If you have a credit card balance you can’t pay off, the first thing you must do is stop spending more than you make. Try to save some money each month and use it to start paying off your credit card balances.

Next, cut up your credit cards so you can’t get any deeper in debt.

If you don’t have one already, ask your bank for a Visa or MasterCard debit card. These are accepted everywhere Visa and MasterCard credit cards are accepted. But instead of adding to your debt, debit-card purchases are deducted from your checking account.

To reduce the number of prescreened credit card offers that arrive in your mailbox for five years, call 1-888-5OPTOUT or visit www.optoutprescreen.com.

Call your credit card companies and ask them to lower your interest rate. If they won’t, shop for a cheaper card and transfer your balance. Be wary of cards offering zero-percent on balance transfers. These rates are good for a short period of time.

Consider consolidating your balances on one low-rate card. It will be easier to get a handle on your overall debt, and because you’ll only be writing one check per month, it will be harder to incur later fees.

Also consider visiting a not-for-profit consumer credit counseling services. These services help with budgeting and might provide debt-repayment plans. Be aware that most of these agencies receive most of their funding from credit card companies and others lenders. Beware of agencies that charge a large free or promise they can eliminate your debt.

For a list of debtor-education agencies approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee, go to http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/ccde/de_approved.htm

For more information on handling debt, see http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/kneedeep.htm