Let's face it. You've got a pile of credit card debt and you don't know what you can do. I've got some practical solutions to your situation. As much as you would like to wave a magic wand to make the debt disappear, it won't. No, these aren't magical solutions, but practical solutions to get out of debt and stay free from debt.

The first move is to realize that your spending is a disaster. It truly is. I know you had excellent reasons to purchase as much as you did. Most likely they were emotional reasons. People expected you to purchase what you did. You were emotionally attracted to it. You just could not prevent yourself from buying those things.

Remember, commercials you read, hear or watch have only one purpose: to get money from your pocket into the bank account of the advertiser. Commercials build on emotion. You have got to comprehend this and begin acting wisely with regards to money.

So, now is the time to be practical. Meaning you need to begin practicing money management methods that work in your best interests over the long haul. You will have to let go of feelings and practice things that make sense. Now, here are some no-nonsense steps you can take to reduce your debt and remain debt free.

First, establish how long it's going to take you to eradicate your debt. Paying the minimum required each month, it will likely take 5 to 10 years to eliminate your debt. That is if you don't add to it by buying more stuff. You can probably pay more and may even find a way to negotiate a lower rate of interest with your credit card companies. Both these steps will help you become debt free earlier.

Second, put a small amount of extra money in reserve for unplanned events. Everybody has unforeseen bills. You can anticipate the bills unexpected events will produce by establishing an emergency fund to pay for these unpredicted and uninvited events.

Third, since you can likely tell by now, you are going to be running really tight on money. Therefore, you will need to make a budget. Recognized just how much money is coming in and what your mandatory expenditures are. Include in these bills money for paying off your debt, and your emergency fund as well as other costs like food, housing, utilities and transportation. Find places to cut back. Don't let anyone kick your emotions into spending mode. Remain loyal to your budget.

Fourth, if you are having trouble reducing your debt, you should get help from a credit counseling agency. The U.S. Trustee Program has a list of credit counseling services that can provide assistance. Some provide their services at no cost (and are compensated by the credit card companies while others charge you a fee for their services. Make certain you understand the fee structure before you agree to participate in their plan.

The greater your knowledge about credit and debt the more easily you will handle your money and remain free of debt.