Getting Rid of Credit Card Debt the Stubborn Way

If you have a child or know any little rugrats, you probably have had some quality, first-hand demos on what it's like to be stubborn.  You know what I'm talking about.  Mom gives a command ("You have to eat one spoonful of peas or it's no dessert for you, little miss!"), and the child who was so angelic all of three minutes ago gets that don't-want-to-can't-make-me glint in her eye and hunkers down for a full-on display that is the very epitome of being hard-headed. 

Believe it or not, there might a time when adopting such an attitude could be beneficial to you.  I'm not talking about skulking around a corner in the office until your boss gives in and gives you a raise plus an extra month of vacation.  When it comes to credit card debt, however, digging in your feet and clenching your fists may just get you ahead of the game - without being sent to bed right after dinner.

Say What?

It's no mystery that many of us are carrying around a lot of debt on those little plastic cards.  A lot of us are probably are not paying off balances each month, are scraping together just the monthly minimum payment and are racking up even more debt with those exorbitant interest rates.  Here's where a dose of stubbornness can come in handy.

1. Resolve to better manage your debt.  Make it a point to get serious about really paying off the amounts you owe.  Grab hold of the I-am-going-to-do-this-no-matter-what attitude with both hands, and do not let go. 

2.  Face the music.  Sit down for a few minutes and tally up what you actually owe overall.  It seems sometimes we really don't want to know the total of our debt.  Adding up a couple of store credit cards plus another mainstream card or two and seeing that you actually owe X amount can be daunting.  But, if you are going to kill this debt, knowing what you face to achieve that is a crucial step.

3.  Don't ditch the junk mail.  If you have any kind of credit at all, you're probably getting a number of credit card offers in your mailbox.  Start going through them.  I mean, really going through them.  Sit down with them and read them back and front, tiny print and all.  Here's why:  somewhere along the line, you are most likely going to get a better offer than what you already have.  If you're forking over 19% interest, you might find an offer that lets you have 0% for a certain amount of time, then it will resort to a more manageable 12%.  You're also looking for offers that promote no transfer fees (yes, they are out there!) and long stretches of 0% interest. 

4.  Stay stubborn.  Resolve to pay on time each month.  As you probably know, missing even one payment grants credit companies the right to hike up your interest rate.   If your offer that you decided on also has other criteria (such as making a purchase to keep a certain rate), make it a point to meet that criteria.  Keep in mind, too, that a purchase doesn't have to be $100 worth of groceries or even a $6 McDonald's run.  It can be a 25-cent piece of candy at your gas station.  Seriously.  You might feel a little funny putting a quarter on a card, but not racking up further debt and hanging on to your sweet interest rate deal far outweighs any social discomfort you might face.  Also, keep searching the mail for even sweeter offers.  If you find one, don't be afraid to transfer again; after all, your debt is yours to manage the best way you see fit.

You might sigh with frustration every time your child pulls a show-stopping display of stubbornness, but when it comes to getting out from under your credit card debt, taking a cue from Junior might just end up saving you some money.

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