Did you know that life doesn’t end just because you have bad credit?
In the quest to get ahead — destination often unknown — it’s easy to have life’s challenges overwhelm you like a tsunami. This article is intended as a reminder and a manifesto: Life Goes On, Just Plan Better.
This is written by Elysabeth Teeko, whose uncontrollable urge to buy every new gadget on the planet.
Enter Elysabeth.
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Bad credit sometimes make people pass judgment on you- think that maybe you were somehow irresponsible in your life, or that you can’t be trusted with money.
None of that is true. Also, if you have bad credit, it should be nobody’s business except you and possibly your spouse.
So what do you do when you need to get things done, but just don’t have the credit available, or cash in hand? Here’s some tips that I’ve found effective for people with Not-So-Great Credit (let’s continue to call it that, shall we? Instead of bad credit!). Some of these may be targeted towards the single lady/gentleman, and some are targeted towards the married or dating couple.
Can You Still Eat Out At Red Lobster?
Going out to dinner is one of the most common, fun and relaxing things to do- for bonding both with a potential date, or already existing family. Nothing is more frustrating then getting out there and realizing dinner is kind of expensive and you can’t afford it.
Well, lucky for you, there are plenty of website where you can find restaurant deals. You can purchase a gift card at a discounted price- the only stipulation is you have to spend a certain amount at dinner. Not too shabby right? Right.
You can find restaurant coupons that give you special deals and discounts, as well as gift certificate deals for not only the restaurants, but also leisure activities, retail shopping, etc. Take these with you and you won’t have to be embarrassed about not having enough- in the instance that everyone wants to order lobster!
Do Holiday Gifts Have To Put You In The Poor House
Another instance where you may feel the need to get a new credit card (but you probably can’t because you have no-so-great credit) is during the holiday season. This won’t matter as much If you don’t have kids- I’m sure your significant other understands that you can’t spend a lot of money on them at Christmas time.
Children don’t get this. At all.
Therefore, it’s important to at least get them a few things that they asked for. Nobody really looks through physical ads anymore. They are usually outdated by the time you scrounge around the house and find them. If your kids have something in particular that they are asking for, start scavenging different websites.
Do they want a motorized scooter? You can search on websites, such as Dealighted, where you can browse per store to find deals and coupons they are offering… at exactly that minute. For both online and offline shopping.
Last, but not least- this is a big investment but it can pay off in the long run.
Buy Real Estate To Pay Off Your Credit Cards?
One thing that hinders improving your credit, is the fact that you may not have a low enough debt to credit ratio. You can improve this by getting a new credit card… but again, that’s not always the easiest thing to do with not-so-great credit.
If you have family, or maybe even a willing spouse, investing in real estate is a great way to get extra income and pay off all your old cards. Investing in a duplex will even allow you to live in one side and rent out the other. If there are improvements that need to be made before a tenant can move in to one side, you can always lend out a helping hand by getting unsecured personal loans that don’t do an extensive credit check or take forever.
Once these improvements are done, you can start making money and paying off your cards. Then, when you want to start paying your trusted family member or spouse back, you can start using the rent from the other tenants to do that. This only works out if you have a wealthy family, but I thought I would throw it out there 🙂
Getting help buying fixer-uppers or foreclosed houses can increase your revenue stream immensely and also give you free cash flow to take care of any bills you may have outstanding.
I hope these help! Remember, your credit is nobody’s business. There are ways to live your life so that your credit isn’t the first thing a person sees.
About the author: Elysabeth Teeko is a homebody who loves to blog about anything tech, design or home related. Follow her on twitter at- @Elysateek
