Oprah's Debt Diet: Step 2, Part 1

Step 1: How Much Debt Do You Really Have?

Chart Your Debt

Get Your Credit Score

Prioritize Payments

Step 2: Track Your Spending and Find Extra Money to Pay Down Debt

Find Your Latte Factor®

Use the Latte Factor® Calculator

Step 3: Learn to Play the Credit Card Game

Pay More than the Minimum Payments

Lower Your Interest Rates

Four Tricks of the Credit Card Companies

Which Credit Cards to Tackle First

Step 4: Stop Spending

Step 5: Create a Monthly Spending Plan

The Monthly Spending Plan Worksheet and Pie Chart

Use the Monthly Spending Plan Calculator

Assign Paychecks to Expenses

Step 6: Take Big Steps to Grow Your Income

Facing Hard Choices

Selling Assets

Earning More Money

Step 7: Prioritize Your Debts and Raise Your Credit Score

Prioritizing Your Debts

Raising Your Credit Score

Step 8: Understand Your Spending Issues…and Save!

Why Do You Shop? Self-Assessment Quiz

How to Protect Yourself and Start Saving

Choose a Topic

Budgets and Tracking Expenses
Buying or Selling a Home

Credit Cards

Financial Planning and Investing
Credit Reports and Scores

Savings and Retirement

Loans

Meet the Experts

David Bach

Glinda Bridgforth

Jean Chatzky

People Who Saved Big Money

Share Your Stories on the Message Boards

Before and After Oprah's Debt Diet

The Bradleys

The Egglestons

The Widlunds

Watch Video Highlights

Buy Oprah's Debt Diet DVD

Step 2: Track Your Spending and Find Extra Money to Pay Down Debt
Part 1: Find Your Latte Factor®

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Now that you know how much debt you have, you need to find out where your money is going! David Bach's Latte Factor® is a simple concept that can help you get out of debt. If you put just $10 a day towards your debt rather than spending it on fancy cups of coffee, cigarettes, bottled water or fast food, in one year you could put $3600 towards your debt!

Every day, you may be needlessly spending money on little things that you could be using to pay down your debt. Take David Bach's Latte Factor® Challenge form with you everywhere you go tomorrow and write down every penny you spend.

Print the Latte Factor® Challenge form
You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the contract. Download it here.

Please note: This is general advice. You should consult with your own financial advisor before making any major financial decisions, including investments or changes to your portfolio. Harpo is not responsible for any losses, damages or claims that may result from your financial decisions.

Reprinted from The Automatic Millionaire, by David Bach, by arrangement with Broadway Books, a member of Random House.

Latte Factor® is a trademark of FinishRich Inc.