Debt Help Ideas

If you send books, CDs, and/or DVDs to friends or relatives (great ideas for long distance grandkids or elderly shut-ins), you are eligible for one of the most practical little ways to save money on snail mail.

Media Mail is ultra cheap and quite easy. Just package up the books, CDs, and/or DVDs in a sturdy box. Don’t include anything else, especially not magazines or personal letters. The post office does do regular spot checks and if you accidentally include those, your package might take a lot longer and will cost a whole lot more! Wrap the package and address it. I usually write Media Mail in big letters on both sides of the package.

Take the package to the post office and request that it be sent via Media Mail. As an example of the great savings:

• 2 pound package from the West Coast to the East coast – Parcel Post would cost $6.97 whereas Media Mail is only $2.58
• For a 7 pound package – Parcel Post would run $12.81 while Media Mail is only $4.33

Think of the possibilities, particularly if you are working hard making extra money at home and have to mail these types of items. Mailing by media mail is definitely one of my favorite and very practical ways to save money!

Debt Consolidation. You know what I mean. Taking all that unsecured debt and lumping it all together into one loan so you only have one payment and you think you will reduce debt cost. It seems so logical, so easy, so wonderful! We thought so too. Then we discovered the dark side of this option.

It’s just too easy to borrow more. Those paid off credit cards will be calling your name, begging you to use them. Needs will arise like you wouldn’t believe. Before you know it, your unsecured debt will have doubled and you will be miserable!

You’ll be a lot happier and a lot better off if you sit down and make serious plans for ways to reduce or eliminate debt safely and sanely, one bill at a time. I like the “reduce debt snowball” idea that many financial counselors, including Dave Ramsey, recommend. You start with the lowest bill and pay it off using any extra money you can. That’s where all the creative and practical ways to save money that you will find on this site will come in handy. For that matter, if you can start a home business earning money at home, you can also apply any extra money from that to your bill.

Pay as much as you can on that bill, not just the minimum. Once it’s paid off, take all the money you were paying towards it and add it to the payment you are sending for the next lowest bill. Before you know it, your unsecured debt will be gone, and you will have gotten so much closer to your goal to eliminate debt!

P.S. If you’re looking for extra help, you might check with one of the reputable Christian organizations that help people in debt. You’ll find my two favorites in the right column. Just click on the pictures for more info.