Top five strategies for paying down your debt

While some of us fantasize about cutting up our credit cards and bidding good-bye to them forever, that's not a realistic scenario. Unfortunately, those tempting pieces of plastic can make it all-too-easy for you to fall into bad habits and rack up hundreds or even thousands in unwanted debt.

We've already told you how to whittle away at your debt quickly, but what if you're ready for the long haul of eliminating your credit card debt? We got on the phone with financial experts to ask for their best advice for setting up a fiscal fitness plan. Keep in mind, just like shedding unwanted pounds, getting rid of that debt takes time and discipline, so stick with it.