Try to establish credit in small amounts, and pay off these amounts every month. And make a commitment to never spend more on your credit cards than you can afford to pay off entirely each month. If your issue was overspending, begin now learning how to create and live within a budget. If your central issue was large medical expenses for you or your family, consider getting a job that offers medical insurance at subsidized rates. If your issue was not having adequate savings to ride through economic down turns, work hard to save enough for six months to one year of expenses, and do not touch these savings, no matter what happens.