Are you feeling overwhelmed by your debt and don’t know where to start when it comes to reducing it? You’re not alone. Debt can cause a huge amount of stress and headache. Are you already looking for ways to pay off your loans faster and reduce your debt? That’s great! 

Paying off your loans quicker can reduce the amount of interest you’ll pay and help you become debt free sooner whilst also paying less in totality due to avoiding the accumulating interest rates that affect all debts. 

Here are some tips and tricks that can help you pay off your loans faster:

1. Make Extra Payments: Making extra payments on your loans is the fastest way to reduce your debt. Whilst this may sound like an additional financial burden that you may not or even cannot undertake, even just a few extra dollars each month can make a big difference, especially when it comes to interest rates and credit scores that accumulate over months.
   

2. Cut Expenses: Whilst it may sound obvious, but cutting back on unnecessary expenses can free up more money than you would expect. Cutting out that McDonalds once a week or that Starbucks you buy to “refresh yourself” from your long meetings can really begin to add up. With the spare capital, you can use this to make extra payments and reduce the debt as quickly as possible. Spend some time taking a look at your budget and see where you can make changes, plan accordingly and you’ll begin to see the difference in no time!
   

3. Automate Payments: Automating your payments can help you to stay on track and consistently pay more than the required minimum. You can also use this method to make extra payments. If the finances come out of your account automatically as soon as payday arrives this will help you to budget for the rest of the month effectively.  If you have any remaining finance at the end of the month, this can be automatically syphoned into your account thus helping you in the long run.
   
   

4. Increase Your Income: This may sound tediously obvious but Increasing your income can help you pay off your loans faster, it’s that simple, isn’t it? Consider getting a part-time job, freelancing or starting a side business to generate extra income. As an added bonus, the additional time you spend with your side hustle or part time job will also be time where you are not spending your money at home or the restaurants. This can be tiring but short term pain can indeed create a long term gain. Just remind yourself that this won’t be the situation forever and have your end goal in mind. Employers will also look upon a CV that has worked multiple jobs favourably as it shows dedication and a determined attitude.
   

5. Make Lump-Sum Payments: Making lump-sum payments is another great way to reduce your debt. If you happen to come into a windfall of money or get a tax refund – we all love a tax refund and it can be hard to put that money aside for the greater good but it would be wise to, consider using it to make an extra payment on your loans. Remember, the quicker you can shift this debt the less you have to pay overall and the more capital you’ll have when it’s all said and done.
   

6. Refinance:  Refinancing your loans can occur when the terms of an existing loan, such as interest rates, payment schedules, or other terms, are revised. Refinancing usually happens when interest rates decrease. Refinancing involves the re-evaluation of a person or business’s credit and repayment status. Refinancing your loans can significantly reduce the amount you pay in interest. If you have good credit, shop around and see what refinancing options you qualify for. Sometimes just taking a little bit extra out of your day to research the many options available to you can have a long lasting effect. 

So that’s it, that’s my 6 tips and tricks for paying off your loans faster! It is entirely possible if you are disciplined and commit to making extra payments whenever you have a little bit extra finance at your disposal. With a bit of effort, you can reduce your debt and become debt free sooner. I found the hardest part of paying off my debt was when I did get additional money come my way via a tax refund, and I had to see that money quickly disappear into the debt repayment funds that I had set up. However, whilst at the time I was deeply disappointed, this had a real tangible effect on how quickly I was able to reduce this debt. There’s nothing more I can say to you other than I hope that you take some of these tips forward and good luck! Cheers to a debt free 2023!