One of the primary problems that a lot of people deal with while trying to repay debt is getting money to pay off debt. To be able to pay down your credit balances, you need to pay more than the minimum payment amount, yet this can be difficult to do when you’re having difficulty simply making ends meet month after month.

Where can you get money to put towards your credit card bills every month? Here are several suggestions:

Income tax return: Do you normally get a substantial tax refund each year? If you do, then you can apply some of your tax refund towards your credit card debts. In addition, you ought to adjust your withholding so that less taxes are withheld from each paycheck; it’ll give you a smaller income tax refund, however you will have more money to apply towards your credit card debt payments each month. The thing you don’t want to do is give Uncle Sam an interest free loan when you need money to pay off debt!

Borrow from family and friends: Most people dread asking family or friends to borrow money, but if you’re in too deep and you have loved ones with the ability to provide help, this is a solution you mustn’t overlook. If it makes you feel better, it is possible to draft a written agreement so that each party understands what to expect, and there’s no chance for disagreements or hard feelings later on.

Bonuses, raises and overtime: When you receive a pay increase, bonus or get paid overtime income, you should set aside at least part of those earnings to pay towards your debt. Considering that this is “extra” money that you didn’t have before, you should not miss the income that you put towards your credit card debt.

Sell stuff: An additional option could be to sell stuff to help you raise money. Have a garage sale or possibly sell items no longer used on eBay. Sell books that you no longer read on Amazon or Half.com. You may be surprised by just how much certain objects can sell for on an online auction!

Decrease spending: Despite the fact that this is mentioned last, this is probably the first strategy you should take to uncover extra cash to pay off debts. You need to review your budget to see if there are any areas that you can reduce to come up with additional money to be applied towards your credit card debt. Some frequent bills that might be reduced, at least for the short term, to help pay off debt include food (both groceries and eating at restaurants), entertainment (gym memberships, magazine subscriptions, cable, internet, trips to the book store) and personal care (haircuts, clothing, housekeeping, etc.).

These are only a few suggestions on how to get money to pay off debt. There are hundreds of additional ways you can find money to apply towards your credit card debt if you are motivated to look for them.