We all know that too much of a good thing isn’t good for you. Too much debt isn’t good for you either – but neither is too little debt. When you’re in debt to the point that you can’t make payments on time and your credit score tanks, it can make your life miserable.

Some necessities, such as a home in which to live or a car to drive to work and back, may not be available if your credit score is low. If you have no credit at all, these things could also be beyond your grasp.

The best path to follow when it comes to debt is to build your credit so your score is high, but always have the ability to pay cash for anything you might purchase – except for high-dollar items such as a house or car.

Creditors look at credit card debt as bad debt because you’re only required to make a minimum monthly payment on what you owe. You can keep using your card until the balance is maxed out and that looks bad on your credit report.

Think again if you consider credit card debt as good debt because you don’t have to pay for your purchases right away. You could end up spending more than you have the ability to pay back as interest charges are incurred and you get in trouble fast.

When you begin to have trouble paying your bills, you’ll also begin to get notices from creditors for the balances you owe or they might be turned over to debt collectors. You may even become rightly concerned about losing your house or car if you can’t make the payments on time and penalties and interest keep climbing.

Losing your job or meeting a financial crisis such as health problems can turn your financial situation upside down and you may find it an overwhelming task to dig your way out.

Rather than ignoring your situation and letting the debt problems become worse, take steps to get yourself out of the mess by being realistic. Help yourself by cutting unnecessary spending, creating a budget and sticking to it. You may also want to consider debt consolidation or debt relief such as debt settlement or credit counseling.

Bankruptcy may become an option when you’ve tried everything, but still are mired in debt. If you’re experiencing a level of debt and other problems such as loss of a job or medical situation which requires immediate payment, bankruptcy may be the best option.

When you are finally free of debt, it’s time to rebuild your credit. For this, you have to have discipline and never again let yourself be swayed by credit card and loan offers that will simply put you back in debt and keep your life in chaos.