There are several steps you should take to get out of credit card debt. Paying off several thousand dollars or more in credit card debt takes time, so you must discipline yourself.
1) If you have several cards, your first goal is to pay off the card with the highest interest rate. This process is called laddering.
2) Pay more money toward that credit card and slightly less toward the other cards, and eventually you can rip it up. Then you move onto the next card, and so on, and so on...
3) One proven way to pay more toward the most expensive card -- and to get rid of it faster -- is to make a separate payment every 14 days to the credit card company. Mark your calendar every 14 days and write that check or send your online payment that day. Making a payment every 14 days equals one extra month's payment you've made at the end of the year. Work these payments around your statement cycle to avoid paying lates fees.
For help during the process, contact the NFCC at nfcc.org or call 800-388-2227. And, for more help getting out of debt, check out the book Invest in Yourself: Six Secrets to a Rich Life by Marc Eisenson.
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