HIMPower Magazine HimPower September 2017 | Page 33

want to just “reduce” your debt. You want
to eliminate it. You want it gone--taken
completely out of your life, as quickly as
possible.
So, by taking small, methodical and
consistent steps, you can create a better
plan. Debt reduction services only deal with
the symptoms of a debt problem. But the
intentional, step-by-step process of the
small, consistent steps actually assists you
in changing your behavior. And that’s the
formula! Because if you don’t change your
behaviors, you’ll slip back into debt once
your deal with the debt reduction service is
finished.
So, start by saving $1,000 for an emer-
gency, (Step 1), and keep moving. Create
a budget—(put your income in the first
column and your fixed, known expenses in
the second column). Then add in miscella-
neous expenses that fluctuate from month-
to-month. Continue by adding a small
amount of money for unexpected expenses.
Unfortunately, we generally don’t receive
unexpected income! Continue building that
emergency fund. Use the debt snowball to
wipe out your debt once and for all. Then
start building for a future that really can let
you live and give like no one else!
I’ll say it again: Paying off debt is never
quick or easy. Sure, the small steps are
simple by themselves, but they do take some
work and determination. Make eliminating
debt your passion! And your progress only
moves at the speed of your determination.
But you definitely don’t need to pay a
debt reduction service to do what you can
do on your own! So skip the “quick fix”
and focus your energy on a plan that really
works. 
Robert Rhinesmith is a Registered Investment
Advisor, Applewood Capital Management Asso-
ciates, LLC.
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