1 Do not panic. There is help at hand but do not ignore the situation as this will invariably only make matters worse.

2 Pray. Seek God's help to give you the strength to face up to the problems you have and to do something about it.

3 Draw up your own budget - list everything that you spend your money on in the course of a month. It may be easiest to do this by having a notebook with you at all times to record your expenditure.

4 Talk to your partner. It is vitally important that you speak to your spouse if you think you are having money troubles. You may be afraid to do so because you are afraid of causing worry, but holding things back eventually will lead to a breakdown of trust. This is why money is named as the major cause of marital friction and breakdown today.

5 With your spouse look at the budget together. Make sure nothing is missing from it. Have you remembered annual subscriptions and money for Christmas, for example? Are there areas in which spending can be cut back, if only as a temporary measure?

6 Having done this, look again and see what money, if any, is left over to offer creditors. Remember that some creditors are far more important to pay than others because of what can happen if you don't pay - a mortgage or rent being a priority, a credit card less so.

7 Then write to your creditors. Enclose a copy of your budget and make an offer of payment. Remember creditors cannot be sympathetic to your case if they don't know what the problem is. They, of course, do not have to accept your offer but are likely to do so if your budget shows that you are doing all you can to pay them.

8 Seek advice. Most of us have not been taught about money management and therefore do not know what to do when things go wrong. There is no need to pay for this advice. Citizens Advice Bureaux operate throughout Britain and the Consumer Credit Counselling Service also offers excellent money advice.

Credit Action, a Christian charity, has a range of debt and money advice books available as well as a free phone helpline [0800 591084]. For further information, contact them at: 6 Regent Terrace Cambridge CB1 2AA or on their website - www.creditaction.com

Whatever you do, do not despair. There is help available. By taking the first step, you are taking the biggest step towards regaining control of your finances and seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

• Keith Tondeur is an author and experienced debt counsellor, working with Credit Action.
  
  
• How have you tackled debt issues? Share your experience and ways out with Christian Family Network by mailing us at info@cfnetwork.co.uk