Getting out of debt and gaining control of your finances is hard work, especially when just starting out.
Perhaps you've heard one of these sayings:
Success is 20% inspiration and 80% perspiration.
Success is 20% head knowledge and 80% behavior.
Success is 20% strategy and 80% execution.
Whichever way you say it, it's the truth. You won't succeed if you don't put in the work.
I bet you already know what you need to do to get your financial house in order.
You've read books, listened to podcasts, followed Dave Ramsey and #debtfreecommunity on Instagram, or joined debt free Facebook groups.
You've got the head knowledge, and now it's time to put in the work. That's when things get tough.
You faced your debts and added them up, and perhaps got a little faint when the truth was finally plain to see.
You set up a budget and started saving up an emergency fund, you may have even frozen your credit cards in a block of ice.
But the actual day to day feels like slogging through mud, making little progress.
You dutifully update your budget spreadsheet or app, but the numbers are just depressing you instead of inspiring you.
Your debt mountain is bigger than you'd like to admit, and some days you might even feel like you are chipping away at it with a toothpick.
Well that is exactly where I was, slogging through the mud, wielding my toothpick, when I created the very first Debt Free Chart.
I'm a very visual person, and I wanted something that would fire me up, and a thermometer just wasn't cutting it.
I wanted something big and bold, but a thermometer was just, well, boring.
I wanted to be debt free so much, that I decided to make a thermometer out of those words: Debt Free.
Turns out I was on to something. It was working! I made another chart, and another.
I was having so much fun, yes, fun! coloring in those words as we made payments, that I couldn't wait to color in more!
I decided I just had to share this simple little chart somewhere.
I shared my first charts in an online forum in about 2009 (I can't pinpoint the exact date because that forum was overhauled in 2012 and my original posts are gone), and dozens of people downloaded them right from the forum.
Over the years I've given away thousands and thousands of charts. I wish I knew exactly how many, but alas, those records disappeared into the ether in 2016.
But now I've got a big goal and I'm keeping track.
I want to give away 150,000 FREE charts in 2018.
150,000 charts to help people like you and me SEE their progress in a visual way and stay motivated to keep putting in the work that leads to success. I don't want anyone to have to feel like they are slogging through mud anymore.
I invite you to be my partner in reaching this goal.
Because as much as I'm trying to spread the word that Debt Free Charts are FREE to those working on paying off their debts, I can only reach so many people by myself. I need your help to get the word out.
So please, share Debt Free Charts with your friends, your Facebook groups, your Instagram followers, on your Pinterest boards, and with your Financial Peace University classes.
You can send your friend directly to the Free Charts at www.debtfreecharts.com/collections/free-charts
Let's reach this goal together and help others succeed!
Are you with me?
WooooHooooo! I can't wait to see what we accomplish together.
I just found your site, and your debt free charts were just what I was looking for. Thank you for making them!
Sounds like a winning plan. How do I get a chart?
This is insane!! LOL always wonderful to give out.. Count me in!
This is such a brilliant idea and thank you for sharing it!! It’s people like you that make the world a better place😊💓 I have been keeping an eye on my progress on all my debts but thats checking my bank balances constantly lol. I’ve also been writing what to pay when on my monthly planner but yours is even better!!! Grown ups love to colour in but we also love to see progress so thank you so much!!! I will do one for each and I’m definitely sharing!! ❤
I wish I would have looked for these sooner. But we really need them for our very last debt which of course is our largest one. I needed to find some extra inspiration and this will be perfect!! Thank you! I also printed a couple for my sister.