or close to it.

Summary:  It will be a tough uphill battle, but it will be worth it!  Pray about it, talk with your spouse, and put your personal plan into action.  God's word says:  "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."  Proverbs 22:7

www.christianretirement.com

For this and other money-saving information please visit:  http://freedomfromcredit.us