First thing I would like to say is I am just a regular person, no credit counselor. But I have found this information to help, so if I can help someone else, so be it.
1. I would suggest that you check all of your balances on all of your debits. Credit cards, mortgage, rent, make a list of everything that you pay on every month. On your cards, look at the interest rate, write down the balance and the minimum balance due. And somewhere on this paper write down how much you bring home a month. Many of us pay bills and don't actually look closely at the coming and goings of our hard earned cash, this helps put things in perspective.
2. Out of everything listed, look over the items and re-list them as priorities. (No the cable bill is not a priority) Put on one side priorites, absolutes that you have to have to survive. And list others as convienences and see if there is a way to 'shave' off something to have some breathing room/cash.
3.  Check your credit. You can contact the three major credit companies;
Experian  1 800 353-0809  or 1 888 397-3742
www.experian.com
Transunion  1 800 916-8800  or 1 800 680-7293
www.transunion.com
Equifax  1 800 685-1111 
www.equifax.com
(*** also if you become a victim of identity theft, once you discover your purse or wallet stolen - a physical theft, get documents stating this. Go to your local cop shop and get a police report done. Cancel your cards, a good idea is to make copies of what you have in your wallet so if something is lost you know what to replace. And the worse is you will have to wait... give it a month or two and then check your credit report. Again, collect all documentation  and if you find out that someone then is maybe even using your social security number you can take your documents and prove this. But the social security office will not change your social security number without proof - think about it, all of your past history is stored by using your one number. Changing it would screw a lot of stuff up without cause.)
You can clean up, report mistakes and order a credit report. You are allowed 1 free credit report from each company each year, some states even give you 1 every 6 months. And it is worth it to pay for atleast one credit score, this score is important and tells where you stand as far as what creditors look at in giving you a loan. Also, insurance companies and others are now looking at this score and are using it to determine your rates.
4.  Don't fall for 0% interest for 12 months on a card, unless you are positive you can pay it off in under 12 months!!! Because after 12 months, they own your ass, the interest will shoot up 14% or more. And adding another card will lower your credit score - choose wisely. (This also includes store credit; Fashion Bug, Sears, ...when the check out person says, if you sign up for our card today you can save 15% off of today's purchase... that is a store credit card and it will lower your credit score.)
5.  Signing with scam artist to consolidate your debts.... You, yourself can talk with your creditors, and card companies to ask about lowering your rates. Sometimes if you bargain a little, say, if you lower my rate to 9% I will set up for automatic payments every month for $200.00. Tell them you are trying to pay down your debit they may just work with you. If not, make their card the first one you cut up and pay off.
If you noticed..I keep saying to cut up the card and then pay it off. This way, no card and no added transactions, except interest. And always pay off over the minimum amount because the minimum amount is your interest, and if that is all you pay you are not actually paying on the amount owed.
6.  Personally, I would pay off the lowest balanced card first - lets say you have 3 cards (visa, mastercard and discover) The discover was the lowest balanced card, cut it up  and pay it off or *careful here* keep it after you pay it off and ONLY use it for emergencies, gas, medications and pay it off every month. If you find that you cannot pay it off every month, cut it up. Then work on the next card, if the balances are about the same, go with the one with the highest interest rate on it. Also, do not close out your account once you pay if off, just cut it up. If you close the account, it will actually 'lower' your credit score.
7.  Also, Do not lower your credit limits, the more credit you are given is a card company's way of 'thanking you for being responsible' and the more credit accumilated shows creditors this. You just do not need to actually 'use' the higher credit limits - just keep them for show- to impress a bank for that home loan or car loan you needed. A card showing a credit of $13,000.00 and a 0 balance shows responsibility was given to you and well deserved.
8.  Shred all of those nasty 'Convenience Checks', bad, bad, bad, bad... do not use. When you received a new card for one that you 'cut up' to pay off, cut it up as well before it even gets inside the door.
9.  If you are disputing a charge on a card, don't stop making payments, it will come back and bite you big time in the ass and screw up your credit.
10.  Do not use a home equity line of credit to pay off bills ( if you have a home mortgage). If you do have a home equity line of credit, make this a top priority to pay off. You can lose you home if you cannot pay it on a timely basis!!! Not making a timely credit card payment will suck, but you can still keep your home. 
11.  These consolidation loan people - DO NOT sign your deed over to ANYONE for a quick fix - unless you are dealing with a bank, they are all scam artists. There is nothing these folks can do that you cannot, if you keep running into a wall with someone on the phone, send out a letter. Your home should be your top priority, it is your biggest investment and your shelter. And avoid Debt repair services, they are a scam and some do illegal things and can get you in a whole world of trouble.
Go to your bank, they can look over your loans and debits and may be able to help you. They can consolidate loans and pay them, so you only owe your bank one payment. Now, this depends on how much value you have and they will work on any leins against the home and other large loans, not necessarily anything you choose to pay off.
12.  Remember to pay yourself, use cash whenever you can. Cut out excessive trips to the grocery store, shop at Aldi's and Save A Lot, clip coupons and don't shop by coupons, go to your local Thrift store, you can find some really nice clothes, furniture, dishes(just carefully look over items, missing buttons, chips,ect..). Purchase only what you need, not what you want.
13.  If you have a lot of money saved in a savings account, but have debt on credit cards...Use some of the savings towards paying off the cards, don't use all of it, but having saved money not earning interest and debit out the whazoo makes no sense. And the card is cut up, right? So there are no other transactions building up on it???
* Please remember, there are no quick fixes. It took a long time to accumilate the debt, it will take a long time to repair it. But as long as you are at least working on it, it will happen.