How are you coping these days? Share your story.

Same situation here in Ireland. Right now I'm working in the public sector and due to the economic decline they are talking about freezing our wages. I have a wife and two kids under 4. We are in debt quite badly. Received a letter from the bank saying they have been granted a repossession order for the house unless i can come up with 30,000 euro. My wife was working but became sick and had to leave work which worked out fine as it cut child care costs then the government cut her disability. We owe the gas and electricity comapny 300 euro each and both are threatening to cut us off. Myself and my wife have not been out together in the last 8/9 months but that doesnt bother us too much. We have a car which is 9 years old and use it as little as possible due to the price of fuel. So yes things are pretty bad for us but you know things could be worse. The banks can take all the material possessions away, the government can take away whatever payments they want but no bank or institution can ever take away the love that I have for my wife and kids. It gets me down that I am in the situation that Im in and sometimes i feel like i've failed my kids by not being able to provide for them but i hope one day they can say "hey dad, we didnt have the best of material things but we were always happy"

Everyone should just remember that if you ever hit rock bottom the only way back is up.



[edit on 2-7-2008 by The Hobo]

[edit on 2-7-2008 by The Hobo]

How am I coping with the economic downturn: I simply left the country.

I am far away from the comfort of my family, but they did not want to discuss any of my concerns, nor did I feel protected by them. So now I have a job making nice money in a foreign country. It's called braindrain, and it's happening in the US.
My family is asking me if I'm ready to come home; why, what do I have to come home to? Plus, what if, I get stuck there again?

Leave the country now if you can. Peace.

Hi Folks out there. Great thread. The one thing I see in every person's story is the willingness to work and think of creative ways to live even in tough circumstances.

We all have been trained by "The System" to be dependent on impersonal and almost abstract forces: "The Job," "Money," etc. The goal is to make us all feel like lonely little bugs up against an unstoppable machine. But that is a fiction designed to undercut us as human beings. When times are good, it is easy to be a good serf who punches in every day and get your daily creature comforts (distractions).

But if the "System" fails and no longer supports us, remember we have each other. Remember that all power, all work, all value in life comes from our own hands and brains and working with each other. Don't give in to dispair. We are Human Beings fashioned by the Creator not just to "get by," but to sustain each other and enhance the earth.

Do not let all the hype make you feel powerless. We all were given power at the moment of our conception that can never be taken away because it is our birthright. Just look at the people around you.

And now more to my previous post. Shortly, after meditation, I will have a glass of milk and go to sleep for awhile. Plan to get up about noon. Some errands today, a trip to WalMart. Have some nasty biting ants by the clothesline outside. Last time I was at WalMart I saw a product that promised to wipe the ants out, so I will get some. Recently, I have o/c my air conditioner. Works real good up to about 100 degrees. After that it seems to get hot. Hope nobody starts another war. Call me a party pooper, but I'm not into torture, killing, etc. One of my vehicles needs parts, may work on it. Just started a new exercise routine. BTW Rasta(18), Bubba(15), and Sgt. Lookie(13) all say hi.

I am really sorry about everyone's situation on here. It makes me thankful for the things I have. Curious tho, Most of the stories on here are from people living in the cities. I live in the country and I think it is not as dire in rural areas. Almost everyone around here sticks together raises gardens. That cuts down on the grocery bill. I can,t believe the very first post said his electric bill was 300 a month. How is that even possible. I run computer constantly, light is always on and tv. Electric is only 60 a month. I guess we in the country have lowered our expectations. We do without the car payment, fix our own cars, liability only insurance. I only buy clothes at goodwill. It's not a fashion competition out here. Maybe we all should learn to live a simple life with little pleasures.

Well said! My wife and I live a similiar type life here in CT and are having a hard time dealing with all the doom and gloom in the world. Something about the world just doesn't feel right lately.......

I've never been a big believer of this NWO / Global Elite plan for the earth. With all the recent events, I think there may be some truth to the things I've been reading on this site over the past few years.

I guess all we can do is be ready for anything, we're about to enter uncharted waters......

Great post, Schrodinger's Dog.

Nobody's gunna call you elitist, as long as you care for the plight of others.

ELITIST! just kidding. When the # hits the fan, you'll be in the trenches with all the rest of us. For now, we're all trying to do the same as you, just trying to get the soulsuckers to just leave us the hell alone and let us be.

