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MARQUETTE -- With unemployment rates right around 10 percent, it's no surprise that many people are finding themselves in debt.  Joblessness and under-employment have caused many people to turn to plastic to get by each month.

So how can we avoid getting into debt?

"Well one of the best things people can do to avoid getting into debt is to really plan out their budgets.  Make sure they know what their expenses are every month, make sure they're covering their basic expenses--housing, utilities, and things like that," suggests financial counselor Stuart Baker.

For some, the solution to staying out of debt is easy.

"I work everyday...hard," says Roberta Wells of Marquette.

With the temptation of credit cards and the buy now, pay later attitude, it can be hard not to give in.  But credit card debt is one of the biggest pitfalls people can run into.

"Anytime that you have a situation where you're not able to pay off your credit cards every month, you really are in a situation where you probably need to look at what you're doing and changing some things.  Because that's kind of the first red flag to potential problems down the road is if you're not able to pay them off every month," Baker states.

And it doesn't stop after the card is paid.  Experts recommend continuing to budget money into a savings account for emergencies.