Ho, ho, ho b*tches.
Christmas in July is officially here, and every single Master Your Money course is 50% OFF through July 22nd.
Budgeting. Debt. Investing. Real Estate.
All half-price.
Apparently the big red bastard checked his list twice and decided you'd been broke long enough.
So if "actually fix my money" has been sitting on your wishlist since last December, consider this your gift.
Grab a course now, and by the time Santa makes his real lap in five months, you might actually have something to show him besides a maxed-out card from last year's presents.
Oh, and while you're over there, take the new and improved Hammer Quiz.
We sharpened the logic a little, so your score is more accurate than ever.
Yes, it'll still hurt your feelings.
(That's the point. You'll survive.)
Even better: every time you complete the quiz, you're entered into our Austin Studio Experience Giveaway.
US residents only, one entry per day.
Win, and you get to tour the studio, hang with the crew, and stand within arm's reach of yours truly.
(You also get an entry for every MYM purchase.)
So here's your holiday to-do list:
Take the quiz HERE.
Snag your course at 50% off.
And keep an eye on your inbox in case Fat Santa comes back with giveaway news.
(No purchase necessary. Free entry and full details in the Official Rules.)
Now then…
When's the last time you actually looked at your debt?
Not what you think it is…
The real number.
Because a lot of you are treating your credit card statement like a text from your ex.
You see the notification, your stomach drops, and you delete it like it never happened.
"I'll deal with it later."
And while ignoring your ex is great, going no-contact with your debt is real small-pee-pee energy.
(Cuz let’s be real, you’re never gonna get drunk and “accidentally” pay off your debt one night.)
Because while you're "dealing with it later," your debt is at home doing push-ups.
Getting swole and charging you 24% interest for the privilege of ignoring it.
Your debt doesn't care about your feelings.
It doesn't care that checking the balance gives you anxiety.
It doesn't care that you had a rough month.
It doesn't care that you're "pretty sure" it's under control.
Interest compounds whether you're watching or not.
And I get it.
Debt shame is real.
I used to ignore my debt too.
I felt stupid for carrying a balance, so I pretended it didn’t exist.
But that only let compound interest feed my debt until it got so big it started terrorizing Tokyo.
I’m gonna hold your hand and gently push your hair behind your ear while I say this:
Avoidance isn’t a strategy.
It’s cowardice.
Every month you don't look is a month interest shoots up with the latest peptide.
And the people who get out of debt aren’t smarter or more special than you.
They just stopped flinching and looked at the damn number.
Because you can’t fight the enemy with your eyes closed.
And believe me, debt is the enemy.
So here's your battle plan:
1. Rip the band-aid off.
Open every account on your digital device of choice.
Credit cards, car loan, student loans, that Affirm plan you forgot about, and the medical bill in the junk drawer: all of it.
Write down every balance, every interest rate, and every minimum payment.
Yes, it's going to feel like reading your own autopsy report.
Do it anyway.
And do it today.
That number you're afraid of? It exists whether you look or not, and avoiding costs 24% a year.
Staple it to your wall and vow to take vengeance.
(Batman mask encouraged, but not required.)
2. Pick your weapon: avalanche or snowball.
There are two proven ways to attack debt.
The avalanche: pay minimums on everything, then throw every extra dollar at the highest interest rate first. Mathematically optimal, and saves you the most money.
The snowball: pay minimums on everything, then throw every extra dollar at the smallest balance first. Psychologically optimal, because you get wins fast, and wins keep you going.
Which one is right?
The one you'll actually stick with.
If you're a spreadsheet gremlin who's motivated by math, avalanche.
If you've quit every plan you've ever started because it took too long to see progress, snowball.
I don't care which one you pick.
I care that you pick.
(And if you want to learn more ninja tactics for killing off debt FAST: Click here for 50% OFF Master Your Debt.)
3. Stop feeding the monster.
You can’t pay off a credit card you're still swiping.
That's called the debt treadmill.
And you’re not a hamster are you?
ARE YOU!?
(Pretty cool if you are, ngl.)
Freeze the card, delete it from your Amazon account, and take it off Apple Pay.
If you keep charging while you're "paying it off," you're just bailing water into a sinking boat.
4. Automate the attack.
Set up automatic payments the day after payday.
Minimums on everything, plus your extra attack payment on your target debt.
Motivation is going to abandon you around week three.
Hell, probably day three for some of you degenerates…
Which is why we automate.
Automation doesn't have feelings, it just executes.
And until the robots take over and make us slaves, we’re gonna take advantage.
5. Track the number going DOWN.
Here's the fun part.
The number that made you sick in step one?
Watch it shrink.
Check it monthly.
Put it on a sticky note, and cross out the old number to write the new one.
Because the shame spiral works in reverse, too.
Progress creates momentum.
Momentum creates more progress.
And that’s how we make Voltron.
(And pay off debt. Progress works in many mysterious ways.)
The balance stops looking like the bogeyman and starts looking like a scoreboard.
Look, I've sat across from hundreds of people on Financial Audit.
And the debt itself is almost never the thing that ruins them.
It's the avoidance.
The months and years of pretending it's not there while it triples in the background.
The number is only scary once.
Ignoring it is expensive forever.
So tonight, before you doom-scroll yourself to sleep, open the app.
Look at the number.
And focus on making it smaller.
Your debt doesn't care about your feelings.
So stop giving it your feelings, and start giving it your money.
Taquitos,
Caleb "Exposure Therapy" Hammer
P.S. Not sure how bad the damage actually is?
Take two minutes and get your (new and improved) Hammer Score.
It's free, it's fast, and it'll tell you exactly where you stand and what to attack first.
No shame.
And a FREE entry into the big giveaway.
