We can all use a little help sometimes, and when it comes to financial planning, some of us are more likely than others to need that helping hand. If you are struggling with debt and need some debt relief, there are countless ways that this can be done – but sometimes it starts with a little push at home. Thinking about debt relief and actually finding it are often two different things, and so it is helpful just to have a starting point.

Here is that starting point. Use this debt relief weekly financial checklist for September and see just how much you can accomplish on your own! Take some time at the beginning of each week and work through these points.

First week of September: Sit down and create a budget. Include all of your monthly expenses (and we mean all) and all of your monthly income. Make a chart that will help you better determine where your extra cash is going, and think about the best ways to bring that expense number down. Set out jars with cash for each category of expense and live strictly on cash for the month, setting aside the amount that meets your expenses, but on a budget.

Second week of September: Check your credit report. When you start to pay off debt and subsequently rebuild your credit, one of the most important things that you can do is check your current credit status. This is actually something that you should do a few times a year, not only to see where you stand credit-wise, but also to ensure that all information contained within your credit report is accurate. If it is not, you need to deal with discrepancies immediately.

Third week of September: Devise a long-term plan to pay off your debt. If most of your debt is in the form of credit cards, think about paying off the one with the highest interest rate first – after all, it is the one that is actually costing you the most money.

Fourth week of September: Go back to that chart created at the beginning of the month and see how well you were able to stick to it. Take any money accumulated from leftovers in the jars and put it right onto your debt. Give yourself a pat on the back, and get ready for next month!

If your leftover cash wasn’t what you had hoped, or following the budget was just a bit too difficult, it might be time to head to a professional for some help. DebtCare has you covered. Call us today at 1-888-890-0888.