8 Steps for a First Time Home Buyer to Get Out of Debt and Buy a Home
As I was surfing the Web looking for answers to a common problem I see of people who are renting homes for their families when they should be investing their rental payments into themselves and taking advantage of the tax breaks of home ownership. I came across an article which I wanted to share. I know it may seem like common sense but like any other learned habit , hearing it over and over increases the chances that it sinks in.
Ask a loan advisor or real estate agent what they find most satisfying about their career, and many will say how rewarding it is to help people buy their first home. If you ask those same professionals about the biggest challenges for first time home buyers, and they’ll bring up two sticking points:
- Buyers often carry too much debt
- Buyers don’t have enough cash saved for a down payment.
These are normally two sides of the same coin. If you want to buy your first home, the goal is clear: get rid of debts that create a burden on your ability to save up for a down payment.
We all know we shouldn’t spend more than we earn. It’s one of the common sense “rules” that we try to live by, but maybe let slip a little too often. That “I got to have” purchase you bought last week might look good then, but it’s a lot less satisfying to own if there’s a nasty credit card balance hanging over your head later.
Okay, so you didn’t follow the rule above and now you’re in debt. You wish you hadn’t done it in the first place. No use crying over spilled milk. Instead, move forward and take the necessary steps to reduce your debt. We’re going to change how you manage your money, making it easier to save money for a down payment on a home!
STOP ADDING TO YOUR DEBT
If you want to get out of debt, the first step is to stop adding to your outstanding balances. One trick to used is to keep only one credit card in your wallet. And, it’s the card with the lowest credit limit. Thus, it’s impossible for you to get into any serious trouble with it. No wild spending sprees are possible. Other cards, with higher limits, stay at home in your dresser drawer. Those cards are only there for emergencies. So, leave all but one card at home. After a while, you’ll forget that they’re there.
TAKE AN INVENTORY OF YOUR
SPENDING HABITS
If you haven’t already done so, create a list of all the places your money goes every month; including rent, credit cards, utilities, food, car payments, gas, insurance, medical, dental, charity, kid’s activities, entertainment etc.
Then, split the list into two, separate lists.
The first list includes items that you’ll always have to pay (e.g. utilities). The second list includes debts you can pay off. For example, you’ll always have an electric bill, so that goes on the first list. Since it’s feasible to pay off your Sears credit card, that goes on the second list.
For the second list, reorganize the order of the items either by:
A: Largest account balance (Debt Snowball), or
B: Largest interest rate (Debt Avalanche).
Now you have a clear picture of your debt situation. All the cards are on the table. Pun intended.
ELIMINATE THE BIGGEST
DEBTS FIRST
The Snowball and Avalanche plans help you take a big chunk out of your debt every month, but they work differently. The Snowball method will help you to rapidly reduce the number of debts you owe, while the Avalanche method will help you do the same, but with less interest and a shorter time frame.First, make the minimum payment for every bill.
Then, make an extra payment 
for the one item that is on the top of your list.
Repeat monthly until the item on the top of your list is paid in full.
After you’ve paid off the first item, take the money you were using to pay if off and now apply it to the second item on the list. Knock off each #1 item every month until all balances are paid off in full.
Some people prefer the Snowball method, as they will find themselves encouraged as each bill is eliminated from their budget, but if you can change your thinking, you can do better.
“One of the many reasons people can fall into debt is the difficulty of separating emotional thinking from rational thinking.” The Debt Avalanche helps separate these two methods of thinking, as the best financial decisions are almost always the rational decisions.”
G EXPENSES AND MAKING THE PAYMENT
So, if you are already in debt, how can you expect to pay anything extra to the bill at the top or your list? Just like a well-crafted movie: clever editing. If you spend $100 a week on groceries, try to spend $5 fewer dollars. Do you go to the movies every weekend? Cut that down to two weekends a month and enjoy something from Redbox on the other weekends. Do you buy a latte every day before work? Why not treat yourself to one special beverage each week and bring one from home on the other days.
You get the idea. Whatever you can cut out of your weekly spending, you can add to the payment to the top item on your Snowball or Avalanche list.
PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED
Our lives are full of struggles, and certain unplanned expenses will pop up from time to time like car repairs or extra medical bills.
Set aside some money you save from cutting your expenses and stash it into a special savings account that is created just for this purpose. That way when tough times arrive, you’ll be ready.
The emergency fund can be used instead of pulling out your credit card which will save you money vs adding interest payment debt.
