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Cash Loans: The Good, the Bad, and the Debt-Free
...... as possible, and now your pantry and gas tank are empty. You want to stop at the bank, cash your check, and buy a few things before going to the loan company to take care of your advance.
Here's where you'll make your biggest mistake. When you have your paycheck, go straight out and pay off that loan...all of it. The groceries can wait. The movie rentals can wait. Your only concern should be to get out of debt. Most loan companies can cash your check for you. This will make it easier to do all at once. Don't spend a single penny until your debts are satisfied. If you delay your payment, or only pay it partially, you'll start that ugly cycle again, and who knows when it will end, or how
much extra you'll spend. Sell all your toys and eat macaroni and cheese for the next two weeks, but settle that loan.
Now it's time for discipline
You borrowed only what you needed. You paid all your cash loans in full the very day your paycheck came. Now you're debt free and living easy on payday. You even have a few extra bucks in your pocket. Maybe you can afford to buy the gourmet coffee. Just one cup to celebrate. Oh, and a doughnut to go with it. Wrong.
Now comes the real work. Now it's time to roll up your sleeves and keep this from ever happening again. You need to restructure your spending habits. You need to stop thinking of those extra dollars as spending cash, and start thinking of them as your
safety net. Put the money away. Put it in a different account. Not a checking account, but a savings account. One that you need to actually go to the bank in order to withdraw, because the situation will rise again. You'll have another emergency, and
you'll need cash. Your car will get towed again, your water heater will stop working, or you'll get a tooth ache and have to go to the dentist who only accepts payment at the time of service.
Here are a few tips to avoid frivolous spending.
Don't carry cash. As mentioned before, cash burns a hole in your pocket, so don't keep it with you. If you feel it's necessary to have a stash, keep it at home.
If you're spending more than fifty dollars, sleep on it. We've all bought things on the spur of the moment and regretted it later. If you make a strict rule and hold yourself to it, you'll cut down on most of these regrets.
No credit means good credit. Cancel your credit cards. All of them. If you can't do it, then take your one credit card, put it in a Tupperware bowl filled with water, and put the bowl in the freezer. Eliminate any records you have of your credit card numbers.
Go through your monthly bills and decide which ones to eliminate. Don't 'decide if you can eliminate any.' Decide that you're going to get rid of at least one and figure out which one it is. We all have unnecessary monthly bills. Be honest. Do you really need two cell phones? Do you even need one? If you can eliminate one of them, and put exactly that amount away every month, you'll be surprised at how fast your safety net grows.
As you put away your groceries, look for items you can do without the next trip. Most people could cut down their grocery bills by over 25% just by not buying what will go to waste anyway. Look at everything you throw away, and ask yourself why you bought it to begin with.
Cash loans are convenient, and sometimes necessary, but they are not ideal. They are for emergencies, but with some careful planning and healthy spending habits, you can avoid the need for them altogether.
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