As soon as I was 18, I couldn’t wait to do two things: buy a lottery ticket and get my own credit card. I lost my first $10 and gave up on the former, but I didn’t even have to try to get the latter. I got a phone call merely a few weeks after my birthday with a survey from a credit card company — they wanted to issue me my own card. Ten minutes on the phone and one week later, I had that little piece of plastic magic in my hand — and a whole new mess of troubles.

Some people will tell you that consolidation companies are just sharks waiting to take advantage of your financial situation and charge you to pay off your own debt. While I’m sure some companies are likely out to price gouge their customers, choosing a good consolidation company (or negotiating a debt repay plan on your own) can be a huge boon to your financial life — it helped me pay off $15,000 in student loans and credit card debt within two years. There is one caveat, however; you absolutely must not miss a monthly payment.

If you were lucky enough to have a job this holiday season, and even luckier to get a holiday bonus from the boss, then pat yourself on the back. Since funds are few and far between these days, that holiday bonus is even more precious. And precious things should be spent well — or shall we say invested well. We know it’s hard to not spend that cash, but hold out for another week or so when most of the shopping mania calms and the urge to spend dies down. And in the spirit of saving cash and building wealth, we’ve thrown together a few ideas on where to go and what to do to get the most out of your bonus this year.

I’m not one to toot my own horn, but I will today because, frankly, I deserve it. Today I became a card-carrying member of the Debt-Free club. This beautiful day follows an intense two years of handing over half of my salary towards debt repay, and I am tickled pink to have finally gotten to the point where I don’t have to throw away my paycheck on crap that I purchased eight years ago.