Most people trying to pay down cards start by cutting food, gas, and the stuff that actually keeps the household running. That usually backfires. You white-knuckle it for two weeks, then a real expense shows up and the card gets used again.

A cleaner order:

1. List every card with the interest rate and minimum due. Rank by rate, not by balance.

2. Protect rent, groceries, utilities, and transport first. Those are not optional.

3. Find the money from fees, unused subscriptions, and one-off spending, not from dinner.

4. Put extra payments on the highest-rate card only. Keep paying minimums on the rest.

5. Recheck the plan when income changes, not when you feel guilty.

If the leftover after necessities is close to zero, the problem is the payment plan, not your willpower. Shrink the extra payment. Do not shrink groceries.