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There are a lot of reasons that people end up in debt. Too often the reason is lack of orgainization and just plain spending too much. Most commonly its a combination of factors.

There are legitimate reasons for being in debt. Job loss, and other factors. Whatever the reason, it is important to eliminate the debt, and not incur any more!

Here is the top ten list for eliminating your debt. It's not always easy to follow. It is important to guide your planning by the rules of this list. These ten rules will get you out of debt, and keep you out of debt in the future.

1. Be realistic about your budget. Get all your bills written down. You have to see it in front of you for it to work. Logically, your income needs to be higher than your expenses. If your total bills and expenses are more than 90% of your income, you will need to make some changes.

2. Take advantage of the "debt snowball". You can get a great jump in your credit score if you make sure to pay your cards down to less than fifty percent of the limit. Snowball the payments starting with either the lowest interest card, or the lowest balance card. After its paid, cut it up and close the account.

3. Use REAL money! Keep only one credit card, in a drawer in your house. Don't carry your emergency card with you. You can't afford to be spending money you don't have when your trying to get out of debt. If you need a new refrigerator or an emergency car repair use it. Even if you use the card for emergencies, pay it off in 3 months max. If you have some savings, use it to buy the refrigerator and don't use the charge card.

4. Direct deposit is best, and try not to get cash out of the ATM. Cash has a way of evaporating.

5. Commit yourself to eliminate unnecessary expenses and purchases. Subscriptions, dining out, anywhere you can cut your expenses improves your situation.

6. Your home and housing expense should total less than 33 percent of your total household income. Talk to your insurance agent and see if you can reduce your mortgage insurance. Refi rates are near an all time low, can you get a better interest rate on your mortgage - be clear about the terms of your mortgage. Despite what the slime ball predator on the other side of the desk tells you, you can't get an 800K mortgage for $1250 a month. Logical really, but obviously many people missed this concept and were sold inappropriate loans. Go online and use a mortgage calculator to determine what your real, actual, fixed monthly payment is at the interest rate you want. You may need to get an extra job to make the payment if you are stuck with an overpriced loan.

Also, some utility companies offer more economical utility plans. Check with your local utility provider.

7. Don't fall into the pit of "debt consolidation" loans. That means ANY consolidation loan, or consolidation program. If you have convinced yourself that this is the only way out, be careful. MAKE SURE that the total loan payment is actually less than you are paying on all your debts separately. If its cheaper and AT A LOWER INTEREST RATE than the cards, you can make it work. It's playing with fire. Remember, you have mortgaged your house to pay off a credit card If you can't pay the card, you can always file bankruptcy.Not paying your mortgage leaves you without a house. Be cautious!

8. Contact and keep in touch with your creditors. See if you can get a reduced interest rate. Some creditors will even eliminate the interest rate. Some are willing to work out optional repayment plans so they dont have to resort to using debt collectors.

9. Become a great shopper. Look for sales. When your making a larger purchase, be sure and shop around. Negotiate. Don't buy on impulse. Know what prices are elsewhere. You can call around to check prices at other retailers. See if they can beat the price.

10. If you have the option, work some overtime now and then. Take the extra money and pay down your debt. If your job doesnt offer any opportunities for overtime, think about a small home business, or finding a part time job. Keep your eyes open and opportunities will turn up.

If you dont think you can do this on your own, bankruptcy is probably still not the solution. Credit card debt is a problem you can work to eliminate, but bankruptcy is financial suicide for at least 10 years. Make sure yout look at all your options. If you can't negotiate yourself, find a company who can do it for you. Many of these firms are just rip offs, so be cautious. You don't want to end up paying $2500 dollars to settle a $5,000 dollar debt. If you owe $20,000 in credit card debt, you would have to pay 4 thousand to them as their fee. That 4 grand would have eliminated a lot of the debt. So, again, shop around even for help eliminating the debt.

Ted Batron is a financial planner who specializes in debt counseling and custom debt elimination programs . He has designed a short eCourse that can help those who want to learn how to negotiate, eliminate and get their credit card debt settled at a 30-70% discount and become debt free. If you would like to know more about Ted Batrons "5 Debt Settlement Secrets You Should Know" eCourse, visit http://www.No-Debt.net and http://www.No-Debt.net/Debt-Info