Credit card debt is insidious. It sneaks up on you when you’re not looking – or at least it seems that way. That’s because you’re really not paying attention month after month as your balance and minimum payments grow. And then one day, you take a good hard look at it and discover that you’ve saddled yourself with years worth of debt.

If you’re going to make inroads into that pile of debt you’re going to have to discard some old habits and learn some new ones. In the first place, you have to stop using your credit cards. If you feel you need to have some plastic to facilitate online purchases and ATM transactions, then go out and get yourself a prepaid debit card. Once you’ve done that, you need to create a real budget.

To learn more about what you can do to eliminate your credit card debt and regain your financial health, please read: Can Anyone Ever Eliminate Credit Card Debt?