...of Red and Black

Red and Black.

If you live in New Zealand, you will know that these are the colours of the Canterbury Rugby team: easily one of the finest rugby teams ever. Their success has always been built on teamwork, hard work, loyalty, and sacrifice. I love being a Canterbury supporter!

Red and Black are also the two colours of money. 'Being in the black' means you have it; 'Being in the red' means you dont.

The bitter truth for too many people today is that they live in the red all the time. Easy credit, powerful marketing, unending peer pressure, the demand for instant gratification: these all add up to the situation where for many the cost of interest payments alone soak up most of their income.

Fact: three young people I know each have debts in excess of $30,000 with little or no assets to underpin that debt. And that excludes their student debts for University educations. The annual interest for their debts is over $7000 each. It's crushing each of them: soaking the joy out of every day, and limiting their future choices.

The best favour we can do society is to find a tool to help us get out of debt. And when we are out of debt, to help others do the same.

Here's one very useful tool: I'm Getting Out of Debt   Thanks Dan and Ness for your hard work and your example.

Sure, there's a cost: but its no more than one good meal out. And what we get for nothing we often value as the same.

There are other tools. No matter. Pick one. Then stick with it. Get debt free. Then help another.

Less red, more black.