Debt is a burden, we all know that. Too much causes worries and that can lead to any number of bad things. In the worst scenario worries over debt can make you ill, perhaps very ill. If you're faced with this problem the best time to start doing something about it is right now.

Debt is money owed we can't pay back right away or payments that are running us even deeper into the ground. We've in a sense turned into a society that has gotten used to living on credit, which has put us in a mess. The first step has to do with attitude. Pay cash as you go. Not easy and maybe impossible to do in one big step but you've got to start trying. A very workable approach is just to start getting creative as to what you can do to save a bit here or a bit there.

Next step ... so you have cut back, and you've found some extra funds. Don't party just yet - you still need to think about reducing debt not just reducing spending. We're going to take the snowball approach to debt resolution.

Take a good hard look at your bills. Write a budget. List everything you pay, even if you don't pay it every month. Add it up, and allow yourself a buffer - perhaps 10%? - on the bills that fluctuate like electricity. Eliminate what you can. Maybe you find it's cheaper the kill the cable and buy two movies for yourself every month.

Once you have spending under control start paying off outstanding loans. Think of a loan as something you bought or did a long time ago and are still paying for. Was it worth it, and do you want to keep on that path? When you think about it you'll probably come to the conclusion that paying up front is much more satisfying. you don't get the bad aftertaste.

Either approach will eventually lead to a snowball effect. The more loans you pay off the more you have available to pay off the remaining loans. Don't start trying to save until you're well on your way. Keep your first priority getting out of debt. You'll also learn a good life's lesson. Living without debt is very satisfying indeed. And living within your means isn't nearly as bad as you were afraid it was going to be.

Instead of extravagant spending, start investing. Take your extra funds, and snowball yourself a savings fund. You can do this with anything you wish - a savings account, stocks, bonds, anything. The important thing is that you are saving money, that way you never have to make the kind of decisions you did before when you were forced into reducing debt.

As you've paid off your debt you've been paying yourself although it may not have seemed like it. Now you can pay yourself where the results become more tangible and visible. Save, invest, and get those things you want by paying cash for them. You can live a more satisfying and less stressful life, maybe even a longer one, with no bad aftertaste.