The Debt Quiz
7 simple questions & answers to find your best debt help plan
This short debt quiz will show you where to start with paying down your debt and managing your money.
If you are you feeling a bit lost and confused about all the loan, credit card, re-mortgage and debt consolidation options available to you; fear not, wherever you are in your debt journey, these few simple questions will help provide you with direction, or at the very least a really good starting point to get you on the right path to your best debt payment plan.
We all have different challenges when it comes to money and debt, there is no one size fits all solution and sometimes a knee jerk reaction to managing debt can land us in even more hot water.
Get a clear view on where you are right now and lets find the right options for you!!
1. How much do you owe on loans and credit cards?
Congratulate yourself on getting this sorted out now; if you were to leave it, these things can quickly spiral out of control. Firstly check your credit score and make sure that all the information they hold about you is correct, you might have to get these things fixed before you move on. Then make a clear record of how much you owe and what the interest rates are and eee if you can get some 0% credit cards and use the FREE excel tracker together and the action plan with some FREE online calculators to see how this will affect your overall debt
Don’t worry, you got this. First check your credit score, make a clear record of how much you owe and see if you can get some 0% or lower % credit cards. Download the FREE excel tracker and action plan but do NOT jump into a consolidation loan or re-mortgage just yet. Look at selling unwanted items through eBay, amazon marketplace, Craigs list, facebook etc. Even downgrading your car or house might be an option if you are seriously committed! Reduce your outgoings by getting better deals on your household bills and regular spend items (TopCashBack, Earny, Quidco, Shop at Home etc.) and start tracking your spend , try free apps such as the Nitsova money manager,
Take a breath, it’s ok. Just follow all the steps in the checklist, work on your credit score and getting cheaper debt, investigate your consolidation options and if you are really being hounded look at “what lies in your debt” to see if there is a chance you could turn this around and MAKE money from your situation! A debt relief order or bankruptcy might be an option for you but get some GOOD independent advice before you make any decision in this direction.
That’s perfectly natural.”] It can be hard to move forward if you aren’t sure where you are right now, it’s confusing and stressful. Get some emotional support and set some time aside to work on this, it’s important. Download the free excel template to see what your situation looks like and work through the checklist and action plan step by step. This will also help track progress so as you start to get rid of your debts you get a great sense of achievement. Remember it’s only money, it’s not life or death but if you are having debilitating anxiety about it, get some help and support sooner rather than later!
2. Do you use any software, money apps or simple spreadsheets to track what you spend your money on and how much you are being charged for your credit?
Well done you! Keep it up. There are so many useful apps and trackers out there for free these days, don’t forget to check out what’s new on the market. Tracking is great, but are you using these insights to get better deals? 0% credit can actually make you money if you invest it well, plus using cashback cards for spend (that you pay off monthly) and sites like Quidco, Earny and TopCashBack can save you even more!
I commend you for your effort and if it’s not your thing, keeping track of your money can feel like a chore but there are so many software programmes and tracking apps to choose from these days, have a look for one that’s simple and automated where possible, after the initial set up it will save you so much time and money in the long run!
That’s perfectly reasonable.”] It’s worth trying out a really simple spreadsheet to start off with and see how you go. Many new apps and software applications are designed to be very user friendly so you never know; you might just find one you like, and most of them are FREE too! If you still feel that your money mind-set is stopping you from moving forward, get some help with it or join some online support groups. This is such a common block for many people, you are not alone and the help is there for you
You might really find this life changing then! It’s worth trying out a really simple spreadsheet to start off with and see how you go. Many new apps and software applications are designed to be very user friendly so you never know; you might just find one you like and most of them are FREE too! If you do however feel that your money mind-set is stopping you from moving forward, get some help with it or join some online support groups. This is such a common block for many people, you are not alone and the help is there for you. Failing all that, maybe find a trusted friend to support you or employ a bookkeeper if you know this is not something you are ever going to do.
3. How do you feel when you think about your money situation?
Keep it up. There are so many amazing free bits of software and apps available to help you track spending, don’t forget to check them out!
Work through the FREE checklist and get some support, you’re not alone. Working on how you feel about it can be just as important as paying off your debts!
It’s not worth getting upset over, please don’t panic. Work through the FREE checklist and get some support, you’re not alone. There are so many support groups out there to help you address your money mind-set. Working on how you feel about it can be just as important as paying off your debts!
