Personal Finance and Investing

the National Foundation for Credit Counselors http://www.nfcc.org/index.cfm is a good outfit. However, I have no personal experience with them, or with any other such organizations.

I am aware of a co-worker of mine who was able to get connected with some debt consolidation service several years ago when she was just completely overwhelmed with debt. They consolidated everything, she sent them money every month, they took care of the payments. It took her about three years, but everything was paid off.

I think it's the consolidation part that is so difficult to get done on your own, and that a legitimate service can do for you.

But do your research carefully, and if possible talk to those who have used the service.

But whether you get help with this, or do it on your own, the single most important thing is going to be to stop using your credit cards completely. It's hard, because we live in a culture that constantly tells us to buy, that we deserve whatever we want, and that it will all be okay. Because of that, I sincerely recommend you stop watching regular, commercial TV, because almost every ad you'll see is exhorting you to buy, buy, buy. I've been without TV for five years now -- I watch what I want on the internet -- and it's made my reduction in income a lot less noticeable to me because I'm no longer surrounded by those messages.