Did you have enough money last month to pay all your basic bills - in full?
If you are not sure, look at your paychecks and bank statements for a typical month and compare them to your bills, payments, and withdrawals. It's hard to use money to make money if you are already sinking into debt.
Even families with good salaries can allow expenses or debt levels to get too high. Examples include not paying off your full credit card balance every month, or spending more than you take in. Habits like these can cost you a lot of money in the end.
Get yourself into a position to cover all your main living expenses. Ideas can range from finding a cheaper place to live to brown bagging lunch more often. Debt is very expensive, especially if you are paying high interest rates, which could be the case with some credit cards, payday loans, and tax refund anticipation loans. It can take just a few months to run up enough debt that could take years to pay off, especially if you only pay the minimum balance on your credit cards each month. Who wants to cope with debts for years and years?
It's fun to wear designer clothes and to drive a fancy car. However, the real signs of success are tougher to spot. The success habits of the rich have been studied - and they are all things you can do yourself:
Living debt free will change the course of America to become once again a true ownership society.
