It’s one thing to know that you have credit card debt. It’s another thing entirely to fully understand why you’re in this position.
In short, you need to be able to answer this question: what is the cause of your credit card debt?
Once you know the answer, you can then formulate a strategy for paying down your debt and preventing a similar situation in the future.
No two people have identical financial circumstances, so it’s up to you to review your situation with the idea of learning as much as possible.
Here are some of the many things that could lead to a high credit card balance:
- Simple overspending. With cash or a debit card, you only have so much money available to you. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. The same does not hold true with a credit card. With this approach, you can spend more than you can comfortably afford to pay when your bill comes due. As a result, you end up carrying a balance.
- Medical debt. There is nothing more important than your health, so there is nothing wrong with using a credit card to pay for medical care. However, you need to have a plan in place for paying down this debt as time allows.
- You need your credit card to make ends meet. Unfortunately, this is the result of spending more money than you earn. Some people find themselves in this position because of a job loss. Others because they don’t have a firm grasp as to how they should manage their money.
Along with all the above, keep this in mind: you will pay interest on the balance you carry from one month to the next. For this reason, it can take even longer to rid yourself of the debt.
If you’re sitting on a pile of credit card debt, if you want to eliminate this as soon as possible, you should consider the benefits of a balance transfer.
This doesn’t do anything to your total balance, however, it puts you in position to eliminate interest charges for a particular period of time (such as 12 or 18 months). With this, you’re in better position to pay down your debt in a fast and efficient manner.
To start, learn more about the cause of your credit card debt. From there, formulate a plan for paying off your debt and avoiding the same issues in the future.
Do you have credit card debt? Do you know why? Do you have a plan for getting rid of it once and for all? Share your approach in the comment section below.