RescueDigest GOTW: Pay Off Debt

By focusing on a particular goal each week and providing some resources to get you started, RescueDigest is here to help make your world a little but easier and to help you help others. Let’s try DEBT!

With pay rates being what they are for Emergency Responders, it can be difficult to earn enough to cover our bills (even with multiple jobs), let alone pay off debt. But once you start to get into debt, that debt can pile up like a wreck on Interstate-84. Seriously, have you seen how people drive on that road?

It can feel like you’re shackled to debt, but we’ve got the key!

Even among emergency responders there are wide ranges in pay scales. Add to that the variety of financial burdens that some of us find ourselves with you’ll see a tremendous variety in debt levels among those who answer the call of 911 (or 999, or, you know, whatever number local people use where you are to call for help when they’ve done something tragic, stupid or both).

Rather than attempt to provide a general plan to work for every single emergency responder, these Goals of the Week (#GOTW) are meant to be the kind of reminders that make you say “Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to get to that!”

billAs with all of our #GOTW reminders, we’re going to be trying these right along with you!

For this week’s Goal of the Week, here are some resources to help you take a step (or two or four) towards paying down your debt, the first and most important step in any financial plan.

We don’t normally put our own specific advice here, we leave that to the experts (below) but any time you talk about paying down debt you have to also talk about savings. That’s a Goal of the Week #GOTW that we talk about HERE.

General Tips

Paying Off Credit Card Debt

Saving, Investing or Paying Off Debt First?

Calculators, Planners and Apps

What success (or problems) have YOU had trying to pay down debt as an emergency responder? Let us know below:

About romduck

Rom Duckworth is a dedicated emergency responder, author, and educator with more than thirty years of experience working in career and volunteer fire departments, hospital healthcare systems, and private emergency medical services. Rom is a career fire captain and paramedic EMS Coordinator for the Ridgefield (CT) Fire Department and director of the New England Center for Rescue and Emergency Medicine. Rom holds a master’s degree in public administration, is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program, and is the recipient of the NAEMT Presidential Award, American Red Cross Hero Award, Sepsis Alliance Sepsis Hero Award, and the EMS 10 Innovators Award. Rom is the author of "Duckworth on Education," as well as chapters in more than a dozen EMS, fire, rescue, and medical textbooks and over 100 published articles in fire and EMS magazines. A member of the NAEMT Board of Directors, as well as other national and international advocacy and advisory boards, Rom continues to work for the advancement of emergency services professions. Contact Rom via www.romduck.com