It is vital that you do not incur any more debt. The way to do this is to stop or limit the use of your credit cards until you have them at a minimal balance. If you do not have the self-control to limit your spending, then it is time to shred your cards. Yes, every single one of them, so that you do not continue spending and increasing the size of your credit card debt. Of course, when you do this the only option you will have to pay for purchases is cash (if you have forgotten what cash looks like - it is green bills in various denominations).

When you are operating with cash only, you see something that you desperately want, and you notice you do not have enough cash to purchase it that is a sign that it stays in the store and not comes home with you. This is where the benefit of shredding your credit cards comes in handy. It may be difficult at first, but soon you will be glad that you are using cash for your purchases because you are moving closer to becoming debt free. If you decide that you want to keep one card for emergencies choose the one that has the lowest interest rate and do not keep it in your wallet. Put the credit card in a safe place and use it for emergencies only.

When the bills come in for your credit cards, never pay only the minimum. It is vital that you pay above this amount. If you pay only the minimum, you are making money for the credit card company. If you have several cards, you can choose to pay as much as possible on one card and the minimum on the others. When you have paid off one card, then carry over the amount you were paying to the next card. Continue this process until your credit card reduction is at zero.

Do not hesitate to contact your credit card lenders and negotiate for a lower interest rate. Ask if they have any specials that they can apply to your account. Have some figures handy that you have researched from other offers. If they are unwilling to work with you let them know you will move your balance to one of their competitors. If they want to keep you as a customer (remember you are making them money) there may be an offer they can give to you. If they are still unwilling, then apply for a credit card with a lower interest rate and transfer your balance to the credit card and then shred theirs and continue to work to paying off the debt. This way you are saving yourself money with the lower interest rate and by paying above the minimum required monthly amount.