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Three Must-Have Debt Relief Tips

Money expert and "Debt Sucks" author Ja'Net Adams gives you three ways to help you get out of debt.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- It's so easy and fun spending money, but boy is it hard to get out of debt! It takes a lot of hard work!

Money expert, Ja'Net Adams wrote the book, Debt Sucks: Everyone's Guide To Winning With Money So They Can Live Their Dreams. She says debt relief is a process and you really can't afford to wait to get started.

"Whenever you have a day off, it's actually your day on for your money; a time to re-evaluate your finances," said Adams. 'You can't do everything in one day but I want to give you three steps that you can take to get you a big head start."

1. Money Leakage

"Our lives get so busy that we don't notice the money slipping through our fingers. Sometimes the leakage is our own doing and sometimes it is caused by others. Take the day to look at your bank statements whether they are online or paper and look line by line. If you are looking at your statement online then try to go back three months to see if there is anything out of the ordinary," said Adams.

Adams says it could be as something you overlooked like an overdraft fee and didn't know it.

"Maybe you thought you had discontinued a membership or a subscription, but it never cancelled and you have still been paying it monthly. Look for leakage from outsiders as well. These leakages are usually caused by scammers who have obtained your debit card information or bank information and used it to charge items to your account. If you see anything like that make sure to call your bank immediately and report it so that it can be handled."

2. Re-evaluate your agreements

You can also use your day off to look at the agreements in your life and adjust them.

"For example have you looked at your mortgage lately? Has your payment risen since last year? That actually happened to me and I had to fix it. Look at your car insurance, renters insurance, life insurance, and health insurance to see where you can make adjustments for 2018. Adjustments that can better insure you and cost you less money," suggests Adams.

3. Automate and Monitor

Lastly, think about looking into online banking at the bank you have your checking account through.

"Most banks and credit unions have budget software as part of their online banking and it can help you get your spending under control. For example if you want to only spend $200 for groceries per month put that number in the software and when you go over that number that part of the pie chart will turn red. If you stay within the number that part of the pie chart will stay green. Although you are automating this part of your financial life you will still need to monitor it so that if you overspend you can correct it!"

Adams says you won't be able to do everything with your financial life in one day, but this is a strong start!

"It's going to take a little bit of time. It's not a day turnaround, but there are holidays coming up. Take these three steps and at least do them on the day you're off."

You can ask Ja'Net Adams your money questions anytime. You can get in contact with her on social media or by clicking here.

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