Debt can easily snowball out of control. With Americans owing more than a trillion dollars in credit card debt, an unexpected medical bill, a car repair or utility bill can be overwhelming.

But there's one strategy that can help consumers take control of their finances — by celebrating the small wins. And it begins with starting small.

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It's called the "snowball method." It works by paying off the smallest debts first, then moving up to the bigger balances. Finding "the one" is getting fairly expensive -- a recent survey from badcredit.org shows one in five singles is going into debt for love.

"The idea is that maybe you pay off that $500 store credit card bill, and then you're more motivated to take on the $1,000

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