The easiest way to build wealth and reach financial independence is simply to spend less than you earn. It’s not a complicated formula developed at the Harvard Business School or known only to the barons of Wall Street.

It is an easy concept to understand, but there are some facts that can complicate the process and truthfully, most of them, involved you, the consumer (by the word, I don’t like that word.)

Scriptural reference Psalm 97:10

“Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.”

I looked up the word “evil” in the Strong’s Concordance (H7451) and it was defined as “bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery).”

Debt is bad.

We feel your pain.

Seriously, do you really think that the credit card companies who are filling your mailbox and inbox with warm, fuzzy offers of easy credit are really concerned about your economic well-being?

Not a chance.

The credit crunch in our economy has the credit card companies feasting like a bunch of goblins on Halloween night.

Be warned …they are out for blood. They know people are hurting and it’s amazing the lengths to which they will go to entice consumers into their web of bondage. They lure desperate people with the promise of “guaranteed” low interest rates.

Many of the companies make it look so easy for consumers to get beyond this credit crunch that they turn a blind eye on the black widow waiting to paralyze them.

Now this excuse is dumber than cat hair….no disrespect intended to our feline friends.

I had someone tell me once that they were on the verge of bankruptcy and it was the credit card company’s fault. She said, they were the ones sending all those pre-approved applications and she felt like they wanted her to keep charging. OH, PLEASE.

That’s like the father who called his daughter at college and asked why she was bouncing checks to which she replied, “Daddy, the bank has made a mistake, there has to be money in my account because I haven’t used all my checks yet.”

Where are the "priceless" TV credit card ads when your bills begin to mount off? They’re off on vacation with your hard-earned money.

Here are 15 ways you can know when your credit card bills are too high.

You’re special AND that’s NOT just because you’re visiting the Debt Free Army website and reading this blog. You’re special because the Word of God says that you are.

Now I must admit I’m curious how many of you received a letter in your mailbox during the past week telling you how SPECIAL you are that you’ve been pre-approved, pre-qualified for that special low interest credit card.

Do you think credit card companies are sending you these credit card offers because they think you’re so SPECIAL. No, it’s because they want your money.

Keep this in mind when you’re reading all the flowery language in the credit card/debt solicitation.

The president just signed a $168 billion economic stimulus package that authorizes the government to send out rebate checks. The idea is we all are supposed rush out to spend our surprise money to stimulate the economy. In turn, the businesses selling those products and services to us will spend their profits on more products and services which are supposed to jump start the economy once again.

Now let’s look at the logic here. This new bill is encouraging us to spend more – the very attitude and mindset that got us into financial trouble in the first place. In fact, these very same Americans encouraged to go out and spend their rebate checks or even take on more interest are already over their heads in debt.

It’s the day after. . .millions of Americans filed their Federal Income Tax Return.

Several things are stirring in my spirit this morning.

The First Income Tax Refund

Edmund Burke once said, “You can never plan for the future by the past.” However in the case of preparing taxes for 2008, what you have done this past year can impact your future!

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