Another thing on the 401(k) loan. Remember that 401(k) contributions are pre-tax. Any money that you use to pay back a 401(k) loan is money that has been taxed. Later when you start to draw on your 401(k), the cash is taxed on the way out. Basically the money you pay back for the loan ends up being taxed twice. This does not mean that a 401(k) loan is always a bad idea. What would you rather do, pay up to 23% interest to a bank or about 5-10% interest to yourself? Any money you loan out of your account is no longer working for you in funds or whatever. Given the performance of the markets in recent years, a higher interest 401(k) loan might not be a bad idea. ;)

I too like the 0% interest balance transfers if you can find an agreeable deal. Remember to cancel old cards though. What you call "available credit", creditors call "potential debt". It ain't the best idea to have a ton of cards around. Even if you cancel a card, they hang out on your credit report for quite a while.