Before you can tackle your debts, you'll need to stop building them up. The rule is straightforward: If you don't have enough hard cash and steady income, don't buy the item. Credit cards don't feel, smell, or even look like real money, which makes it incredibly easy to spend more than you can really afford.

Your path to debt relief can start by simply ridding yourself of whats known as "bad debt" (credit cards, department store cards, car payments, etc.). They tend to have higher interest rates than mortgages and student loans, which are both considered "good" debts because they're investments in your future, and overall wellbeing.

If possible, negotiate lower interest rates. If you have a good record of paying bills, contact your creditors to see whether you can get a better rate. Slashing interest rates down means that more of each dollar is going toward paying off your balance.

Dont fall into temptation by opening up new credit card accounts. You'll spare yourself from digging a deeper hole in debt. Pay your bills the easy, less expensive way, online. If you miss one bill, all your other lenders can punish you with universal default, meaning they can hike up your interest rates on all your credit cards. To prevent yourself from falling into a debt trap, take advantage of automatic bill payments available at most banks. And last but, certainly not least if you do decide to open up a new credit card account make sure to read the fine print before submitting yourself into what could lead you back to Debt Group America for round two.