Payday loans can add up quickly. What started as a one-time fix can quickly lead to high cost debt if you’re not careful. Easy access to extensions and rollovers can rapidly result in an expensive trend of habit that is hard to escape. If allowed to accumulate, the money you spend maintaining these loans will prevent you from getting back on your feet.

With that being said, there are ways to claw your way out of payday loans debt, some of which are better advised than others. Here are a couple of ways on how to pay off multiple payday loans and get yourself back in good financial shape.

1. Get a Different Loan

Although you’re ultimately looking to get out of the cycle of borrowing, you have to deal with the situation at hand. If you’re not able to pay off the loan at this time, a different payday loan can make it easier to get out of debt. If you several different options when it comes to looking for other ways to get your hands on cash.

2. Look into alternate lenders

The journey of how to pay off multiple payday loans isn’t easy. Payday loans are expensive, plain and simple. So, thanks to the fact that just about any other kind of loan is going to be more affordable, it is worth looking into. If you haven’t had the chance to accumulate much credit, or your credit isn’t great, smaller community banks and credit unions are likely going to be your best chance of approval.

You will also possibly be able to find some online lenders offering impossibly good deals but be warned that these are usually predatory advances. Whenever you’re searching for lenders who market to “bad credit” borrowers, be wary and try to seek out reputable peer-to-peer lending platforms.

3. Try to consolidate

If you have the option, it is always better to consolidate with a more affordable loan that renew an existing payday loan. The best way to make this happen is to borrow just enough to pay off your existing debt (and maybe enough to keep you from getting another payday loan)—and nothing more. Although you’re still continue the cycle of borrowing, you’re doing it on better terms, leaving yourself with more time to pay and lower overall charges.

4. Get a little help with approval

If getting approval for anything is proving impossible, it might be worth seeing if you can get by with a little help from your friends. This basically means asking somebody with good credit to co-sign for the loan. Of course, this is no small favour to ask.

If you do find someone willing to co-sign, it means they are essentially guaranteeing that you’ll repay on-time. If you don’t, your co-signer will be 100% responsible for paying off that loan. Therefore, you should only make this kind of arrangement if you’re totally confident you’ll be able to come through on your end of the deal. Lenders can bring legal action against co-signers too.

5. Put any cash to good use

In the event that you do come in to some unexpected cash, be sure to use it before you lose it. Some payday lenders allow you to reverse the transaction within one business day of borrowing at no cost. It is important to act fast though, so you should contact your lender as soon as possible, because you may need to repay the loan before the close of the following business day.

6. Ask about extended repayment

In the event that you’re in the opposite situation, and there’s no cash in sight, you should contact your lender and ask about your options. Although some are bound to be friendlier than others, it is important to remember that ultimately, everyone just wants to get their money back. If the going gets tough, keep in mind that many lenders offer extended payment plans and other forms of short-term relief.

7. Generate some extra cashflow

In many cases, the best thing you can do for yourself is find more cash in your existing budget. By either earning more income or cutting expenses, you’ll be taking a big step toward eliminating your debt. Of course, this usually isn’t easy but with a little discipline and patience, it is very effective.

You can try looking for some extra work or even selling possessions that you no longer need. Go further by cutting unnecessary costs like cable and finding inexpensive ways to stay entertained.

8. Set yourself up for the future

Once you’re on your feet, you need to work out a strategy to avoid going back to payday loans in the future. The best way to do this is to set up an emergency fund and work towards building your credit. You can start by setting aside a few hundred dollars, and then build it up to one thousand.

Eventually, you should have three to nine months’ worth of living expenses in cash. When it comes to credit, just continue to make payments on time and know that your score with steadily improve.