Geese Need Not Apply

Online, April 21, 2011 (Newswire.com) - We've all heard the fable, "The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg." The story went like this: a couple owned a beautiful goose that produced one golden egg a day. But soon the couple became greedy, and one egg a day just wasn't enough. The couple assumed that since the eggs were golden, the goose's insides must also be golden.

So the couple decided to kill the goose and cut it open, in order to reveal the gold they believed to be within. But when they cut the goose open, all they found was goose guts. And on top of that, they'd ended the life of the goose that had given them golden eggs.

Americans are still in debt - some 46 percent of American adults say they are stressed about their debts. Those feeling the most stress are women, married couples, people ages 30-44, and the poor. This is the biggest problem for many when it comes to personal finance.

Key steps to ditching your debt include something very simple: stop going further into debt. In other words, like the couple in the fable, don't kill the goose. If you have debt, don't use your credit cards and fix your payments. Instead of killing the goose (your budget) trying to find the easy way out, stay focused on doing what truly works - paying more than the minimum balance due until the debt is paid.

This is true in every area of your personal finances - shave off what you don't need, spend only what you have to, and save, save, save.

Don't wait for a golden goose - they only exist in fairy tales. You need something you can rely on, both now and in the future. That something is sound financial planning, setting a budget and sticking to it. And that's better than a goose any old day.