Your credit card debt didn’t accumulate overnight and it won’t be paid off overnight, but there are things you can do to make repayment easier. By taking a more practical approach, you can begin paying off your credit card debt right now and perhaps even fulfill your new year’s resolution to pay off your credit cards!

1.  Trim Expenses: Start by trimming your expenses. If you have a large amount of credit card debt and the payments are somewhat crippling already, you may not be able to stop using your credit cards just yet, but you can always trim your expenses. No matter who you are, how much you make, or how much you spend, there are elements in your expenses that just do not need to be there. While living a completely Spartan life is not practical (and you probably wouldn’t do it for long), try listing out your expenses (go through your most recent banking statement and credit card statement for the most accurate information – do not just assume) and figuring out what expenses you could do without. For example, do you really need to spend $100 per week on groceries? Try adding a “cheap eats” night once a week (e.g. leftovers, PB&J, macaroni and cheese, soup), and you could save up to $100 per month that could be used to pay off your debt more quickly.

2.  Increase Income: If you cannot see a way to cut your expenses significantly or you would like to pay off your debt more quickly, consider finding ways to increase your income. Selling items on eBay, through a consignment shop, or through your own listings is a good way to make extra money you can use toward your debts while de-cluttering your home. In addition, consider taking on extra work. While it will take some of your free time, if you can handle the extra work for at least a little while and you can resolve yourself to applying all the money you make toward paying off your credit card debt, you may be able to pay off your credit card debt in a fraction of the time it would have taken otherwise.

3.  Consolidate Debt: Alternatively, if your credit card debt is massive or you cannot afford to take the time to do extra work (e.g. you are a single parent and the cost of childcare is just as much as you would earn in a second job), consider consolidating your debt, either through a balance transfer, a home equity loan, or a cash out home refinancing. The interest rate you receive will be much lower than that which you pay now, making it that much easier for you to pay off your debt.