Let me start by saying that this is a totally manageable situation and all is not loss. Posting here is a great first step, now you just need to take the advice on board, implement new practices and you'll see changes. You want to do some big things in the next year so you need to make changes now so you have some kind of chance of doing them.

For me personally, I can be a impulsive spender and used to often spend without thinking of future consequences. But last year, I took a step back and realised if I didn't make changes now, there is no way I would be able to buy a house or get married in the near future (or even the semi distant future). My future husband would be saddled with my debt, my future kids would know what it was like to struggle (and possibly feel guilt like I did for my parents situation) and I'd possibly wind up like my parents who are barely scraping by in their 60's. I did not want that, I wanted a better life for me, my future husband and kids and my parents. I made myself a debt motivation sheet that I keep in my planner which helps remind me why I'm trying to get debt free and making a new life for myself. Keeping that close by has been helpful when I wanted to spend beyond my budget.

Here's what i've got from your post so far.

Pay: 4000 Bills: 1500 (if you can give us a breakdown of what these are exactly, we can better help you see where you can make changes) Left over: 2500

2500 is a bit to work with, if all your bills are paid and this is what you have left over than you can definitely get ahead with planning and some discipline.

I'm with the crowd that says save an emergency fund first, then pay off your debts one by one. I like the snowball method (where you pay off the smallest debt first while paying minimums on your other debt and once paid off, roll that money into the next debt) as it gives me feelings of accompishments as I go along.

When I first started getting out debt, I first paid my urgent debt (owed friends / family money that was getting awkward, needed to pay a blown out parking fine etc) before I saved for an emergency fund. Once the emergency fund was filled, I went onto agressievely paying off the other debt. I'm down about 5 debts and have another 5 to go before being debt free but am feeling really positive.

Could you give us a detailed break down of your current spending (bills, debts with interest rates and minimum payments, entertainment/eating out (aprox), housing, pet stuff, haircuts, medication, contact lenses etc - pretty much everything you can think of) in a month. This will enable us to give you a basic budget and a more detailed plan.