First step: BREATHE. I am serious. Get yourself in the right frame of mind to devise a plan.

Now. Do you have every card able to be paid online? if not, sign up for online paying. This will help A LOT!! It will also save .42 every time you write a bill.

Next thing is to call all the credit cards and ask for a reduction. Tell them you were offered 0% for 12 month on another card. BTW, if you have, transfer the balance. This will allow you to keep the finance charges at $0 and the money will go towards your mission. Every %age point helps and It does not hurt to ask.

With a notebook and pen, sitting at table with no TV or radio on, write down all balances. Write down which are over the limit and which have been late in the past. Write down your minimum payment on each

Next is the plan of attack. First step is to get everything down from being over drawn. THIS IS A MUST or you will chase your tale. if 2 cards are over, make minimum payments on those that are not to help get the other down.

You will now have to change your life some to help with this. if you can find ways to save money, that can be transfered to your goal, you will be better off.

So where can you save money?
Do you buy coffee from D & D or 7-11? Stop. Start making it. = $1.75 / cup saving
Do you Smoke? Try and quit. $5.00 a pack saving
Buy Lunch every day? Bring lunch. The costs gets cut in half or in full if you eat leftovers.

Basically, you need to know what you buy and how much of it. So for a week, carry a notebook with you and your spouse (if there is 1). Write down everything you buy. When you do your grocery list, by store brands and cut out some of the discretionary stuff. The money saved will be very helpful!!

The plan in action.

You will be making multiple payments every month. Pick a card – I would start with the lowest balance. You have it set up online already so this will make it easy. Every 3 or 4 days, look at your checking account and make it to the nearest 10 by making a payment to your CC. if you 257.35, make a 7.35 payment to bring you to 150.00. You will be spending basically what you would have spent on discretionary stuff. You will not miss it. This will be ON TOPof your normal minimum payment (which is written down because it will change over time BUT not for you).

Attacking all cards at once will not motivate you because you will not see the progress. So just make minimum payments +$5 on the other cards. Think about it as a fight. Would you want to fight 5 people at 1 time or 1 person at a time but have 5 fights? You will lose the fight against the 5 people (probably) but have a chance to win 5 1 on 1 fights.

Here are some other tips:

Loose change – it adds up and usually not missed. Throw it into a jar. At the end of the month, bring it to the bank and make an additional payment.

eBay – have stuff you do not use? Sell it on eBay. make payments with the money received. Garage sales also work.

The overall key though is to decrease spending until you have everything under control. The cards should not even be in your wallet so there is no temptation. They are off limits.

These methods worked for me. I think they will do the same for you.

Good luck.