If it has to happen, let it happen on your terms.

This is probably the very last thing anyone wants to hear, but here it is anyway: at some point in your life, if you haven’t already, you’re probably going to be saddled with debt. It’s just kind of an unfortunate truth of the system, and it’s not a fun way to live, as obvious a statement as that is. Whether due to current economic snafus or some pre-existing conundrum in your life, debt has a habit of sneaking up on you. But as nasty as debt can be, it’s not an unwinnable situation. As with any puzzle, you just need to logic out the solution.

The first thing you need to do when you’re saddled with debt is to make a plan to get out of it. I’m not talking things like credit cards; credit cards don’t get you out of debt, they just push the clock back. As long as you don’t have money to repay the credit card bill, you’re still in debt. Rather, you need to determine what you can scrape money from in your daily life, and how long that scraping will take to become a full debt payment. If you can, try to cut yourself down to essentials. Food on the table, keep the lights on, keep yourself insured. Everything else goes toward the debt. You want to be in debt for as little time as possible, even if it means enduring some unpleasant conditions for a little while.

If you don’t entirely trust yourself, talk to someone. Financial experts can help you construct a plan you can stick to. If you don’t want to pay for that service, there are free seminars and workshops you can attend to give yourself ideas. Even just talking to a friend or family member can help; two heads are better than one, after all, plus having someone you trust in your corner can help you to stick to your plan.