I learned to manage money the hard way, by running up my bills and not being able to pay them back.
When I graduated college I couldn’t resist the credit card offers I got and, withing two years my entry-level salary could not keep pace with my minimum monthly payments. I was drowning and needed help, so I contacted a debt management company.
They were able to get my interest rates frozen and some balances reduced. Then they put together a repayment plan I could afford. Most of all, they counseled me about how to manage money so I could avoid the same trap.
I paid attention and have never again been in that same situation, thanks to careful money management and a hard lesson.