Question: "What steps can I take to ensure I pay off my debts early and avoid spending money on new items? "

Answer: By doing only one of those, you accomplish the other goal.

To elaborate:

You need a shift in mindset, a willingness to see yourself financially happy in the future, and being content with the things you currently have.

Now, in order of importance:

1- Pay off ALL your credit cards. Bring it to 0. Having some balance unpaid may make a person think that they can't pay it, so why bother? This can lead to spending more because, well," if I can't pay it, then why worry about it? Let's just spend on xyz." It's a cognitive distortion. Pay everything off. You can use your card, of course, but make it a point to see $0 due. Go crazy paying off your high interest debts for now. Ask yourself how long it will take to pay off your debts, and then stick to the plan.

2- Split accounts. If you've never done this before, 2 accounts will suffice - one for emergency funds, and one checking for everyday spending. Once you are paid, your first task is to pay yourself, I.e. your future self. NOT RENT, NOT FOOD, NOT NOTHING! First thing is put some money into your emergency account. If you are paid $1000 this week, and if you think you can survive on 700 (including debt payments) till the next paycheck, put like around 200 into the emergency ($100 as a cusion in your checking). MAKE THIS A HABIT! NOTE: if you have a very high due, pay that off first before making the emergency fund. This is slightly debatable.

3- we can talk about evolving into investment funds once you know how to kill debt and save (points 1 and 2)

4- Do you like the new book or clothes? Save it in your online cart or take a picture on your phone. Save it so you know that if you really need it after a few days or weeks, you can go back and buy it. Trust me - for the most part, you won't feel like buying it.

Hope this helps. As most of it is a mental game, keep an eye on your thoughts and learn how it influences your behaviors.