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When I first read that Erin Burt was leaving Kiplinger, I was sad. Then I was happy again when I read that she was leaving to spend more time with her family.

Erin Burt was an editor at Kiplinger, where she had a column called Starting Out. In this column she gave great financial advice for people in their 20s and 30s. I read her weekly articles almost religiously.

I am in my mid-twenties now, and have made my fair share of financial mistakes. In honor of the “Starting Out” tradition, I hope to share some of the lessons and tips that I have learned along the way. Below are five important things that helped me out in becoming (credit card) debt free.

It sounds kind of preachy, but these quick tips really helped me with my addiction to credit.

Credit Card Debt

Who among us doesn’t have credit card debt? Credit card debt is probably one of the ugliest debts you can have. If you’re not careful, it can spiral out of control.

Although I am carrying a balance as of right now, it is a manageable one that I plan to eradicate by year’s end. But at one point, I had thousands of dollars spread across multiple accounts.

At times it can seem hopeless, because you don’t even know how you accrued so much debt, much less how to begin the repayment process. With a little willpower and determination, I was able to get through it. And if you’re struggling with it, so can you.

1. First off, STOP charging on your credit cards. Forget those measly 2% cash back rewards that you get for using credit. What’s 2% when your APR is 15.99%?

I used to buy so much useless crap. On credit. It’s so easy to swipe that card, or to type those 16 numbers into any store’s secure online checkout . You have to resist. Ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” Chances are you probably don’t. Start using debit or cash.

2. Don’t default on monthly payments, even if it means paying just the bare minimum. It hurts your credit score and the fees will increase your debt.

If you are currently defaulting on your payments, start paying the bare minimum. A late payment or nonpayment can result in a world of hurt for you. It raises a red flag on your account to the credit card and creditors, and can add massive amounts of penalties for you.

Thankfully, I have never missed a payment, but I have received plenty of overdraft fees. And those piss me off. It’s like you’re just handing over money to the man. Don’t let the man take your money.

3. Some people say that you should start attacking your highest interest rate card first. I agree. But you can also start paying off your lowest balance first.

If you have a lot of debt, and don’t know where to begin, start with your smallest debt. I remember one of my accounts was significantly lower than the rest of my accounts, so I just paid that one off. When I saw that I had killed one debt, albeit a small one, it boosted my confidence. One little victory, but it was just the boost I needed to really strap down and kill the rest of my debts.

4. Be wary of balance transfers, they can give you a false sense of financial security. Do the math first, since there are balance transfer fees, that might end up costing more your old APR.

Balance transfers can be a good way of consolidating your debts, but there are also a lot of fees associated with them. Most transfers have a flat rate fee, and then another fee which charges you based on the amount of money you want to transfer. Make sure it makes fiscal sense to transfer or not.

5. Once you start clearing some of your debt, you might get the urge to close out the accounts. Keep them open, because you want to retain your history of credit. Closing accounts will also affect your credit utilization ratio.

One thing that creditors look at is the credit-utilization ratio. If you have a $1,000 credit limit, and you’re carrying a balance of $900, you are using 90% of your available credit. You want to try to lower this number to less than 50%. And then eventually zero.

I think we all struggle with money or the lack thereof. If you do have bad credit, don’t fret. Like most things, you can turn it around, it will just take time. But you have to stop the bleeding first. Do whatever it takes to stop using your credit card. Freeze it. Leave it at home. Cut it up.

It’s really scary when you realize what kind of hold credit has on you. It still is a constant struggle for me, don’t get me wrong. And Black Friday is looming around the corner. Suc.