By Mike McDonald

Are your credit cards getting dread looking in your mailbox? Are you tired of constantly being in debt?

If so, it’s time to take control of your credit spending. Here are some ways to begin.

1. Start buying with cash. Put all your credit cards away. Better yet cut them up. Pay cash. That way you stop spending when the money runs out.

2. Face your creditors. Your bills won’t disappear if you try to ignore them. The interest due will continue to accumulate and the collection agencies will keep calling. Be honest. Your creditors will appreciate frankness.

3. Establish a payment plan. Write down how much you owe to whom. Make out a plan so that everyone receives something. Don’ t promise more than you can afford. Choose a reasonable amount for every debt, then stick with it

4. Repay friends and family as well. Don’t ignore them. By repaying them, your conscience will clear and your relationship with them will improve.

5. Pay off little debts as well as big ones. An unpaid small debt can be as harmful to your credit rating as a big one. And it is easier to make visible progress with the smaller bills. Marking one bill “paid in full” will surely give you a sense of accomplishment.

6. Keep tithing. Even if you can’t give a full 10 percent to the church, give something. Each gift to the church may help you remember God’s many blessings. After all, God gave us money for our benefit, not for our bondage.

(The above material appeared the in the March 1992 issue of Guideposts Magazine.)

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