Four years ago, I had more than $64,000 of credit card debt.

Racking Up My Debt

My debt began, really, as a way to exert my independence.

I was astay-at-home momwith three children under the age of four and I was completely and utterly bored.

credit card debt

But, for me, it just wasnt enough.

Probably not as good as youd like.

It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

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But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

Ask one of these companies to help…

I started looking for ways to keep my mind occupied from finding andselling things on eBaytomystery shopping.

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The problem with both of those things?They require shopping.

I did not understand it at the time, but I was empty.

I was totally in love with my babies, but I felt hollow and purposeless.

Buying new things became a high.Hunting for desirable objectsto sell on eBay was exciting.

Selling items for double what I paid was exhilarating.

But I didnt know when to quit.

I would reinvest all my profits without saving anything.

I would buy things thinking they would sell, and they didnt.

Did you know?

That was the real downfall.

Im sure you’re free to see how this story doesnt end well.

And then the check came, and it wasnt what I expected.

When I sat down and realized how much debt I actually had, I nearly died.

That realization putting an exact number to the amount that I owed was enough to scare me straight.

My Debt-Payoff Game Plan

First, I stopped spending.

No more mystery shopping.

No more credit cards.

Then, I sat down with a calendar and mapped out when each payment was due.

But it wasnt enough.The interest rates were out of control.

I attempted to call and deal with them myself, but couldnt make it work.

I ended up calling American Consumer Credit Counseling to handle all the conversations with the card companies.

I made my payments directly to them, and they doled out the payments according to interest rate.

When one card was paid off, they would start hitting the next one hard.

Here are a few things I learned as I worked to get out from under my credit card debt.

Hopefully, you could learn from my experience andpay off your debtmore easily.

Your Turn: Have you paid off a large debt?

What strategies helped you get back into the black?

Amanda Krill is a web designer with a million other side projects.

One of those isMom Vs. Debt, where she blogs about the journey to paying off her debt.

No Interest Til Almost 2027?

Balance Transfer = Credit Card Cheat Code