5 Warning Signs That You Need Professional Help Getting Out Of Debt

If you’ve got a lot of credit card debt, and you don’t know how to get out, you need to make a decision:

- Do you keep doing what you’ve been doing and hope things change for the better?
- Do you come up with a plan for paying off your credit card bills and do it yourself?
- Or do you admit you’re in way over your head and seek professional help?

Obviously, the first choice won’t work.  And unless you’re motivated and willing to spend time learning how to do it yourself, the second choice probably won’t work either.  So getting professional help is probably the best choice for most people.  But it’s hard for some people to know exactly WHEN is the right time to ask for help.  So here are 5 warning signs that you need professional help getting out of debt:

1) You don’t know exactly how much debt you have.
If you’re struggling to make ends meet, and you don’t know exactly how much you owe to your creditors, then you’ll never get out of debt.  Sure, when money is tight it’s easier to pretend things are not really that bad.  But unless you are honest with yourself, and know where you stand, you’ll be stuck in debt forever.  So next time you get a credit
card bill in the mail, write down the name of the company, the amount you owe, and the interest rate.  And save a copy of the bill.  You’ll need this information when you
contact a debt management service.

2) Creditors are calling you (and you are avoiding them).
Nobody likes it when a creditor calls asking why you haven’t paid your bills on time.  It’s embarrassing.  And if you don’t have the money, you certainly don’t want to talk to them.  But ignoring these calls only makes things worse.  A professional debt relief service should be able to help you to get these calls to stop.

3) You are buying everyday items (like groceries) with your credit cards.
If you can’t pay for your basic items, like groceries, you’re not alone.  Many people rely on their credit cards to live day-to-day.  But it is a serious sign that you need help managing your debt.  Because if your paycheck is spent so fast every week that you can’t buy groceries, you’ll be buried under the weight of your credit card bills in no time!

4) You’ve borrowed money from friends or relatives more than once.
There’s nothing wrong with asking friends and relatives for help.  Especially with emergencies, like medical bills and car repairs.  But if you need to ask on a regular basis, you’re definitely moving in the wrong direction.  Because it is not their responsibility to bail you  out of financial trouble over and over again.  It’s your job to find a solution to your own money problems.

5) You are feeling hopeless.
You’ve probably heard people say “ah, it’s only money”.  Well, it easy for someone to say that when they’re not struggling.  But when you live it, it’s hard to wake up with a smile every day.  But do it anyway.  Find some way to take your focus off of money, and focus on your heart and your spirit. Then make the decision to get professional help with your finances.

If these warning signs sound familiar, then take action!  Make a commitment to yourself to get out of debt.  And then do whatever it takes to make it happen!

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Kris Bickell is the owner of www.debt-tips.com, a website dedicated to helping people find ways to get out of debt. You’ll find a simple credit card debt calculator to help you figure out just how long it will take you to get out of debt – and you’ll learn helpful tips so you can get out of debt faster.