How to get out of debt without giving up your life

Strategies on paying off debt faster, paying banks less interest, and having some fun along the way.

by Garrett Gunderson

The key to getting out of and then staying our of debt isn’t just about working harder and limiting your spending; it starts with the proper mindset.

To dig a bit deeper, the root of debt comes from consuming more than you produce. It is critical to be clear about purpose and how to produce in order to stay out of debt. One must always produce more than they consume. Without discovering where there may be a scarcity mentality or limiting beliefs, debt will be a constant companion.

Once you have recognized and have begun to conquer the scarcity mentality around money, then you’re ready for the tools that can help you with being efficient on paying off and understanding your debt.

One of the most effective ways to approach debt is to use the Cash Flow Index. The CFI is a scoring system to help you identify the efficiency of each of your debts. This scoring system will allow you to pay off the most inefficient debts first and then allow you to prioritize the order to maximize paying off your debt.

Here’s how it works. Take the balance of the loan and divide it by the payment of each debt. The resulting number is the CFI rating. The lower the number, the less efficient the debt is and the sooner you should pay it off.

To pay off debt as quickly as possible, pay the minimum on all debts except the one with the lowest score. Then take all other available ‘pay down money’ and pay it toward the least efficient debt. Once it’s paid off move to the next lowest score and pay it off. Rinse and repeat.

Each time a loan is paid off your debt-to-income is improved. This is the percentage of each dollar you earn that is required to be paid towards required loan payments. When this is improved, your credit score can be improved as well. With less debt load, lower debt-to-income, and a better cash flow scenario, it is time to get better interest rates.

Talk to your financial institutions after paying off a loan. Refinance, replace, or restructure. Now with your interest savings, the same payment will go further with paying down principal.

Create small rewards and celebrate the victories along the way. You will feel the progress, live better, and have more fun. This isn’t just about sacrifice and delay, it is about living!

This is one small piece of our greatest area of expertise and result. Cash Flow! To learn the very strategies we have taught our members and saved an average of $2,484 per MONTH, check out the Curriculum for Wealth by going to www.freedomfasttrack.com/cfw.

See more financial blogs by Garrett Gunderson.