Be honest about your debt commitments and then you can begin to start fresh. Try to avoid adding more debt to you current debt load. Select the smallest debt balance and pay that debt off in one, two, or three payments. Acknowledge ways in which you spend money that can be avoided or reduce significantly. One area that is easy to address, that is ATM fees. Use your own bank ATM which will likely offer no-fee service for account holders or a system ATM which may not charge a fee or charge reduced fees. Depending how often you use the ATM, you can save $30-40 per month and hundreds of dollars each year. There are apps to find the best rate on gas prices, clothes, food, restaurants and other services. There are many ways to save money that will reduce your daily, weekly, monthly and annual costs each year.
Rev. Dr. Donna Taylor is the Pastor of Andrew Chapel, United Methodist Church on the Northern Neck in Montross, VA. Rev. Dr. Taylor promotes best practices for financial literacy and financial empowerment in the church and leads workshops throughout Northern Virginia. Currently, she serves as the Chair of the District Finance Committee. In May 2015, Rev. Dr. Taylor received her Doctor of Ministry from Virginia University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, VA. Rev. Dr. Donna Taylor is married to Dr. David Taylor, who is also the Director of our church-based free clinic. They have two adult children and three grandchildren. In her leisure time, Rev. Dr. Taylor enjoys traveling, jogging, weightlifting, swimming, yoga, and interior decorating. In May 2015, Rev. Dr. Taylor received her Doctor of Ministry from Virginia University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, Virginia. Rev. Dr. Taylor was born and raised in New York City and recently discovered her ancestral roots in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Rev. Dr. Donna Taylor is married to David Taylor and they have a son and a daughter. Their daughter is a educator and son is an Active-Duty Senior Seaman in the Navy married with three children. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling, reading, swimming, writing poetry, crocheting and spending time with her family.