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How can one couple climb out from $88,000 of debt and 13 credit cards? Money Coach Bill Stanley read their story on Yahoo Finance, and decided to share it with FOX21 Morning News viewers.

It took them three and a half years – and they had a plan – but they are completely out of debt.

Here's what they did:

1) They went to a credit counseling service that analyzed their debt, their living expenses and their spending habits. Then they set up a five-year payment plan.
2) Next, the couple cut up their credit cards (all 13 of them) and used only one bank card between the two of them.
3) They paid double the minimum on each card, and every time one was paid off they switched the extra money to the next card. Payments took about 30 percent of their take-home pay.
4) Any extra cash (like from bonuses or tax refunds) went straight to the credit cards.

Here's what Stanley said they did “right”:

1) They realized they had a problem, and together they decided to solve the problem and become debt-free.
2) They sought help from a non-profit counseling service. Locally, Stanley said to call the United Way's 2-1-1 information and referral service. He said to avoid companies that advertise those “credit miracles” – they often come with higher price tags.
3) They followed the counselor's plan to the letter. It was likely very difficult for them, Stanley said, but they buckled down and did it. And they did it a year and a half early.

One thing this couple did that Stanley disagreed with is immediately destroying their credit cards. He said they should have waited until it was paid off.

“I suggest putting the card in a bowl of water and setting it in the freezer,” he said. “When it's paid off you have to formally cancel the card with the company. Then you can defrost it and cut it in half.”

Getting out of credit card debt can have a ripple effect on other aspects of our lives, Stanley said.

“It gives a big boost to your family finances, and that will make possible a better and less stressful life,” he said.  It will also improve your credit history and increase your credit score – which means lower interest rates on everything from car loans and mortgages to the price we pay for insurance.

Stanley said our credit history and score matter more now than they did before the financial collapse of a few years ago. That's why it's important to fix our credit problems sooner rather than later.

Bill Stanley and Money Matters airs every Tuesday on FOX21 Morning News.
If you have a question for Bill, contact him directly: MoneyCoachBill@aol.com