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When I was 19, I went and filled out my 1040 EZ like a good little citizen, and it told me that I made about $10,000 that year, and I really didn't have anything to show for it except several thousand dollars in student loan debt. Sure, some of that money went to tuition, books, room and board, but I wasted a whole bunch of that money! I knew something had to change! I decided that it wasn't going to stay like that forever, and I was going to have something to show for all of the money I made. I cut back on spending, worked harder, and instead of being $7000 in the red, I was $5000 in the black just over a year later. Here are some tips that you can make use of to get very intense and pay off your debts!

Sell Stuff You probably have a lot of random toys sitting around that you rarely make use of, maybe a boat, extra television set, computer, motorcycle, or something like that. Put that stuff on eBay or in the newspaper and get rid of them. If you wouldn't buy them in the situation that you are now again, sell those items!

Cash Out Savings Bonds Most of us got some sort of small savings bonds when we were little that have just been sitting around collecting dust. It's time to cash those in and put them on your debts!

Have a Garage Sale Everyone has piles of stuff that they don't need and really don't want and are just too lazy to get rid of. Grab a couple of neighbors and have yourself a garage sale and get rid of that stuff, take everything that doesn't sell to the local Good Will to free up space!

Say No To Fast Food We spend ridiculous amounts of money on fast food, some of us a lot more than others, you can always make food at home for cheaper. If you're looking for one solid thing you can do to save money, quit eating out!

Drive Debt Free A lot of us buy new cars that we can't afford. If you have a big expensive new car, put it up for sale and get a reasonable $2000 or $3000 car that you can drive around until you actually have some money to upgrade and pay cash for a vehicle.

The Dreaded Part Time Job A lot of us hate the idea of a part-time job because it means going back to those service jobs we thought that we left a long time ago. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be this way! You can create your own part-time business and make way more money than you would by working at the mall! Even if you do get a retail or service job, you'll be making some extra money that you didn't have before!

Addictions If you just can't stop smoking, consuming alcohol, or even are drinking too much pop, it might be a good time to finally put these nasty little habits away forever. It's amazing how much money that you can spend on these things.

Cancel the Vacation If you're in a lot of debt, let's face it, you just can't afford to go on vacation, and that's the way it is. The money's not there, and don't fool yourself into thinking that it is there.

Economize Your Lifestyle Part of getting out of debt is just spending less money, I know it might seem too simple, but you need to focus on getting the best deals when you buy stuff, buying generic brands, and not buying stuff that you don't need. Just spend less money, you can do it if you try!

Hopefully these tips will help you on your road to debt freedom.

Learn more about this author, JQ Adams.
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