Dennis Rainey: Would you be honest with me? In your marriage, are you controlling debt, or is debt controlling you?
Guest: Our finances had been on his mind, cause we felt like we were beginning to be stretched too thin. So he sat down at the table with me, and we began to list our debt, and I was stunned.
Dennis Rainey: I heard about one family who had a huge problem with a credit card debt. They had so many credit cards that it took them a number of years to pay all of them off. When they finally paid all the credit cards off, they set all the cards on a cookie sheet, put it in the oven and then melted 'em down. That's not a bad idea.
Very few people handle credit cards well. Easy credit is a lure to tempt you to think you can escape from reality, through the fantasy of getting whatever you want right now. But don't fall for it. If you're already in debt, put a plan in place to reduce that debt, and stop adding more.
One final thought. Why don't you sit down with your spouse and openly discuss your finances. Why don't you resolve together to get out and stay out of debt. Maybe you should even melt some credit cards on a cookie sheet.
I'm Dennis Rainey, and that's Real Family Life.
