re: I’ve been financially irresponsible with credit cards for years. I have 15k in debt.

Same situation in my early 20s. Had a commission based job with a small salary. Rough months ended up piling on CC debt. I always had a good credit score due to always making payments on time.

Find an 18 or 24 month CC with a 0% interest offer. Transfer the debt over. Never use that card. Only use it to pay down debt without interest being added on. Keep your oldest CC open if you are worried about closing it. Use cash or debit card on any regular purchases to not spend beyond your means. If you don’t pay off the debt by the end of the interest free period, transfer debt again to another 0% interest transfer card. I paid off $17k in debt in just over 2.5 years doing this.

Years later I only use CC cards to maximize points and pay off the card every month or on bigger purchases in a couple months. Be smart with your money, make a few sacrifices until the debt is paid off. The relief on the last payment of debt it amazing. Best of luck.