Looking at Your Spending and Debt
- Is Your Spending out of Control?
- Your Consumer Debt Ratio
- Calculating Your Total Debt Ratio
- Why Have I Gotten Into Debt?
- Income and Expenses
- Figuring Out Your Paycheck
- Expenses Line by Line
- Constructing a Spending Plan
- Case Study: Jennifer–Things Gone Wrong and How to Fix Them
- Forecasting Income and Expenses by Age
- When You Have Too Much Debt
- Allowances
- Saving Money on Company Benefits
Why Have I Gotten Into Debt?
If you ask somebody why he or she has gotten into debt, you may get answers like these:
- I really don't know. I've just lost track of my spending.
- Convenience. I'm always rushed, so I buy things that will save me time.
- It is easy. The credit is there, so I use it.
- There are lots of things I want, and I hate to deprive myself.
- Everybody else does it. Why shouldn't I?
- I've had one or more emergencies in the past year that have gotten me into financial trouble.
- I can't stop spending.
