With an $82,000 pile of debt, buying a house seemed a distant goal for Ehren Sixon and his wife, Florida residents who embarked on a debt-free journey in 2016.
They opted for the debt snowball method, a debt payoff strategy that encourages motivation by quickly attacking the smallest balances first. The couple also tracked every milestone along the way with different visual aids as they paid off car loans, student loans and credit card debt.
“We wanted to be able to track our progress and keep us motivated,” says Mr Sixon, a 32-year-old systems engineer and part-time YouTuber.
The internet is full of debt-tracking templates that can help you log milestones towards your debt-free goals. From colouring pages to spreadsheets, here’s how you can use visual aids to demolish debt.
If you have a long journey ahead, a road map that logs your progress can offer support and encouragement.
“You get lots of little dopamine hits from checking off those smaller milestones or those smaller elements along the way and that really keeps motivation going,” says Katharine Iesiev, owner of She Minds Money, a US-based financial therapy service.
Ms Iesiev favours creating something tangible that you can print out and view often at home.
Track your progress in different ways
The Sixons turned to the internet to research debt-tracking solutions. As you explore your options, consider what will be most motivating for you.
Spreadsheets: Mr Sixon started with a spreadsheet to keep track of all lenders, balances and debts paid off. A spreadsheet can be as simple or elaborate as necessary.
We wanted to be able to track our progress and keep us motivated
Ehren Sixon,
systems engineer and part-time YouTuber
You can use it to log every payment to each lender or to update balances after making a payment. A key benefit is that it can keep debt and information organised. It also pairs well with other tracking systems.
Printables for everyday viewing: The Sixons also looked at templates online to facilitate checking off debt goals. They chose a thermometer for their fridge and later moved it to the front door as a daily reminder to stay true to their goal.
At every monthly check-in, they would evaluate their progress and colour in the thermometer after paying off each 10 per cent of their debt.
“With the spreadsheet, there were times when we just got so caught up in the outstanding balances instead of celebrating how much we’d paid off so far,” Mr Sixon says. “I didn’t realise how fun and exciting colouring a portion of that debt thermometer was, but it made our debt-free journey more enjoyable.”
Also, consider colouring pages that display images like a home to represent a mortgage or a car to represent a car loan. You can fill in the increments as you make payments.
For a different creative approach, a progress map can offer an appealing artistic design with unlabelled increments that you colour in a similar way.
For the Sixons, their bold, red thermometer became a conversation starter and inspired some friends to pay down debt.
“They were thankful that they saw the way we put it up in our house and they were able to do the same,” he says.
Bullet journals: A bullet journal is less visible than a page you can print and display, but it could offer more frequent engagement with your finances. Keep it as simple or creative as needed.
In 2018, Kaila Penner, co-owner of the blog Frugal Twins, drew an easy bar chart inside her bullet journal to track payments towards the last remaining $24,000 from a car loan and two student loans. She coloured in each bar with pink, green or blue ink after meeting every $1,000 increment.
It’s possible to break down the increments further and designate different pages for different kinds of debt. So instead of a bar chart, you could opt for drawing graduation hats, dollar bills or anything else that you can colour in to represent debts paid off.
You get lots of little dopamine hits from checking off those smaller milestones or those smaller elements along the way, and that really keeps motivation going
Katharine Iesiev,
owner, She Minds Money
Like Mr Sixon, Ms Penner also used a spreadsheet throughout her entire journey, but it wasn’t as motivating as the bullet journal.
“Filling that in every month was much more satisfying for me,” the Iowa resident says.
She also added a thermometer on her refrigerator door for daily visibility. With all three trackers, she logged her progress to crush the debt.
Rely on visual aids long after debt
The Sixons paid off their debt sooner than projected in 2018 by budgeting cash in envelopes and cutting back in categories such as dining out and streaming subscription services. They now use a thermometer to track savings instead.
In anticipation of the arrival of their baby girl, the Sixons recently coloured in a thermometer indicating their savings towards a family-friendly vehicle.
“To come out in 2021 and buy a car with no car loan – fully paid off – and have it ready for our child, I didn’t think we would be at this point in our financial journey,” Mr Sixon says. “It’s incredible.”
They’re currently using multiple thermometers that remind them to focus on priorities such as paying off their home and saving for renovations and travel.
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THREE
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Leganes v Getafe (12am)
Levante v Alaves (4pm)
Real Madrid v Sevilla (7pm)
Osasuna v Valladolid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Eibar v Atletico Madrid (12am)
Mallorca v Valencia (3pm)
Real Betis v Real Sociedad (5pm)
Villarreal v Espanyol (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Barcelona v Granada (12am)
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Spec%20sheet
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PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
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Harry%20%26%20Meghan
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Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
- UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
