COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If you are paying off a credit card debt, you're not alone.
Debtscape, a nonprofit credit counseling organization, reports national consumer debt is more than $2 trillion.
The average household has 10 credit cards, with the debt on each card averaging $8,000.
WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio, talked with NBC Today Show financial editor Jean Chatzky, who has worked with all aspects of financial advising.
"For the last couple years, I've heard about no problem more than debt," Chatzky said.
Chatzky said that by saving just a few dollars a day, anyone can eliminate his or her debt.
"Just find that $10 a day and move it from a spending pile to paying-down-your-debt file," Chatzky said.
According to Chatzky, $10 is easier to find than you think.
"I mean $10 a day is dinner at McDonald's for my two kids, a movie ticket with no popcorn or a good pair of control-top panty hose," Chatzky said. "It's nothing."
To lower your debt, Chatzky has a few recommendations.
- Figure out your outstanding debt and what your interest rates are.
- Track your spending. Find out where your money is going.
- Look at big fixed costs: mortgages, car loans, student loans and credit rates.
- Make sure your money goes from point A to point B. Save, save, save.
- Pay attention to your credit score. Keep a score of at least 660. With a higher credit score, you can borrow at more attractive rates.
When it comes to debt management, Chatzky is confident her methods work.
She said that by saving that $10 a day, "all of a sudden, it changes your life."
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