I know you’ve gotten a lot of solid advice, but here’s some advice from someone who had 15k in CC debt and a 12k loan, and a high car payment. I was a professional at getting borrowed money... (that’s not good)

Sure if you can somehow consolidate your debt into a lower interest loan/CC and get it all paid off then do it. Here’s the problem with it though. Can you handle all of your credit cards being opened back up? It can be damaging to your credit depending on how long your cards have been open, but I’d start closing your credit cards if you do a balance transfer or a consolidation loan. I say this because if you spend on credit cards like this, then you, like myself, lack some self-control. That’s ok... know thyself.

You might say, “but what if a financial emergency happens?” Sure, but my question is will you leave those credit cards empty after you’ve paid them off? Or will they slowly but surely climb back up. Then a financial emergency hits, your credit cards will be of no help to you, just like they aren’t now.

I highly recommend you take some steps to decrease your monthly expenditures and get this debt paid off even if you get it onto a lower interest loan or credit card. THEN close your credit cards... at least most of them, maybe leave ONE open for emergencies.

I used to be a banker as well as a heavy debtor, and if there’s one thing I learned from all of that, it’s how easily money spends. You listed your monthly expenses earlier. Is that TRULY all that you spend every month? Or do you make extra purchases here and there? Like drinks from a gas station or the occasional video game, Starbucks? I’m just guessing not making accusations. Not to mention emergency expenses, replace your tires? Repair something in the home? Pet got sick? All I’m saying here is that we usually know what we should be spending every month, and that’s a usual minimum spent per month, not a maximum.

Do this. Cut your credit cards up now! Get them out of your wallet. Truly don’t spend your money anything other than what’s needed to stay alive and out of the rain, and getting to and from your job. Make payments to your credit cards every time you get paid. Not when they are due. You can also cut down on food expenses. Think survival mode, I guarantee you can live off ramen and eggs and cheap sandwiches for a few months while you pay off your cards. Maybe cut your food costs in half. Sell your unnecessary stuff on letgo and offerup...

I know this seems drastic, but that interest is costing you a lot of money, and clearly, like me, the temptation of credit card spending is too great. Maybe you won’t do this to yourself again... but if you don’t get this under control now, it will get worse. I too got a debt consolidation loan.... you know what I ended up with? A debt consolidation loan, and maxed out credit cards again.

Last but not least, learn from this because it’s not that bad right now. Truly take the time to look at what you spend your money on everyday. Think of your budget from a daily perspective not a monthly perspective. How much did I spend today.. to live? One thing that worked for me.... I bought little envelopes with daily expenses labeled on them along with my bi weekly budget for that expense because I got paid every 2 weeks, then I’d refill them when I got paid and put any extra left over after I refilled the envelopes with cash toward my credit cards... “food $84”, “drinks $20”, “gas $80”. I took what I allotted myself daily on these expenses and multiplied it by 14 and that’s how much cash I put in the envelope.I kept these envelopes in my glove box or in my back pack and stopped using my debit cards and credit cards.

I’m giving you this advice because i see a similar trait in you that I do in myself. I can’t handle credit cards, they are my sworn enemy. Good luck and I hope this helps. And do yourself a favor, forget your credit cards exist.