Attention! Do you know that many Americans are currently overwhelmed in credit card debts? Below are the 10 must-do things for rescuing the financial situation.

1. List down all your credit card debts with the outstanding balance, interest rate, minimum payment, payment due date and credit limit for each card. This will give you a broader picture on how much you owe in total.

2. Start making extra payment for the card which contains the lowest balance. This method will definitely serve you to get rid of your debt bills faster.

3. Then start tackling the card which comes with the highest interest rate. At the same time, make minimum payment for the rest of your bills. This will help to reduce your financial burden in the long run.

4. Start talking terms with your banks or credit card providers for lower interest rates. This will help you to pay off your debts faster

5. Plan your monthly budget properly and it is a need for you to cut down some of your unnecessary expenses, especially on luxury items. Save as much money as you can to make more payment for your cards. This will assist you to reduce on your outstanding balances faster.

6. Make sure that you don’t create any additional debt from now onwards. Never apply for new credit cards or new loans until your current debts are clear. Make sure you are prepared enough to stop using your cards for buying products or services.

7. Since you are fully aware of your payment due dates, you are reminded to make your payments on time in order to avoid late bills.

8. If you are currently having a saving account or fixed deposit account, you are advised to recall the money to erase your credit card debts first. In order to reduce the debt amount, you are encouraged to go for debt settlement.

9. When you are facing huge debts, changing your current lifestyle is a must. You are encouraged to take up part time job to generate more income to reduce debt. You are also advised to find ways to save some daily costs.

10. If you are really poor in managing debt, you should consider obtaining professional assistance. Look for reliable financial consultants or debt settlement companies to assist you.

One of the largest challenges that many people face when trying to pay off debt is finding money to apply towards their debts. In order to pay off your debt, you have to pay more than the minimum payment, but this can be hard to do when you’re having trouble just making ends meet each month.

So where can you find additional money to apply to your credit card debts each month? Here are various ideas:

Tax refund: Do you typically get a large tax refund each year? If you do, then you can apply part or all of the refund to your debts. In addition, you should adjust your withholding so that less taxes are withheld from each check; you’ll get a smaller income tax refund, but you’ll have more money to apply towards your debt payments each month. The last thing you want to do is give Uncle Sam an interest free loan when you have high interest credit cards!

Savings: Nobody wants to cash out their savings account to pay off credit card debt, but when you have credit cards that are costing you 18% or more in interest each month and your savings are only earning 4% (or less), it just gets sense to use some of your savings to get rid of that nasty credit card debt.

Bonuses, raises and overtime: Anytime you get a raise, bonus or earn overtime, you should use at least a portion of that money to pay towards your debt. Since this is “extra” money that you didn’t have before, you shouldn’t miss the money that you put towards your debt.

Part time or temporary work: If you’re really in a debt bind, consider getting a part time, seasonal or part-time job. It doesn’t have to be forever, just long enough to pay off or at least make a dent in your debt.

Sell things: Another option is to sell things to raise money. Have a yard sale or sell items no longer used on eBay. Sell books that you no longer read on Amazon or Half.com. You’ll be surprised at how much some items will sell for on an online auction!

Borrow from family and friends: Everyone hates to ask family and friends for money, but if you’re in over your head and you have family members in a position to help, this is an option you shouldn’t ignore. If it helps, you can draw up a written agreement so that each party knows what to expect, and there’s no chance for disagreements or hard feelings down the road.

Borrow against your home equity: This is not an option to take lightly. Yes, you can reduce the interest you are paying on your debts significantly by taking out a home equity loan, but remember that your home is at risk if you are unable to make the payments for any reason. Choose this option only if you are 110% sure that you can continue to make your payments, even in the event of a job loss or other emergency.

Reduce spending: Although named last, this is probably the first strategy you should take to find extra money to pay off debts. You should review your spending to see if there are any areas that you can cut back on to generate additional cash to be used towards your debt. Some typical areas that can be cut back on, at least temporarily, to help pay off debt include food (both groceries and eating out), amusement (gym memberships, magazine subscriptions, cable, internet, trips to the book store) and personal care (haircuts, clothing, housekeeping, etc.).

These are just a few suggestions on how you can find money to help pay down your debts quicker. There are hundreds of other ways you can find money to use towards your debt if you are motivated to search for them.