Ah, to be debt-free. Sounds appealing, doesn’t it? Imagine not owing one plug nickel to a single soul. And not having a stack of bills piled high on your desk every month. Talk about true freedom!

Living a debt-free life ultimately comes down to one very important decision: You can choose to buy “things” whenever you want them (which, unfortunately, often requires putting those items on credit) OR you can opt to SAVE for what you want ... or even forgo some of those finer (and pricier) things in life altogether.

It’s not so difficult, really, once you change your mindset. Ken and I (Daria here) have been debt-free for all but the very early years of our marriage. Since we paid off those bills oh-so-long ago, we’ve been living rich every day!

So what follows are 10 key steps that you can and should take to live a financially-healthy life — free from headaches, worries and, of course, those seemingly never-ending bills. Take a look ...

Next: Step #1:Assess EVERYTHING You Owe