Sun Hi and Joseph IGm got their first card a week after they got married. At first, they paid the balance every month. The couple's problems  after they bought a new house. They bought new , a big-screen television, and two new computers. To pay for everything, they for more and more credit. Soon they had six different credit cards, and they were more than $18,000 in . 

"It was a nightmare!" says Mrs. Kim, "The interest were 19 percent to 24 percent. Our minimum were over $750 a month. We both got second jobs, but it enough. I was so worried about paying off the debt, I cried all the time."

Luckily, the IGms found a . They met Dolores Delgado, a debt counselor. With her help, they at all of their living expenses and made a family . They combined their six credit card payments into one payment with a lower interest rate. 

Now, their monthly budget for all living expenses is $3,400. Together they $3,900 a month. That leaves $500 for paying off their debt. "We've up our credit cards," says Mr. Kim. "No more expensive furniture! five years, we can pay off our debt. Now we know. Credit cards are !