Mary talks about how for 12 years she got herself into horrible, terrible money problems. Her life was in shambles. She was married and had two boys. Both her and her husband were unemployed. She was out of hope.

But then, she had a spiritual experience and asked for forgiveness. And for the next 10 years, her and her husband secretly worked their way out of debt. And once they were debt free, she found herself with an urge to share how they did it. How do-able it is.

Because until you have a small nest egg put aside, you will never get out of debt. Because life will go on. More emergencies and situations will arise that add to the debt.

So, you start with a contingency fund. Start with just one dollar, and keep your payments up to date while you add to your fund.

Saving does something with your mind. It makes you stop feeling sorry for yourself. It's like magic!

Getting out of debt is so much like losing weight, and getting into debt is so much like gaining weight. When you're overweight, it's all you can think about. It's the same with debt. When you're in debt, it's all you can think about.
A contingency fund = lost weight. It puts you into a new mindset because it FEELS good! So you want to keep doing it, because you want to keep that feeling going.

What to do when you get stuck? When you slip a little?

Well, if you hit one car in the street... you wouldn't keep hitting more cars. You would stop and admit to it.

So, if you make an impulse purchase... you take it back to the store. Just like you would take chocolate out of your house if you were trying to lose weight.

You have to start parenting yourself. When you make a mistake, make amends.

Where to Find More Mary Hunt Advice and Resources:

• Everyday Cheapskate
  
• Debt-Proof Living