Image via Wikipedia

If you are like me, you have built up a high credit card debt. I know, I know, we’ve all heard THAT before. Right? What bill am I going to juggle this month? I bet it’s driving you up the wall.

Alright, take a chill pill. Don’t be so fast to file for bankruptcy. Bear in mind that it’s most advantageous for your creditor to work with you to bring things back into line.

Below are some ideas on helping you to control your credit card debt:

First, get ahold of your credit card issuer and let them know of your circumstances. Ask them to lower your credit card’s interest rate, or for a reduced payment plan to repay. It’s quite possible that this may not have crossed your mind because I’m sure you are naturally polite. It is in your best interest to remain courteous when dealing with your creditors. Be firm, and polite, but present yourself in a manner that tells them you know exactly what you are looking for and that you expect to receive it. If you are not sure about what you are asking for, perhaps you might want to consider contacting a consumer credit couneling service with a reputable reputation. There are lots of trustworthy firms in business where the main purpose is to assist you in negotiating with your creditors.

Next, quit using the credit cards. Shred them, light them on fire (safely of course in a well ventilated area), or cut them up. Do whatever is required to keep you from using them. It will not help for you to continue feeding the problem by making even more debt.

This step can prove to be the most difficult of reducing your credit card debt. Being addicted to spending money that you don’t have available to spend. You have to quit- NOW.

Start by paying off the credit cards that have the higher interest rates. Work from there. How would you do that? Concentrate your efforts on the high interest rate credit cards by paying more than the minimum payment that is due each month. That payment is just designed to keep you obligated to the credit card companies for the longest amount of time possible.

The credit card companies aren\’t in business to lose money and it\’s in their best interest to keep you paying them for as long as possible. Even a small amount extra each month pays off in a big way in the long run.

Finally, keep holding your chin high and keep looking up. Lots of people such as yourself have started and successfully cut their credit card debt using these very steps. You can too!.

Start Today!

I have been reminded a few times recently that people can be very strange. Some will hate for no reason, some will love.

I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make as people with ambitions or dreams is to listen to those people in the world who want to pull you down and destroy you for no reason other than jealousy, or because they can, or sometimes even because they love you and want to protect you from making mistakes.

If you care what everyone thinks about you, you will ultimately fail in whatever you try to achieve, because you CANNOT make everyone happy. It’s impossible.

If you think whatever you are doing in life is right and good for YOU, then go for it. Put your shields up, and don’t listen to the haters or the people that you think are wrong.

Take on board people’s constructive advice, yes, but if you think they are wrong, then you should go for it anyway.

Life is too short to not take chances that you might regret later in life just because you were trying to keep everyone happy.

Image by gebl via FlickrSo this week I’ve spent a lot of time reading a book called “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss after having hearing about it on Woody Maxim’s excellent blog.

This book is incredible and has completely changed the way I think about how I work and spent the time in my week!

Timothy goes on to explain how a new bread of entrepreneur called the “New Rich” (NR) work and use their time. Instead of the old model of working yourself to death with endless days and nights slogging away, the NR set up businesses that require very little or no time of their own to run.

This time can then be spent enjoying life to max and having “mini-retirments”. Who wouldn’t want to have more time to spend with family, friends and just exploring the world and all it has to offer?

Especially surprising is the section about outsourcing your life and work. You would be amazed at the things you can hire people to do very cheaply, especially when hiring from India and China where differences in currency strengh and other factors mean that you can get very cheap “virtual assistants” ready and willing to do whatever you need 24 hours per day.

It’s a $12 book folks, and an essential addition to your library of motivational and insprational works.