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Are you ready to finally pay off some debt? Tired of sending payments and getting bill reminders?
I absolutely hate debt.
Owing someone money, not really “owning” what I have… I can’t stand it!
They say you can’t avoid debt, but I’m here to say you can. And I’m ready to prove it’s possible to be debt free!
We have a plan to pay our house off in 6 years total, with about 10 months to go. I can almost imagine what debt free life will feel like.
Debt free life is totally possible! These 15 tips will help you pay off debt quickly, even on a low income!
Ready to get debt free with me?
15 Tips to Pay Off Debt Quickly (Even On a Low Income)
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Read helpful books to develop your own unique debt payoff plan.
There are tons of debt payoff books out there, with many different plans to follow. Find what works best for your unique situation.
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Make goals and commit to them.
Having specific goals can make a world of a difference. Get super specific about how much you want to pay by what date. Make a chart, use a calendar, or a fancy spreadsheet! This free goal planning workbook will help you get specific about your big goals.
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Make a realistic budget.
Knowing how much you are spending in different categories will help you understand your own spending habits. Track your spending for a month or two, then make a specific budget. Use this free yearly budget planner workbook to get started!
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Start an emergency fund.
Nothing can wreck your plan to pay off debt quickly than to have an emergency come up with no way to pay for it. You could easily get off track, and never get back on track. Set up a separate bank account for emergencies, and add a little to it each paycheck.
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Declutter your home and sell what you can.
Sometimes when we have big goals, we have to get creative as we work to reach them. Decluttering your home has many benefits, and extra cash will be nice to throw towards our debt. Sell your items at a yard sale, on Facebook marketplace, on Craigslist, or on the Letgo or OfferUp apps.
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Make extra money.
We can only work with as much money as we make, and sometimes we just don’t seem to have enough. I’m a huge fan of having a side job or extra way to make money. You don’t have to pick up a second job, but find a way to make money from home. These 30 side job ideas will help you get started! Just make sure the extra money you make is put aside to pay off your debt.
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Quit buying unneccessary things.
Now that you have this big goal to pay off debt quickly, it’s the perfect time to cut your spending. Cut cable, stick to your grocery list, cancel subscriptions, find free things to do, and only buy what you need. These savings will give you a little extra cushion during this strict budget season.
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Use cash back apps when you shop.
When you do have to make purchases, make sure to use cash back apps to save as much as you can. Use Ibotta or Checkout51 (or both) when you grocery shop and Ebates when you shop online. Use the cash back to help pay off debt.
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Stay home more.
This is such a simple tip, but when you are trying to save money and pay off debt quickly, staying home can be the best tip of all. Stay home and enjoy spending time with your family, relaxing, working on a project, or reading helpful books. Just stay off the computer too, so you don’t get sucked into online shopping!
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Learn new skills.
When you are trying to pay off debt quickly and need to save as much money as you can, learning new skills can be a huge savings to you. Learn basic DIY repairs to save you from a large service bill. Teach yourself to cook new frugal recipes so you aren’t tempted to go out to eat. Learn a new hobby that can turn into a side job, like flipping furniture. You could also learn to coupon, practice not wasting food, or become a budgeting pro.
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Have a positive attitude.
A positive attitude can make all the difference. Celebrate small wins, like when you reach your monthly payment goal or when you stay in budget the month. Realizing when you are successful and celebrating it will keep you motivated and determined to keep going. Paying off debt quickly is a huge goal, so don’t give up when it gets hard.
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Track your progress.
Tracking your debt payoff progress is a must to stay motivated and positive (see tip #10). Use these free debt payoff tracker printables or make your own chart. Visually seeing your progress is extremely motivating to me!
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Consider opening a separate bank account.
I’m a huge fan of having at least 4 bank accounts to keep my money separate. Having an account specificially for paying off debt is very helpful. Transfer all of your side money and budgeted amount from your check to your debt payoff account. Then, you can easily make payments from that account, without affecting your regular account. Knowing this money is for debt payments will help keep you organized, and also keep you from spending your debt payment money.
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Use bonuses and raises wisely.
If you receive a bonus or raise at work, or even a tax refund, you may be tempted to just live a little more and spend it as you wish. What has worked really well for us, is calculating how much of your paycheck comes from that raise, and transferring it to your savings or debt payment account.
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Save wherever you can and apply it towards debt payments.
The last tip is just to save as much as you can, either by not spending at all (maybe a no spend week), using coupons, cash back apps, shopping at different stores, whatever you can do to save money. Do the math and calculate how much you are saving. It will probably surprise you! Take the money you would have spent and apply it towards your debt payments. Example: If your normal grocery bill for a week is $200, and you shop at Aldi and only spend $80, transfer $120 to your debt payment account.
Ready to tackle that debt?
Use these 15 tips to develop your unique plan to pay off debt quickly!
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