Ways to Increase your Income

Other then getting a good ol' raise or a new job that pays more then your current position, it may seem really difficult to make any more money. It's especially daunting when both adults are already working full time, the idea of an extra job or two seems nearly impossible. So how can you raise your income? How can you bring home more money in order to get out of debt, short of working evenings and weekends too?

I'd like to suggest a few things that may work for you to increase your paychecks. Keep in mind that I would only recommend these for TEMPORARY circumstances and I'd only do it if you are currently in debt and plan to set things back to normal after you've become debt free.

*Reduce your tax deductions--if you are having a large amount taken out and then getting a large refund each year, it's possible that you could reduce the amount of the automatic withdraw so you're paycheck will be larger and you can put that toward your debt. Depending on how much you lower it, be sure to talk to someone about what your tax liability will be, because you could end up owing if you don't have enough taken out. This change may be one that you can maintain even after debt if you've had a history of really large refunds, again talk to someone who knows about taxes & your situation before you make a drastic change.

*Lower your retirement contributions--this one is TEMPORARY! You never want to cheat yourself out of a decent retirement, so it's important to save for your future. BUT, if you need to increase your income for debt reduction purposes, this may be an option for you. Maybe you should just lower it or maybe you need to stop contributing for a season. Again, be careful with this and be sure that you have a goal and plan in place to use all that money ONLY for debt reduction with the intention of saving even more for your retirement after you're out of debt.

Now, a few other suggestions that you've probably already heard:

*Get a part time job or home business to bring in extra income
*Ask for a raise
*Look for a higher paying job

...and of course, the one we do the most is cut your spending!

Please keep in mind that I'm NOT a business expert, but these are some suggestions I've heard or read about that have helped people on their debt reduction goals, but only you know your limitations and how committed you are to not overspending and falling further into debt. The last thing you need is trouble with the IRA or no retirement when you're old enough for that, so be wise and ask counsel from people near you.