How you managed to get yourself into debt is what you'll need to look at in order to find the best way for your to get out of debt and stay out of it. Did debt fall from the sky and land on your lap? For some, like those who get hit with a major medical problem, it does. Or did it sneak up on you like a thief in the night? You're not making what you feel you need to live and you overspend on things by placing them on credit - then you find it hard to pay it all back. Each way presents its own problems when getting out of debt. Let's take a look at each separately.

Debt That Comes on Fast and Furious

Sometimes getting into debt happens without your being able to control it - although you may have been able to prevent it with an emergency fund. If you lose your job, get hurt at work or have a major medical problem, you are going to be short on cash. If you're the bread winner in the family, this will lead to debt and is at times unavoidable.

Debt That Sneaks Up on You

This is the type of debt that you thought you could avoid. If you had taken a clear look at the realities of life and your financial situation, you would have known it's almost always impossible to avoid once you saw the warning signs of too much debt.

But this type of debt is very avoidable by establishing a good money smart budget and sticking to it. Learn the difference between wants and needs, why you should start using cash only and how to stop your spending habit. Once you get out from under the heavy debt load, you too can live debt free.