LOWER YOUR INTEREST RATES
Contact your credit card company to see if they can offer you a lower interest rate on your card. If not, shop around for a card with a lower rate and transfer your balance to the new one. Many cards now a days offer you a 6 month interest free transfer of credit card debt plan. See if your bank offers a consolidation loan, where they pay off all of your credit card debts, and you pay them back at a lower interest rate and usually at a lower monthly payment. This will also allow you to make additional payments with the money saved to apply to the payments ear marked at the top of your pay off list.
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PROGRESS
Give yourself incremental milestones ($500, $1000, $1500, etc.) and reward
yourself with something fun. If this reward costs money, then set aside a little cash each month to save for this very purpose. There is no sense adding to your debt due to your celebration of reducing it. Keep the reward manageable. The emotional significance of reaching a milestone is far more important that the value of the reward. When choosing a reward, put more emphasis it’s meaning rather than it’s monetary value.
KEEP BUILDING THAT SNOWBALL OR AVALANCHE
The more items you can knock off your list, the more money you’ll have to pay off the remaining debt. With each new milestone, add more money to your savings account. As you eliminate debt, you want to increase your savings and plan for your future (e.g. buying a home).
A FEW EXTRA TIPS TO CUT SPENDING & INCREASE INCOME
Find Tax Deductions and Credits
Don’t miss out on lucrative tax credits and deductions in our tax code. Be sure to do your research ahead of time, and you get a larger refund. One method that should be considered is to start your own home based business…. What….. I just said to cut expenses and now you are saying to start my own business?
Hear me out…… I am talking a very small investment with HUGE upside.
- In order to have financial freedom one needs multiple sources of income. This way if one source should disappear (ie..loss of a job) or slow down (ie..pay cut or economy downturn) You will not feel it and now you have more income coming so it’s a win-win.
- Having your own home business will give you additional write offs on your taxes as you can write off a lot of your expenses and even take a home office deduction. So now you are putting money back into your pocket that Uncle Sam wanted first. Check out my Free E-Book Tax Breaks for the Entrepreneur
- You can start your Home based business for a few hundred bucks and work it part time as an additional income source and as it grows to may even decide to quit your current job and go full time into your business build your dream. Financial and Time Freedom is there if you seek it out. There are many types to choose from and if you wish to explore this option connect with me on my Facebook page.
Abandon Unused Subscriptions and Memberships
We all have good intentions to fully use that gym membership, read magazines and use that timeshare. If you’re not using these things as much as you thought, consider dropping some, or all, of them. If you aren’t using the gym, there is no reason to keep paying for it. Take up running or walking (free) or buy some used free weights.
Cut Down Expenses on Hobbies
Before you run out and buy that $300 kayak, ask yourself realistically how often you will use it. Maybe three times each summer? Yes, renting a kayak might be expensive, but compare that the cost of ownership. If the renting a kayak costs $25/hour, you could get in 12 trips in for the same price as buying one without having to store it or lug it around.
Never Pay Full Price
Finding deals won’t be practical for everything, but the truth of the matter is, we can all save a little more here and there by looking for sales, specials, coupons, etc. Yes, it will take more time, but every bit you save here can be used to pay off your debt there. Planning ahead also helps. Maybe wait a few months for the sale instead of paying full price today.
Don’t Be a Snob
Don’t be “too good” to shop at thrift stores or garage sales to find excellent bargains for you and your family. If you haven’t done so in a while, you’ll be surprised by some of the great things you can get for just pennies on the dollar.
FINAL THOUGHTS: 
DEBT REDUCTION AND HOME BUYING
The best ways to learn anything new is to follow a system. Conquering debt requires a deliberate approach. But why?
First, good systems are actionable. Whether you chose the Debt Avalanche or Debt Snowball, there’s a clear series of steps in front of you. Stay focused on those steps. Don’t start improvising.
Second, systems make progress measurable. If you know where you’re going (a goal) and how you’re going to get there, you’ll be far more likely to stay on track. As you watch your debts go down, you’ll start feeling more control over your situation. Which leads us to the last point…
Following a system creates a foundation for better habits. Having a financial routine each month reinforces healthier financial behavior. Over time, you’ll spend a lot less energy thinking (worrying) about debt. Instead, staying “disciplined” becomes a lot more automatic (effortless). It’s a liberating feeling.
So I hope you found some great value from this post. Feel free to share it with others and if you ever need someone to assist you with planning your route to home ownership please reach out to me as my passion is to assist first time home buyers. There are many new programs out there provided by the lenders to assist you so don’t be afraid to ask for their assistance.
Mickey McMahon
Selling Sarasota FL 