6 simple ways to tackle your credit card debt

Credit card debt is an unfortunate fact of life that all of us have to deal with at one time or another. If you got chills just reading that sentence, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Figuring out the best way to pay off credit card debt can sometimes seem like an impossibility, but it doesn’t have to be like that.

Read on to learn about six simple ways that you can manage debt and not look at your credit card bills with dread.

1. Explore your payment options

Coming up with the best payment options for your debt (and for your wallet) is one of the best ways to manage debt. The first step is to figure out exactly what you owe—as such, you need to make a detailed record of the current balances on all of your credit cards and the interest rates that are associated with each card. It helps to put the highest interest rate card at the top of your list so that you can be the one you prioritize.

Once you’ve done this, you have to decide how much you can put towards each card each month (it’s best to put the highest percentage towards the one that has the highest interest rate). Make sure that whatever rate you choose, it’s higher than the minimum payment per card—if you only pay the minimum, you’ll never pay the card off because the total will keep growing from the interest. Be firm with the amounts to each card, but also make sure you’re being reasonable.

As you keep this up, you’ll find that you’re slowly starting to pay off the cards. Eventually, the highest interest one will be all paid off (congratulations!), and you can continue the process with the rest of your cards until you’re debt-free.

2. Use a balance transfer

When discussing the best way to pay off credit card debt, consider consolidating your debt. When you consolidate your debts, you will be combining many of your high-interest balances into one singular balance that has a lower interest rate. This can help you pay your debt down faster without incurring additional expenses.

Balance transfers work the best when you find another account that will help you transfer the balance to a lower-interest account. Keep in mind that you will have to pay a balance transfer fee (which is normally 3% to 5%), but in many cases, the money you’ll be saving with your newer/lower interest rate will surpass the fee.

3. Ask your bank or credit card company for help

This one might seem obvious, but sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to reach out for help. If you’ve been wracking your brain and trying to figure out the best method for paying back your credit cards… see if your bank or credit card company can help. Although the bank likely wants to keep milking you for all the money you’re worth, they likely don’t want you to suffer destitution to pay back your debts. Additionally, many credit card companies and banks already have methods in place for debt repayment, so all you’ll have to do is ask them for what is possible.

You can also research on the Internet to see if others have worked with your financial institutions and if they have success stories for methods that might work. Sometimes, being able to walk up to a bank teller or to speak with a credit card operator and say, “I want to do X for my plan to help with debt repayment,” can get them to help you faster.

Finally, a bank or credit card issuer might be able to negotiate payment terms or get you enrolled in a hardship program. But first, you have to reach out for help.

4. Look for debt relief

If you find that you’ve tried everything to settle your debt, but it hasn’t worked out yet… you can look into debt relief. Debt relief is an option to manage your debt if there is no feasible way you can pay the necessary amounts each month. Common options include debt management plans, bankruptcy, and debt settlement.

For many, debt relief is a last resort. Many of the options for debt relief will relieve you of some of your debt, but they can have long-lasting consequences. For example, filing for bankruptcy can ruin your credit score for nearly 10 years, depending on the circumstances.

5. Hone your budget

It may seem obvious, but if you keep spending all your money willy-nilly, you’ll never get rid of your debt. This is where a budget comes into play. With a budget, you will have an exact idea of how much you need to be spending—take the time to make an itemized list of everything you spend money on in a given time frame (a month is a good chunk of time to evaluate). List all your purchases and find the ones that are essential, such as groceries, transportation, rent, utilities, car insurance, Internet, phone plan, etc. The essential elements that allow you to live your life are the bare minimum that you need to have money for.

Once you have that list, you’ll know how much money you spend on essentials each month. Mark that down as part of your budget and make sure that—with your income—you have at least that amount coming into your wallet each month. Hopefully, you’ll have more money than that, and this is where budgeting becomes extremely important. For example, you can set up four additional budgets for “play/fun,” “savings,” “emergencies,” and “debt repayment.” Based on your income, decide how much money (after essentials) will go into each category a month.

This listing of how much money can be spent for what is your budget. Once you’ve managed your budget, the next—and most important—step is to stick to it.

6. Do not use your card(s)

This might seem a bit obvious, but one of the best ways to manage debt is to not have it in the first place. If you happen to pay off one (or more) of your cards, it’s in your best interest to put that card somewhere far away from you and only reach for it for emergencies. Try to start paying for things in cash, if possible, as that will also prevent you from incurring more debt.

This solution may not work for everyone, especially for those people who use their credit cards for everything, but physically removing the card from your presence can go a long way toward ensuring that you don’t spend beyond your means.

There will always be emergencies, but if you manage to keep the credit card specifically for emergencies and use a debit card or other card for essentials, you won’t be quite as tempted to overdraw your account and invite more debt into your life.

Conclusion

This is a non-exhaustive list detailing possible options for the best way to pay off credit card debt. Every situation is different, and you have to work with what’s best for you. If you’re struggling to manage debt, try these methods and see if they offer you some relief.

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