Debt reduction is a serious affair, especially for urban people. I clearly understand what bothers you when you are stuck with numerous debts. In today’s time, it can be indeed a serious problem. Managing the debts is a common challenge. Therefore, you should take small steps to eliminate the issue permanently.
Urgent needs can arise at any time without giving you the slightest hint. It is not always possible to be ready with the required. Emergencies like medical expenses, surgery, accidents, meeting credit bills, etc., fall into such unplanned conditions. However, the situation worsens when you become unable to repay the debts and borrowings on time. It becomes a tedious burden that you want to avoid as soon as possible.
My family also went into those cumbersome days, and we had to sacrifice a lot of things due to the huge debts. I finally understood the value of every penny. That’s when we realized that it is possible to curb debts by adopting some smart ways. I am going to disclose those ideas to you in this piece. Hope they help you too as they have done to us.
Table of Contents
Know Your Debt Sources
We are going to explore some terrific debt reduction strategies to give you relief from never-ending debts. Your future will undoubtedly be more free and happier as you shed the burden of the loans. However, before going further about the strategies, I want to tell you how to keep the records of your debts.
Often, people tend to forget the repayment dates, and as a result, the burden keeps on increasing. Therefore, you have first to determine the different sources of borrowings before you plan the repayment actions. Thereafter, prepare a chart of the relevant due dates. It will help you maintain track of total dues and how much you have already paid.
Debt reduction will be extremely effortless when you abide by some simple theories. Here is a glimpse of these methods.
Understanding the Debt Forms
Your source of debt can be in various forms. For example, it can be a mortgage or pledge, gold loans, home loans, education loans, credit cards, auto loans, and so on. Therefore, always be proactive when you are dealing with a multi-nature portfolio.
The due dates of all these borrowings will definitely not be on the same date. So, determine the terms and conditions of repayment for each. Note down the due dates and frame strategies depending on the urgency.
Assessing Total Debts
After analyzing the debt forms, you should assess the total debts. Moreover, in this step, you must keep track of the amounts you have already paid. If there is a delay in payment, keep a record of the late charges or penalties, too. I can suggest you complete the debts in three steps.
- First, compile the list of all the debts, including the interest rates, due dates, minimum payments, waiver (if any)
- Next, Give more focus to the ones with high interest. You should plan your expenditure accordingly.
- Finally, decide which ones to pay earlier and which can be paid later.
Planning The Repayment
The final step to managing the debts is to plan the repayment actions. You can prepare a chart and write down the amounts against the concerned debts. Debt reduction techniques will not give you a headache if you are particular about your plans.
Sort out the chronology and start repaying in a systematic order. You can always take the suggestions of the experts for curbing the debts.
Negotiating
The most crucial part is going by the plans of repayment. However, many times, you may fail in your activity and cannot keep the schedule as per plans. In such cases, you must have a discussion with the concerned authorities.
If the rates are too high, and you face difficulties in repaying the same within the pre-decided tenure, please go for a negotiation. Usually, financial institutions waive a part of the debt or elongate the repayment period.
6 Strategies To Curb Debts
By now, you know how to channel the debts in the correct manner. If you can follow these brilliant strategies, I am sure you will have a debt-free future. Here are the best strategies that I can think of. Take a look and get rid of the financial tensions.
1. Create A Budget
The first step of getting rid of the huge debts is preparing the schedule or budget. For every activity, the budget plays a vital role. Hence, creating the budget will reveal your creditworthiness and help you formulate the strategies. You may think of lowering expenditures, buying a cheap automobile, or paying the credit card liabilities primarily.
When you have the budget ready, it will be easier to decide on the repayment plans. Try to follow the schedule to complete the debts as soon as possible.
2. Apply Snowball Method
This strategy is a brilliant one. If you have the budget prepared, you can next decide which method to follow for repayment. The Snowball Method includes giving priority to the small debts first. However, you can make simultaneous part payments for other debts. This will gradually reduce your burden, providing more time for paying off the dues.
This method supports faster repayment. After you finish one debt, the next small amount qualifies for the subsequent payments. Please do not stop payments for other debts while you are giving away the lumpsum for one debt. I support this technique a lot as my family slowly got rid of the burden by paying off the debts methodically.
3. Consolidating Debts
Another constructive way of reducing debts is consolidation. It implies accumulating all the debts coming under the same category. For instance, when you have multiple high-interest-bearing debts, please classify them into one category. This will help you overcome the dues within a fixed time.
Similarly, you can also categorize credit loans, auto loans, consumer durable loans, borrowings with lower interest rates, etc. When you pay the debts one by one, the overall pressure is greater. However, when you classify the debts under different heads and then start paying off, the burden reduces automatically. Simultaneous payments will also support creating a good bond with the lenders.
4. Avalanche Method
This is just the opposite of the Snowball method. Here, you need to take the total of all the debts bearing high interest rates. Please do not think about the overdue balance in this case. Instead, go for paying all of such debts first.
You will feel relaxed after the considerable amounts get paid off. Even if the balance is pretty low, consider it to pay before the small-interest-bearing debts. Therefore, it is just like the avalanche when the big chunks of ice fall first, giving way to the smaller ones after it. I will recommend this method for repaying the dues within a shorter period.
You need not have to pay all the debts together. Once the high-interest ones are complete, move to the other debts. There also you check which debt involves more amount. Finish that first and thus eliminate the debts in an order.
5. Lower your Spending
Lowering the expenses can become a vital step in reducing the debts. When you prepare the budget, please keep in mind the maximum amount you can spend after paying off the debts. You may have to sacrifice some of your dreams to meet the payment due dates. However, curbing the expenditures will be more satisfying than avoiding repayment of debts.
Furthermore, timely payments also amount good reputation, better credit score, and of course, a relaxed mind. It will also save you from additional penal interest levied due to late payments. Delays in repayments can also amount to legal actions on the part of the lender. Therefore, prepare to settle off the debts first before you spend on other expenses.
6. Negotiate Lower Rates of Interest
Are the high amounts of debts snatching away your sleep? Please do not be worried, and think of some smart ways to settle the dues faster. I was penalized due to many late payments, and hence I advise you to prepare the budget first.
Moreover, if you find the rates to be very high, do not hesitate to discuss them with the authorities. Often, fruitful negotiations lead to low interest rates. At times, the institutions may also allow waiver of some loans or the interest portions. This will support quicker repayments with low burdens.
When the time frame for paying off the dues expires, you will get several notices. To avoid such unpleasant conditions, try to settle by mutual understanding. You need to know about the negotiating options well before taking the loan. Most banks give multiple chances to negotiate to support the borrowers. Take advantage of these opportunities, and come to a repaying amount with low interest rates.
The above strategies are helpful for everyone for debt reduction, be it a student, common man, or any business person. A systematic way of repaying debts definitely results in faster payments and eliminating burdens. So, think about the repayment procedures first, prioritize the debts, and finally get freedom from all the loans.
Conclusion
I took an educational loan to pursue my master’s. It was indeed a difficult affair to manage the expenses as well as the burden of the loan. However, I reduced my spending and prepared a good budget. It helped me a lot to maintain a good life even after tackling the debt.
This experience taught me how to manage the living by being comfortable within your budget. Later on, my family also came across many such instances where debts became a common topic for our conversations. Thankfully, we succeeded in eliminating the debts by following a combination of different strategies.
Debt reduction is not difficult if you are determined to do it. Therefore, learn the above strategies to get rid of the loan quickly and methodically.
