The National Foundation for Debt Management, a nonprofit agency, offers information and resources on its Website as well as from its financial counselors.
Saving
Evaluate your overall budget. Look at major categories of spending such as transportation, household, and food expenses, and determine areas where you can cut costs.
Seek discounts or refinance. For example, you could consolidate your auto and other types of insurance with one company to get a deal, or comparison shop for better quotes. Look into refinancing a current loan, such as your auto loan, to get a better interest rate. With grocery shopping, coupon clipping can help, but be smart about where you shop.
“Whenever you achieve a cost savings, you can knock out your debt or set aside money for cash reserve,” she says.