1. Pay cash whenever possible. Pizza or a latte on credit is silly.

2. Unfortunately, this means curtailing your ordering online. Think of it as saving on all those ludicrous shipping & handling charges. Throw out-unread-the catalogs crowding your mailbox.

3. Use only two credit cards, the ones with the lowest interest rates.

4. Cut the others in pieces and ask the credit card companies to close your accounts. You’ll still be paying your monthly bills, but won’t be able to use the cards to rack up higher balances. Demand a lower interest rate: creditors will be more amenable if the account is closed.

5. Arrange for automatic payments to your closed credit card accounts. This way, you won’t be tempted to pay less than planned.

6. Pay off the card with the highest interest first. Pay a little more each month than you intended.

7. Beware the home-equity line of credit – you’re putting your home on the line, as collateral.

8. Beware services offering debt consolidation, but really offering bankruptcy. Government websites like that of the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov) and the Federal Reserve Bank (www.federalreserve.gov) can help you check the validity of debt consolidation offers.

9. Use Consumer Credit Counseling services – they are non-profit organizations, and their services are free, or offered for a small fee.

10. Finally, resist temptation. Think of shopping only as a way to crowd your closets and fill up your storage space. If a crisis forced you to pull up stakes tomorrow, how much of your acquired – and unpaid – treasure would you take along?