Debt Archives - Page 3 of 45 - Making Sense Of Cents

How To Get Rid Of A Timeshare – Stop Wasting Your Money!

Last Updated: April 13, 2020 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 60 Comments

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Every once in a while I get a question from a reader about how to get rid of a timeshare. Sometimes the person is asking for themselves, but other times, they are trying to help a friend or family member.

The problem is that timeshares aren’t as amazing as the salesperson claims they are. They are expensive, you probably won’t use them as much as you think, timeshare resale values are incredibly low making them hard to sell, and more.

So, if you have been thinking about purchasing a timeshare or if you are wondering how to get rid of a timeshare, today’s article is for you.

Many adults have attended a timeshare presentation, and even more have been asked to attend one. You are usually offered something if you stay the whole time, such as a free vacation, an iPad, a cruise, or something else that is quite enticing. And, that’s how they get you interested.

All you have to do is listen to the presentation and get your free gift. Sounds simple enough, right? [Read more…]

Do You Need To Have “The Talk?” – 4 Powerful Reasons To Talk About Money

Last Updated: October 21, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 16 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Every so often, I hear from someone who says that I shouldn’t talk about money so openly, as they believe it is rude, distasteful, vulgar… I could go on and on.

Sadly, many people think that talking about money is tacky and even more taboo than talking about politics or even sex.

For someone like me who is comfortable talking about how much I earn, the amount I save, and more, I make a lot of people uncomfortable, haha.

But, that’s not what I’m trying to do.

I’m not trying to show off, make people feel less than they are, be rude, or anything like that.

Instead, I believe that being more open about money is better for everyone!

However, I regularly see people being shamed for talking about money, and I see it more and more on social media. [Read more…]

How I Paid Off $30,000 of Student Loans in 2 Years by Paying the Minimum Balance

Last Updated: July 22, 2020 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 6 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Hello! Today, I have a debt payoff story from Alyssa Hunt. Alyssa is the creator of TheLifeHunt.com a blog that helps busy hustlers work towards business success and financial freedom all while managing full-time jobs. She is currently working towards a Master’s degree in English Literature and she teaches writing composition to university freshmen.

When I graduated college in 2014 with my undergraduate degree, I had racked up $30,000 in student loan debt. During my four years of college, I didn’t think much of taking out a loan here and there.

After all, I needed a way to pay for tuition.

Once the excitement and celebrations of graduation ended, I felt a mound of debt on my shoulders.

It was then that I decided to focus all my attention on paying off my debt as fast as I could. And by fast, I meant that I wanted to have all $30,000 paid off in exactly 2 years after receiving my first bill.

Setting my goal of 2 years felt entirely achievable to me, but to everyone else, it was crazy and impossible. I don’t believe a single person thought it could be done. So many people tried to convince me that student loan debt is “good debt” and that it’s “normal” to have debt. [Read more…]

16 Alternatives To Cable TV That WILL Save You Money

Last Updated: August 7, 2020 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 17 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Around five years ago, we decided to cut the cord. We have never watched a lot of TV, but we researched some alternatives to cable TV anyway. With cable alternatives, we knew we could still watch our favorite shows if we wanted to while saving money.

Like many people who are looking for alternatives to cable TV, we decided to go with Netflix. Now that we travel full-time, we often cancel and restart our subscription depending on whether or not we’ll have reliable internet.

Also because we travel full-time, we have met many, many people over the years who go to great lengths to keep their cable/satellite channels. Luckily, in today’s world, there are so many great alternatives to cable TV.

There are options for people who love sports, people who want lots of movies, people who want to watch current seasons of shows, and more.

We cut the cord and got rid of cable, and we haven’t missed it one bit. Seriously, we haven’t even thought about it! [Read more…]

Home Buying Tips You Need To Know Before You Buy

Last Updated: July 27, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 23 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

If you are looking to buy a house, I have a bunch of home buying tips that will help you sort through all of your options, understand the real cost of a home (and help you save money), and make the right choice.

Buying a house is a huge purchase.

In fact, it is usually the largest purchase a person will ever make.

The median U.S. home value is $226,800 and the median price of homes currently listed is $291,900, according to Zillow. And, there are some areas that have much higher average home prices, like four to five times more.

Purchasing a house is a huge commitment, and it’s easy to get excited and forget to think about some very important things before plunking down a huge amount of money. There are just so many factors to think about, and not everyone will have the same concerns. [Read more…]

Are Excuses Causing You To Be Bad With Money?

Last Updated: July 22, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 5 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not you will find an excuse.” ― Anonymous

As a financial writer, I hear a lot of reasons for why a person can’t pay off debt, save more money, retire, travel more, and so on. While some of these are legitimate reasons and there are people who are stuck in a bad situation, I find that some people are just bad with money.

I honestly do know that some people have a much harder life than others.

But, I’m talking about people who keep justifying poor financial choices with excuses that prevent them from living the life they want.

These are things like why someone “needs” a brand new car or huge house. Choosing those things doesn’t make you bad with money, it’s when you let them be the reason you aren’t able to work towards more important financial goals.

If you want to be better with your money, you’re going to have to stop making excuses and start making better choices. [Read more…]

2 Strategies and 3 Habits That Helped Me Pay Off $93,000 of Debt in 3.5 Years

Last Updated: May 6, 2020 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 13 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Hello! Today, I have a great debt payoff story from Heather O’Donnell of HappyHumbleHome.com. Enjoy!

These days, I’m a frugal living blogger at Happy Humble Home and I provide money saving advice and encouragement to others.

But there was a point in my life, not that long ago, when I thought I would be in debt forever.

When my husband and I got married in August of 2015, we had $105,000 of debt. Since then, we have worked very hard towards our goal becoming debt free and we have crushed $95,000 of our debt.

Along the way, we’ve used 2 different debt payoff strategies and we’ve learned 3 essential habits that have helped us be successful along the way. In this post, I’m going to give you an inside look at how I overcame my giant mountain of debt because I know without a doubt that if I can do this, you absolutely can too. [Read more…]

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