{"id":2070,"date":"2012-01-05T08:10:18","date_gmt":"2012-01-05T08:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pennygolightly.com\/\/?p=2070"},"modified":"2012-01-04T19:47:52","modified_gmt":"2012-01-04T19:47:52","slug":"jump-start-january-personal-finance-week-day-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pennygolightly.com\/jump-start-january-personal-finance-week-day-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Jump Start January: Personal Finance Week: Day 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s task is a quick and easy one for me: I\u2019m paying off my credit card completely<\/strong><\/em>. Zero balance.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"

This isn\u2019t necessarily easy, or even possible for many people, so please don\u2019t feel obliged to copy me if it isn\u2019t appropriate for your circumstances.<\/p>\n

The reason I\u2019m able to do this is because I\u2019ve gone out of my way over the last few years to live well within my means, and I\u2019ve done everything I could to pay off any debts. It wasn\u2019t always easy, but I stuck at it and can honestly say it was completely worth the effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I now regularly put a little money aside for 10 months of the year so I can afford the festive season when it inevitably comes around, to spread the cost and avoid the panicky January hangover. That\u2019s why I can pay the bill off in one go, and since it\u2019s a small amount every month I don\u2019t really miss it.<\/p>\n

To some extent I have to admit that I\u2019ve also been lucky. For example, many people end up with debts because they become ill, or their relationships break up, and there are serious financial consequences.<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t pay off your credit card in full today, there are a few other options you might prefer. You could:<\/p>\n