I was telling my daughter that debt is like fat and she was confused. I explained that building up debt rarely happens overnight, just like building up your body mass is not done overnight. Unfortunately, I have put both fat and debt back in my life.
When I had my weight gain it happened over about a 14-year period. It was slow, but it was significant when I finally did something about it. It was a compounding of eating the wrong things, in the incorrect quantities at the wrong time, and a complete lack of physical exertion. I had taken the weight off but am back fighting to lose it.
Another way debt is like fat is the build-up is the same way. Usually, it happens slowly without you noticing you are doing it. Unless you make some gruesome investments, an incredible blunder or you are a victim of a fraud.
Buying your lunch every day isn’t going to put you into debt, nor is leasing your car, vacationing in Las Vegas, or buying lottery tickets either. However, start adding these together with spending more than you make and suddenly you are building up debt, instead of equity. Keep doing this over a long period, and suddenly you have a debt load that you cannot afford and you are just not sure how the heck you did it. It was achieved one small step at a time.
What is the Key?
Unfortunately, or fortunately, debt reduction is accomplished in the same way. Unless it rains money, getting out of debt is done slowly and one month at a time, using a plan and self-control and a willingness to change your lifestyle (because losing weight and debt reduction are BOTH lifestyle changes, not just a quick fix that allows you to go back to your old habits).
Losing the financial bad habits is the key to debt reduction, keep that in mind.
Debt is like fat, but you can still fight it.
Trying to work on both this year and you are right both require work and effort. You have to have a plan, do the work, and then reap the reward.
I plan on getting rid of my debt in 10 months, when I’ll be done with the car payments and NEVER have this problem again. Having a more responsible way with money is pretty hard. Just like being fit. We all know what it takes and how to do it, but few can make the constant effort to have results 🙁
Yeah, agree. That’s why many pople trap in the debt. It is because we do not aware of it since it is growth little by little.
Hey Cajun,
two great minds think alike.. I wrote a blog post about that recently.
I’m not in debt , but I am trying to lose weight. I can see the comparisons all over the place.
Being in debt is like being over weight..!