The biggest problem with getting out of debt is that it just takes too darn long. Once you get paid, you like to buy the things you want, then the things you need, and then pay bills. It’s human nature to pay the minimum amount on a credit card, for example, so that we can eat out one extra time during the month.

Paying Off Debt Isn’t Sexy

Paying extra on a credit card bill isn’t nearly as tasty as a 16 ounce sirloin, and it isn’t nearly as exciting as watching Bruce Willis yell “Yippie Kai Yai Yay!” as he crashes a police car through the lobby of the latest terrorist target. In the long run, however, paying on that credit card will let you see more movies and let you upgrade to the 21 ounce porterhouse. You just have to be disciplined enough to get out of debt.

It takes time and patience to get out of debt. The struggle with debt can take years, and during the time we’re paying off debt we have nothing tangible we can show for it beyond a lower statement balance. Along the way, too, other things come up. There are birthday presents to buy, membership fees, magazine subscriptions, braces, oil changes and shoes. As more and more things come up, you have to keep pushing back your debt payoff date.

A Matter of Priority

Paying off debt means setting some of those things aside. Yes, you have to keep the lights on. You have to put gas in your car and keep food on the table. Your kids probably even need clothes. You’re always going to have bills: there’s no way around it.

The key is to eliminate the bills you can eliminate and not increase the others. Here again, we come back to the idea of paying off credit cards or other debt. That’s only half of the equation – if you can stick to eating out once a week instead of three times, for example, you’ll pay your debt off a heck of a lot faster.

All the Right Financial Moves

There are some specific financial moves you can make that will help. You can commit to not adding an additional credit card if you already have one with a balance. That will help you from accruing more debt.

You might consider a personal loan. You can use a personal loan to consolidate your debt. This allows you to take the high-interest revolving credit from your credit cards and put it into a debt that’s less expensive. Make sure you pay it off quicker, too.

You can also create a workable budget and follow it. Your budget plan should include paying off debt at a specific rate, so that you can become debt free eventually.

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