No one seems to be able to overlook the issue of money. How can we? Dr. Phil recently hosted an episode that dealt with debt (Jan. 27). As he followed his typical style of stumping his guests, he brought to the surface several tips worth reiterating if you’re living off of credit cards:

1. Paying off the interest and minimal portions of the balance translates into huge trouble. His guest with $137,000 in debt pays $500 for every $100 sweater she buys and $100 for a trip to the movies by the time she pays these things off on her credit card.

2. Pay cash for everything. You’ll instantly limit yourself subconsciously. Dr. Phil buys his cars with cash and saves his money until he has enough to buy a better car. As you can imagine, his first car was a doozer, but he owned it; the bank did not.