Consumerism Commentary hosted Carnival of Debt Reduction #20, and this week’s Flashback comes from Wealth Junkie: Do You Experience Paycheck Paralysis?  I can imagine it’s really tough to watch the majority of your paycheck go towards your current obligations — and maybe toward principal and interest on purchases that you made years ago and no longer even use.  That’s paycheck paralysis, and it’s disheartening.  Wealth Junkie gives the following advice: minimize your monthly expenses, don’t buy everything all at once, and pay bills on time.  That’s keeping at it, plain and simple.  They’re straightforward, if not easy, things to do on the way out of debt.

• The Carnival is up! (Did I really say that?) Thanks to On A Quest To Be Debt Free for hosting this week's Carnival of Debt Reduction!  This was an enjoyable Carnival to read -- lots of interesting misquotations! Here are the Editor's Picks: Joyful Days suggests trying a weekly cash budget. The Smarter Wallet gives ten tips for saving......
• Picks from this week's carnival As promised, here are some of my picks from this week's Carnival of Debt Reduction: Searchlight Crusade does his usual thorough job with this post on forty- and fifty-year mortgages. New and creative ways to goad people into taking on more debt than they can handle so that they're forever......

• Use Low Interest Rate Credit Cards To Lower Your Debt The latest credit card usage statistics show that the changes underfoot in the credit industry has put a slight damper on how Americans have been using their cards. The average household credit card debt has been slipping gradually over the last year — from over $8,300 to around $7,800......
• USA - The Land of Deadbeats? The Wall Street Journal had an article advising homeowners who were upside down on their mortgage to just throw in the towel and walk away from their mortgage. Here's the abridged version: Millions of Americans are now deeply underwater on their mortgage. If you're among them, you need to stop......