The Debt Killer Diaries

It didn’t take one cent to get in to debt, nor sense-in my case, but it takes many cents to get back out of debt and on the road to being financially free and responsible.  There are 10 gazillion “Ways to Make Money” online, and off, about 9.99 gazillion of which are dead ends.  Here are the simplest, easiest and most honest ways that I personally am using to make the money to kill our debt:

1.  Selling stuff.  Whether you hold a garage sale at home, post ads on CraigsList, or explore auction/sales sites like eBay, you CAN sell your stuff.

By stuff, I refer to that which you have bought, and no longer use.  The baubles. The trinkets. The things you never really needed but just HAD to have anyway. I’ve got plenty of it.  I bet you can find some to, stashed away in your house.

I’m exploring some options and looking into a site called Bonanzle.com.  I’ll let you know when I know more!

2.  Making stuff.  Can you bake? Can you cook? Can you mow yards?  Can you garden? Can you sew? Can you work with wood?  Then, by all means, you have the ability to make stuff, sell that stuff and use the proceeds to whack away at the debt!

Takes some homework, especially if you think about selling food-type stuffs, but the opportunities are pretty much endless. Weekend flea markets, craft shows and fairs are great places to sell stuff!

I know, that’s kind of ass-backwards, because you may not want to promote buying stuff when you, yourself, know how easy it is to get into a bind by spending cash on useless stuff.  SO, I suggest to you, that you make useFUL stuff!  Look around, you’ll see what people use in everyday life.  Observation is key.

3.  Doing stuff.  If you’re really in a bind, it may be crunch time and you may want to consider picking up a 2nd job to quickly knock out some of the debt.  Who has time? I know….nobody has time.  You won’t have time until you make the time. Take a look at your current line of work.  Can you translate those skills into something doable online for extra cash?  Consulting work? Design jobs? Writing? Work in construction, plumbing or electricity? Can you find time to pick up tiny handyperson jobs in the evenings?

It takes commitment. It takes a bit of sacrifice. It’s slow going. But the end result more than justifies everything it will take to get there.

I get scared.  Most times, I kind of just get blissfully ignorant and don’t think too far in to the future.  But sometimes, a barrage of dreadful thoughts box my ears and I am afraid of not being better off in the future.  Fear is becoming my motivation.

What’s yours?