You have paid off some major debts with low interest rate debt consolidation loans and you are relieved to be able to avoid bankruptcy. You are sleeping better at night knowing the debt collectors are being kept at bay. The last thing you should do is to go out shopping.

Change your spending habits

To successfully repay the debt, your spending habits have to change. It requires some dedication and discipline on your side.

The first expense to take a hard look at is your monthly food bill. Dining out, fast meals and luxury food are easily replaced with healthy home cooked meals. Veggie soups to keep the family healthy are always a winner.

Fuel and vehicle running expenses are being kept low when you plan trips or join a lift club to get to work. Tyre pressure, wheel balancing and alignment play an important role when you want to cut down on fuel expenses. Get new car insurance quotes and use the savings towards the repayment of your debt consolidation loans.

Expenditure on birthday and Christmas gifts need to be revised as well. When you give a gift with love the receiver will appreciate it even with an inexpensive gift. It's the idea that counts, not the price.

Work with a budget

The following may seem unpractical or even old fashioned. When I started with a career early in my twenties, I used to budget for every item. I worked with the "envelope system". There were separate envelopes for each expense milk, bread, milk, veggies, fuel and fruit. When I needed something I would take the budgeted amount from the specific items' envelope. I never overspent nor did I buy anything impulsive. This meant I had to keep up to date with living expenses. Do you know how much you pay for bread or milk? At the end of the month I would take the money I saved and put it into a savings account used for unexpected expenses. You can follow the same system to pay off your debt consolidation loans sooner.

Expenses to watch out for

Internet access and bandwidth is extremely expensive in South Africa. Mobile devices to connect to the internet can escalate out of control if you don't keep your eye on it. Telephone landline -, electricity -, water - and cell phone expenses need close monitoring too.

Do some research to see how you can save on these monthly expenses. Be disciplined with the implementation and stick with your plan.

When you are dedicated to get rid of your debt it makes sense to make sacrifices. The more you pay each month, the sooner you will enjoy financial freedom and your debt consolidation loans will become something of the past.