The first step in becoming debt free is to take responsibility for your debt. However, owing money does not mean you should have to sacrifice your pride or self-esteem. You must have a strong desire to be free of debt and must be able to visualize yourself with manageable debt. Remember, your finances did not become unmanageable in one day. In some cases, it probably took years. You are going to get out of debt the same way—One dollar and one day at a time.

Once you have accepted the idea that you have some problems with credit card debt, it is time to take an inventory of that debt. It is not uncommon for people with mounting bills to just stop opening their mail. Make a thorough list of all of your obligations.

Establish some long-term financial goals and break these long-term goals into several smaller objectives. Then, take each objective and set monthly, weekly and even daily goals that will help you achieve debt freedom. A daily goal can be something as simple as not using your credit cards or packing your lunch instead of spending money to eat out. Make your goals reasonable and attainable. Meeting these financial milestones will give you confidence and make you feel more in control of your debts.

To be successful at debt elimination, your needs must come first and your wants will come when you have gained financial control. Attaining debt freedom will be difficult if your credit cards are still available. The sooner you make your credit cards unavailable, the sooner you will experience debt relief. Consumer credit is the most habit forming type of credit and the most difficult type of credit to give up. Immediately destroy all credit card offers and get comfortable using the word “no”. Do not carry your check book. Give yourself a weekly cash allowance. Overdraft protection is not a good idea either, as it is a line of credit with a high interest rate that is very easy to abuse.

Marjorie Salada is the owner of debtmanagement1.com, a website that contains information on debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt counseling and how to manage credit card debt.