Are you losing sleep over debt worries? Is your stomach in knots? Are you paying just the minimum on your credit card payments to keep the wolf at bay? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, it’s time for you to take back control of your financial life.

No matter what your current debt situation, you are the best candidate to get yourself on the right financial track. Don’t pay a consumer credit or debt counselor to get you out of debt.

All they’re going to do is exactly what you could do yourself - only they’re going to charge you a hefty fee for it. Not only that, but many debt relief companies don’t have your best interest at heart because they’re either owned by or work for credit card companies.

So whose back do you think they’ll have when push comes to shove? Evaluate where you stand with your debt. If your outgoing expenses overpower your income, then you only have two choices.

Cut the excess spending or raise your income. Get a temporary part time job. Did you know pizza delivery drivers can earn between £75 - £150 weekly? That’s a nice chunk of change to use to pay down debt.

If you’re in debt over your head right now and you feel like you’re drowning, call your creditors. Tell them what you can afford to pay. If they say they can’t accept that, send the amount you can afford anyway.

Have you ever had a creditor return a payment? You don’t have to be a genius to get out of debt. Like the turtle in the race with the hare, all you have to do is stay steady in the race.

Debt can wreak havoc on your marriage, it can ruin your future financial health, and it can even affect your body because of the stress factors it puts on you. Don’t ignore it because it will just grow into something that feels insurmountable.

It can be tamed, but you have to be willing to stand up and face your debt and tackle it in manageable bite-sized chunks. Don’t worry if you don’t have tens of thousands of pounds to pay off your debt right now – most lenders will work with you if you just reach out and offer some sort of compromise.

Tags: control, debt, Finance