Start small and take it one day at a time.  Maybe the first thing you do is say, ‘I’m going to go one day without any new debt’. It is a start.

Set some money aside for emergencies, or else you get more debt again.

Birds fly high to get a better perspective. We also need to see the bigger picture. We need to know specifically what we are dealing with.

Make a wall chart with a ‘goalometer’.  Keep a reduction record for your debt repayment plan. Note when and how much you  have paid and how much you have to go to zero owed.

The goal is to be debt free (except for your mortgage and maybe a student loan). Don’t be tempted to try to recover it all with one risky get rich quick scheme.

Ask card companies for a lower interest rate. Threaten to move your money if they don’t. Pay off the highest interest rates first. Or, if it would give you a boost, pay off the smalles balances right away, and you can get a small sense of satisfaction.  Consolidate to one lower interest card.

Keep a spending journal and balance sheet so you can see where you are.  Break expenses down by week or month and then by category.

Think before you spend. Keep in mind that it is much easier to buy than to sell.

Know the difference between wants and needs.  Do I need this or do I want this? If I really need it I try to wait until I can afford it.

Stay busy.  The main thing is to keep your mind off spending and focus on how it feels to be debt free and the peace of mind you feel. Then remember what it was like to be in debt. The pressures that went with it.

It is not play money. Come to grips with the fact that you can’t spend what you don’t have. The reality is you can’t afford to do or have everything you want but a lack of money can lead you to come up with creative solutions, like bartering.

More money isn’t always the answer. Once you get out of debt you don’t have to deprive yourself of things you want and need. You can still travel, for example, but save up for it.