You're the only debit consolidation program you need.
For those of you who know what I'm talking about, you can skip down to the next paragraph. If you're scratching your head, read on. Getting debit under control boils down to one thing, and that's getting yourself under control. The vast majority of people who have problems with their finances are in the situation because they're careless and lazy. You have to change behaviors before you can really, truly, address the problem. Otherwise you're just treating a symptom.
The first step is to stop borrowing money and learn to live within your means. In other words, figure out how much you make and don't spend more than that. It's very, very basic. Notice I didn't say easy, I said basic. In today's world with every company throwing credit cards, loans, and no-interest deals in your face everywhere you turn, living within your means is anything but easy. You're under constant pressure to borrow money and buy something you can't afford, and that's the first step to financial trouble.
Make no mistake, it's a a daily exercise in self control, especially if you're used to whipping out your plastic and buying whatever whim is at the top of your conscious thought. And, if you're already under mountains of debit, it's easy to rationalize a "it's a drop in the bucket, who cares" mentality. Let me tell you, as someone who was under mountains of debit at one time, it does matter, and your thought process changes when you are sitting on a pile of cash rather than under that mountain.
When you're watching your bank account go down rather than your credit card balance go up, the decisions are much more real and you make them much more cautiously. Being debit free, except for possible your home mortgage, is an incredible feeling, and it takes so much stress out of your life.
So think about your habits and your thought processes before you start to dig yourself out of the hole you're in and create more problems.
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