Whether you’re buying coffee and the morning paper at the convenience store, paying for a getaway vacation cruise or settling your tax bill with Uncle Sam, it’s all too easy to pull out your plastic. For many of us, credit cards have become a little too convenient.

If you’ve dug yourself deep into debt, these five steps can help you to climb out:

1) Take stock of your situation. Sure, you have that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you pull your bills out of the mailbox, but are you in serious trouble? Now is the best time to find out. Make a list of how much you owe, to whom and at what interest rate. How much is too much? These questions can help you decide:

• Do I make only minimum payments?

• Do I routinely skip payments or make late payments?

• Have I reached the credit limit on one or more credit cards?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may need assistance.

2) Create a realistic budget. The simple truth is that to get out of debt, you have to spend less than you earn. So, list your income from all sources. Then, list your fixed expenses, such as mortgage payments, rent and car payments. For the next several months, keep track of every dime you spend on variable expenses like clothing, entertainment and recreation. You may find that you must trim some of the extras, like dining out.

During the period that you are paying down your debt, carry around only the set amount of cash you can spend each week. Leave your debit and credit cards at home. It’s easier to improve your spending decisions when you see the cash leaving your wallet than it is when swiping your card through a machine.

3) Shop around for lower interest rates and consolidate your balances. Particularly if you have a strong credit rating, it’s worth shopping around for a lower interest rate.

4) Develop a payment plan and stick to it. It’s tough to get out of debt without a plan of attack. List all your credit cards, with the one with the highest interest rate on top. Make minimum payments on all cards, but direct any extra cash — bonuses, product rebates, rolled coins, yard sale proceeds — to paying off the card at the top.

5) Consider professional help. You’ve seen advertisements from numerous credit counseling organizations that say they can help, but some charge high fees. Others insist on a debt management plan that requires you to make payments to them to disperse to your creditors. For more information, the Federal Trade (FTC) publishes a series of free publications on credit issues. They are available at www.ftc.gov/credit or by calling 877-382-4357.

Notable Quote: “Rather to retire supperless than rise in debt.” — Benjamin Franklin

Call or write Tom at 1030 Seminary St. Suite D, Napa CA 94559, 254-0155, fax 254-0158 or e-mail suntrm@aol.com.