Drowning in credit card debt is no fun. Your very freedom is at risk. You have no money for things you need, let alone the things you want. Many of us get into credit card debt because we splurged on too many things that we wanted. Others are thrown into the situation by circumstances like illness or job loss.

Take Dorothy Willis, who racked up a $10,000 balance on her credit card. She made decent money, $40,000 a year, but she could barely keep up with the $650-a-month minimum payments on her card, let alone pay off the principal. Poor Dolores was in credit card debt hell. That's a giant problem that doesn't go away.

This story happens all across the country, every day. The latest statistics from the Federal Reserve, which tracks American debt, show that our consumer debt averages to more than $18,000 per family and that doesn't even include the monthly mortgage.

The Solution

Dorothy Willis was panicked. She knew paying off her debt would be hard and she could not do it alone. She finally talked to a family member, who agreed to transfer her balance to his own credit card which offered zero interest. She set up a goal to pay it off in one year.

Dorothy created a budget tracker. It listed her fixed expenses (monthly bills) and estimated food and other costs. She carried it with her at all times. This helped to deter her from buying any unnecessary items. Her budget sheet told her exactly what she could and could not afford. If in doubt, Dorothy consulted her list.

With little money for frivolities, she improvised on gifts and entertainment. She made personal gifts for birthdays and special occasions. She took walks, went to the dollar movie theater and used the library.

After a year of hard work and determination, she was able to pay off all of her debt. Dorothy is rightly wary of frivolous spending, even though she often get the urge to buy something she doesn't need. Now she knows how to discipline herself and reward herself when the time is right.

Some people like Dorothy can work out their problems on their own, but for others it is much easier to work with a professional debt counselor who will have good, concrete tactics for debt management. If you're in a debt situation, don't hesitate about contacting a debt counselor. Their services are usually free.