4. When was the last time you checked your credit score?
That’s great! Don’t forget to look at all the credit agencies though, they can hold different information about you and it might not be accurate.
Things change rapidly in this game, especially in our current climate, and if the credit agencies are holding incorrect or out of date information about you it could be costing you money in lost opportunities for cheaper credit. Keep informed with the information they hold about you.
There is no time like the present. It’s free to check what information the credit agencies hold about you, and it takes just a few minutes. It could mean the difference in a good loan or mortgage rate and $thousands lost on a poor one.
5. How often do you review your utility bills, mortgage products, insurances and phone contracts to make sure you’re always getting the best deal?
If you don’t already do this, set reminders in your calendar or mark the dates in a spreadsheet (see our free printables) so that you can get new deals in place before the old ones expire. When comparing, don’t forget to get cashback too!
That’s great but it might be worth setting reminders in your calendar or marking the dates in a spreadsheet so that you can get new deals in place before the old ones expire, it could save you a fortune over the year. When comparing and signing up for new deals, don’t forget to get cashback too!
You could be throwing away $thousands! For the sake of an hour or so every month, you could be saving a huge amount of money. Your needs change over time, the broadband you use, the insurance cover that you might be still paying for but is no longer relevant, the utility provider that overcharging just very slightly all the time…….It might only be a small amount every month but that really can add up very quickly. The small amount of time you spend organising this it could be one of the best paid jobs you’ve ever had!
6. Do you use cashback sites or money back credit cards to reduce your spending?
Brilliant! Keep it up. Don’t forget to check some sites directly too, sometimes it’s even cheaper than using the cashback or voucher sites. Cashback cards used to pay for items on cashback sites could be a double whammy!
That’s a shame. They really aren’t. I’ve personally had a lot of money back for buying car insurance and switching TV providers etc. it costs nothing to sign up and they are really user friendly so you have nothing to lose! Cashback credit cards are great paired with cashback sites or just for day to day purchases. Buying all your food and petrol with one of these can give a nice little windfall every year when they pay out the cashback.
Cashback sites provide you with a list of suppliers for the particular product that you search for; this could be utilities, food, or general home and clothing. If you click on the link provided by these sites and go on to purchase something, the cashback sites will PAY YOU!! It’s usually a % of your purchase but sometimes it can be quite hefty lump sums. It might take a month or so to get the money but it turns up eventually! Cashback credit cards are great paired with cashback sites or just for day to day purchases. Buying all your food and petrol with one of these can give a nice little windfall every year when they pay out the cashback.
7. Are you being hounded by creditors and desperately trying to keep your house and / or your sanity?
Well done, keep it up! Don’t forget to keep track of your credit score and see if you can switch some expensive debt onto 0% cards so that you can pay down the overall outstanding amount quicker and pay less in the process.
Don’t worry, there are always alternatives. Don’t forget to keep track of your credit score and see if you can switch some expensive debt onto 0% cards so that you can pay down the overall outstanding amount quicker and pay less in the process. Some form of debt consolidation might help you to maintain your current position of “no defaults” by reducing your monthly bills and giving you a bit of breathing space. Check out all the alternatives to traditional debt consolidation first though, some can be very costly
Before you panic and turn to bankruptcy or a debt relief order, make sure you’ve exhausted all your options on the checklist, even when you have tried all that, there might be other avenues to pursue. Just stay calm and get some independent professional advice on your options as well as some personal support to help you though these challenging times. There is no point getting through all this if you’ve made yourself sick with worry in the process is there? You might even have a case for legal recourse if you are being illegally pursued by your creditors; it’s definitely worth investigating before you make such a big decision with your longer term financial health.[/expand]
Download the FREE checklist so that you can work through all your options systematically. At least then if bankruptcy turns out to be your best solution, you can rest easy in the knowledge that you’ve completly exhausted all your other options first.
Author
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Hi, I'm Lindsey and I really love helping people & businesses get their money organised & their systems optimised. (I'm a bit weird I know) I have an MBA in finance & have been a self-employed management consultant since 2013. I've been super privileged to work on a wide range of projects in that time & each one has been an amazing opportunity to learn something new. This site aims to create a bank for that knowledge so that you can shortcut your journey to success & hopefully skip all the mistakes that I made! www.linkedin.com/in/uk-lindsey-briscoe
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