
Heading in to 2012, millions of people will strive to keep their New Year’s resolutions. Many have set goals to lose weight, others to achieve a career goal, yet probably the most important resolution that we can make, is to get out of debt and stay there. In most cases, staying out of debt is simply a matter of budgeting and self-discipline. The best rule to live by to avoid getting into debt in the first place is this: If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it! These are great words to live by, but not always easy to apply in everyday life. Retailers encourage us to shop, offering easy, in-house financing to purchase large ticket items that we really can’t afford. They seduce us with low monthly payments, but neglect to mention the finance charges, which considerably increase the amount we actually repay. This is where self-discipline comes...







