How is your plan coming along?  Do you have everything listed and are you aggressively pursing the pay off plan?

Remember, you need to have that plan posted somewhere prominent so that you and, if you are married, your spouse can monitor your progress.

Now it is time for one of the biggest steps of all – Just Say No!  This one is really hard especially if you have used debt significantly and allowed it to be a part of your life.

This may show my age, but back in the 1980′s in an effort to stop the drug problems plaguing the U.S. population, then first lady Nancy Reagan led an effort to combat illegal drug usage using her famous words – Just Say No.  Just Say No has been heard for years and most people (depending on age) think of Nancy Reagan when they her those words.

Just Say No.  Practice it.  Lean heavy on the “No”.  You see, “No” is a word that we have dropped from our vocabulary over the last few years.  By dropping the word “No”, we have lost some discipline for ourselves and our families.  Say it again, “NO”.  You are getting it, keep it up.

I have three children.  Two in their teens and one in her twenties.  Hard to believe.  I can remember back to the time the oldest one began to walk.  She wanted to get into everything.  That is perfectly natural to explore.  What also came natural was to test mom and dad.  While she wanted to do whatever she wanted, we showed her that there are some boundaries.  My wife was not a big collector of “knick knacks”, but she did have things placed on coffee and end tables that were off limits.  The easiest thing would be for us as parents to remove those and replace them when they were all grown – RIGHT!

So we had to teach her not to touch those things that she was not to touch.  I can see in my mind, right now, her look when she would try and we would say “NO”.  She would stand there and look at you as if to say “…let me try and see if they mean it”.  What she found out was that we did.  It was not long to where she learned what she could and could not touch.  She had to learn what “no” really meant.

One time, at my in-laws house, she tried to test it.  Since we lived away from them, we would get to visit every few months.  On one occasion she decided to explore the items there on the tables.  I first said “no” and she just looked at me.  When she reached to touch it, I reinforced my “no” with a smack on the hand.  She wimpered, got the message and proceeded to go on her way.  My mother-in-law commented that it was not necessary and she would not hurt anything.  I politley infomred my mother-in-law that she was going to learn what she should not touch or do regardless of the location she was in.

You need to learn that too – and quickly.  You need to learn what “no” means and Just Say No!  If you are offered “free” tickets to the baseball game, just say no.  What? They are free.  Really, who is paying for the extra gas, the parking, the program, the hot dog, drink and popcorn?  You see, it is not always free.

It may not be free tickets to the ballgame, but a great deal on a TV.  You know the 46″ plasma that you have to have to fill that spot on the wall.  I know, been there, done that and had plenty of debt to show for it.  You do not need it.  What you need is to get out of debt.

How about the extravagant gifts for your spouse or children.  Yes, I know they deserve it.  They also deserve a strong financial future and lingering debt does not fix it.  Small tokens of love and appreciation will help keep your money focused on the debt reuciton/elimination plan.

Finally, how about those areas that we all fall prey to – food.  Whether it be buying groceries without a plan or living at the restaurants, it is time to Just Say No.  Do not spend all you discretionary money on food and, especially, restaurants.  Your focus is getting out of debt and funding the restaurants does not get it done.

Regularly, I am told by clients that “…you don’t understand, we had too….”.  No they did not have to to and neither do you.  What you have to to is get out of the debt you are in as quick as possible.  Short of a legitimate emergency, you can say “no” to much more than you have in the past.  Now is the time to start making it happen.

I know, as I have heard in all my years as a husband, a father and a financial coach – “you’re know fun”.  The truth is, when I was in debt I was no fun.  Sleepless nights, constant worrying, no plan whatsoever – that was when I was no fun.  Enacting my plan and learning to say “no” did seem like no fun, but the fun started when the first one went away and began to grow with each passing debt being eliminated from my account!  No you are wrong, I am fun and I am now debt free by teaching you the same things I (we) have done.

I have been where you are and the debt is no fun.  Get out of debt and you can afford to have fun – debt free fun!

Stick with it – Just Say No!  Help your family learn to say “no”.  Saying “yes” just delays the better life.

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