Tips like these helped us pay off $127K in debt. You can read our story in Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.
Here’s my little Happy New Year gift to you. I am happy to bring you a simple, concrete and easy to put in place tip to fuel your efforts to Save Money, Pay Off Debt, and Be Awesome this year. Looking for a quick plan? Well this might not to be the right place for you. Most things done well take time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t begin to implement systems in your life that will help you achieve your goals. I’ve said it many, many times before. Paying off debt isn’t complex. It’s just not easy. You have to punch the clock daily and do the hard work. Here’s another way to make that happen.
Day 31: Captivate Your Family’s Hearts
It might take a village to raise a child, but it certainly takes a family to pay off debt. If you’re struggling to complete your debt slaying journey due to family members who are not on board, you know this to be the case. But how do we do that? When our spouse or our children are adamantly opposed to paying off debt or simply apathetic, how can we show them why it’s important and motivate their hearts toward the same big goals?
1) Realize You Can’t Change Anyone. Let’s be honest. The only heart that can be changed is your own. You cannot will, force, or shove anyone into your financial goals and dreams. When frustrated with someone in my life, my typical response is “God please change this person’s heart or change mine.” The harder you press someone against their will, the more resistance you will feel back in your face times ten.
2) Lead By Example. Since you can’t change anyone, does that mean you should give up, throw in the towel, and charge it up? Of course not. Your strongest tool of persuasion is your own example. However, be careful how you wield this weapon. It will be much more effective if you’re the strong and silent type over the flaunt it in everyone’s face until they want to upchuck variety. Make difficult sacrifices. Be the first one to take a good long look at the numbers. Read excellent books. Quit using the credit card. Whatever it is, you can lead the way.
3) Begin With Love. Families are awesome. Families are a gift. We chose our spouses. We adore our children. Money is never more important than your family. You also don’t have to love your family with money. Your voice and heart for financial health will be heard more clearly if you’re hitting a home run in other areas of your relationships. Nagging is not love. Haranguing is not love. Belittling is not love.
4) Make The Pursuit of Freedom The Ultimate Game. Everyone loves to be on a winning team. If you can present the pursuit of kicking debt in the teeth as a game rather than a root canal, you’ll have more success. Even you will enjoy the process more when you set goals and achieve them, come in under budget, or make small sacrifices for long term success. Whether you keep an actual scoreboard, make debt your enemy or opposing team, plan small milestone #winning celebrations, or create an actual board game out of your financial mess, you will actually have fun and find yourself in the midst of an adventure rather than a worrisome, grueling process.
It takes time and effort to explain to your child for the 14th time why we’re not going to the bouncy fun center. It takes creativity to plan a date night without spending money. Your patience will be tested and your emotions stretched thin, but captivating your family’s heart is probably the most effective way to kick debt in the teeth.
Have you missed other 31 Ways Posts? Check out:
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Operate from a Mindset of Wealth
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Stop Using Paper Goods
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Streamline Your Monthly Bills
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Don’t Tell Me You’re Doing Everything You Can
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Keep Excellent Records
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Pray
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Don’t Quit Even When You’re Weary
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Shop at ALDI
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: No More Excuses
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Knock Off the Pity Party
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Stop Freaking Out!
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: You Can’t Buy From Every Fundraiser
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: It’s an Emergency!
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Clean Your Room!
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Be Careful the Company You Keep
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Visualize Victory
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Get Your Coupon On
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Work It
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in The Teeth: Move It
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Communicate with Your Spouse
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Set Limits
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Dream On
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Quit Eating at Restaurants
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Read a Book, Why Don’t Ya?
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: Change Your Mind About Budgeting
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth in 2014: Plan Yo’ Meals
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth in 2014: Use CA$H
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth in 2014: Sell, Baby, Sell
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth in 2014: Stop It
- 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth in 2014: Introduction
Want to be sure you don’t miss a single one of the 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth? Be sure to subscribe to my daily newsletter! Look for the bar that looks like this in the upper righthand corner.
You’ll receive another e-mail to confirm and then daily around 5 pm all of the money saving, debt slaying posts I write will come right to your e-mail inbox!
I’m so looking forward to sharing this month of challenge and inspiration with you. Together, we can show debt who’s boss and give it a swift kick in the teeth this January and throughout the year in 2014. Away we go!
Gain inspiration to pay off debt! Check out Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free on Kindle.
This post contains affiliate links. That means when you get a great deal or maybe even something for free, you also help our family pay off our mortgage early. And for that, we royally thank you!