If I had a dollar for every time I heard somebody say, “OMG if I could just buy that one pair of shoes my life would be complete!”, I would be rich.  Actually…I guess I just heard that and only the one time.  I was at the mall shopping for mother’s day when I overheard a couple of besties chatting as they passed by me.  So, I guess I’d only really have a dollar.

I’m trying to illustrate a point about getting out of debt.  Here’s the thing: If you’re waiting by the calculator and calendar until you get out of debt so you can go on a shopping spree…dude or dudette.  Seriously?

Here’s an ersatz case-study.  I was recently on a diet, I won’t mention the name of the diet but it’s initials are A.T.K.I.N.S.  When I dive into a diet, I really dive in…for at least a week.  Anyway, as I normally do, I did lots of research, plotted my plan, and went for it.  I ended up losing about 10 pounds but that’s not the point.  When I was researching the Atkins diet I spent a good amount of time in forums.  I came across this phenomena where some forum members complained about their results.

Apparently she’s never been told that if you ride the edge you run the risk of falling over the line.  This is SOOO true with dealing with a debt crisis…or ANYTHING in your life that is a struggle.  If you’ve ever been habitually late to work then you get my point.

Anyway, you can’t expect amazing results in from a diet when in your heart you really just want to eat a boat-load of crappy food.

When you are finally so motivated that you can see nothing but the goal then I promise you: you will succeed.  Let me say that again the exact same way because I want it to sink in:  When you are finally so motivated that you can see nothing but the goal then I promise you: you will succeed.

Stay focused on the goal and you won’t need to weigh out your carbs…or in the case of debt management, squeeze your budget to afford a new pair of shoes.

This is the way people have success in areas that they have struggled with.  The good news is that you can get in this zone immediately.  You have to get angry.  You have to get angry at the lie you’ve been sold!  You have to get angry at everybody that ever gave you bad deal.  You have to get angry at fact that you’re [blah blah blah] years old and struggling with this problem.  You have to get angry at the fact that because you’re broke, you have to pay more fees.  You have to get so angry that your in this situation.

Then what?

Then you’re out of debt.  Then you can plan.  Still holding onto that anger that you can plan with the resolve to never again let yourself be put in that situation.

In writing this I actually found myself getting angry.  I am angry at the banks that gave me credit cards at 18 years old.  From 18 to about 23 I had an awesome life. When I joined the Army and my income dropped I found out quickly just how awesome my debt wasn’t.  When I got out of the Army I experienced a short period of unemployment and that’s when the hammer fell.  I was a high credit risk.  I racked up late fee after late fee.  Overdraft fees…wow…I can’t even begin to tell you how much stress that put on my family and I.

Yada, yada, yada…divorce.  Yada, yada, yada…out of debt.  etcetera, etcetera…screw the credit card companies advocate.

Each ‘yada’ is about 2 years and etcetera’s are whatever.

When my father was starting to make his way through the world, he couldn’t get credit to save his life and he was super-responsible with money.  When he got out of the Army he immediately applied to be a California Highway Patrolman.  After graduating the academy, he married my mom and they started a life together.  My dad even worked 3 jobs.  On his days off he would pick up shifts as a mover for Bekins and worked at a gas station changing oil.  His first credit line was AT the gas station.  The owner gave him a $25 credit line 6 months after working there.

My mom was finally able to fill up without going to bank for a withdrawal if she hadn’t planned far enough ahead, (this was pre-ATM days…obviously).  After saving for a couple of years, their next credit line was a mortgage.  I think his actual first credit card, if memory serves, was a Montgomery Wards card.  I think my parents bought a washer and dryer…but I could just be filling in the blanks.

My point is, back when credit cards were hard to get, people use to have to prove creditworthiness before a responsible banker would approve a line of credit.

NOW, though, things have changed.  The credit card companies have learned from the drug dealers: Get kids hooked on credit early!  This is what is happening to young adults.  When I started out in life I wasn’t prepared to pay the debt.  The infamous ‘They’ I often refer to shoveled offer after offer at me and like a stupid kid, I took it.  I figured they had to know what they were doing and I was still able to pay the minimums.  I would only pay off a card if I anticipated needing to increase my limit.  Which, brings me to my next pointless…

Managing your credit profile is a game.  It goes back to the original idea that if you ride the edge you run the risk of falling over.  Experts, including this one, will advise you to keep your credit lines open unless there’s an annual fee; pay off every credit card every month, etc.  But, that’s only if you DON’T have a debt crisis.

A crisis is a crisis.  The only way to deal with a crisis is with a reaction.  Your reaction to a debt crisis needs to be anger at all the circumstances that got you into this mess so that it can fuel your long-term determination to get out of debt.