Me personally, I'm 22, a struggling musician who's made some very crappy attempts at a job. I still live with my mom, but we're losing our house. It seems like sometimes she blames it on me, cuz to rest of the world I'm such a # up (or I'm psychologically unstable because my education misfortune forced me to work heavy lifting jobs when I'm slight of build with bad joint problems, so I can't work for too long at those sorts of places or else I'm bed-ridden... and I'm a musician, hey I've already found what I love. It's just the rest of the world I'm waiting for to realize that people strongly wish to do what their heart tells them to do... So I don't take it very well mentally when I'm forced away from my life love... but I know better than to listen to the rest of the world).

Yeah we're losing our house which we've lived in since before I was born. A bunch of people have had to sell their houses, as well. I wouldn't say we're in a drought but many trees in my neighborhood are suddenly dying this year.

Everyone around me everywhere feels miserable...and I'm SUPER empathetically sensitive, so I literally feel almost mentally crippled by depressing energy right now. I have this habit that I do to keep sane, and it's literally just to randomly dance, or randomly just act goofy... like when you were a kid, you'd just goof out and be ecstatic...that really helps. So adults, try that sometime. I try to give people hugs whenever I meet them. I try to listen. I try to be as supportive as possible...all while society is not being as such, and even my mom says I'm a # once in a while, just because she's stressed... but I've never been able to earn enough money to really make a difference with anything financially... not like I didn't give her most of what I did earn... so really even our relationship is strained. I'm a momma's boy, and it's hard because I can't project my exact state of mind into hers... so she has to understand, I never meant to hurt her. I just mentally couldn't take the monotony and the really bad pain all over my body and just the bad energy from people.

It disheartens me when you are completely friendly to strangers, and 2/3rds of them stare at you like you've groown a second head.

I dunno... maybe I'm whining. There's people who have it much worse than me.... and I can't say I'm thankful for that. I just feel guilty, trapped, helpless because everyone else is thankful that people are suffering more than that. "Be thankful for..." FOR WHAT? Being raised as a parasite to the rest of humanity???

I feel like all of this needs to end, and we just need to go back to our roots as a planet... because we're going extinct right now. The sad thing is that we're clever enough to prevent it.

It just shows how brainwashed most people are.

You know, they've got a new channel out now called Planet Green?

Oh thank you, corporate America for pretending to care, while selling your "green" products for rediculous prices.

Sure, I'd buy a hydrogen fueled car to help cut emissions IF IT DIDN'T COST A MILLION DOLLARS! Wow I didn't know caring for the environment cost so much. Just goes to show you the motivation behind the "green movement" scam.

Sure I'd rebel and go live in the woods if A) I was trained in outdoor survival from an early age, B) all the forests from here to Timbuck Too hadn't been allocated and restricted and severely depleted of life and clean streamwater, and C) if it wasn't completely useless to rebel by yourself because no one else wants to care.

I'm going up a #ing wall. What do you want me to say? I can't hardly even play music in my band anymore because people are all working these insane hours for # money and worrying about all this other pointless social bull# and we got no place to play, nobody paying us money for our gigs, everybody locked away in the city forcing us to come to them because they've eliminated all the good venues that were really about the music, and they were all mostly in the burbs. RIP Riley's Rockhouse, The Pit, Big Horse Lounge, Kiss the SKy Records, ummm a few others I'm blank on right now, and also the life of true musicians everywhere.... time to snuff your spirit and join the machine! Your expression is worthless if you can't give the corporations the rights to your soul so they can sell it for millions and pay you a small fraction....

Most of us are just barely able to hold onto some sort of comfort, let alone get out of bed in the morning. I stay positive when I can... but you asked how I was doing... and this isn't a professional or socially fake conversation we're having here.... so I'll be as brutally honest as I can.

The brutally honest truth is that it's bad. I wish I could help those other poor souls who have it worse... but pray tell how can I even get anywhere without my movement somehow being tolled? I feel trapped, and I feel guilty for being trapped because I'm not helping anybody... and there are many things I should've would've could've done, but this is here and now...and it seems completely pointless for a guy like me to even have any inkling of motivation to hold a miserable back breaking job, if I'm losing my soul and my reason to live by doing it. I can't help anyone when I'm dying on the inside and in need of help myself. We ALL need to help each other.

Why is it that us counter-culturists are labeled as bums, and our physical effort, combined with our messages we try conveying through sound, word, visual art, are just worthless if it's not bringing in profit?

Please... patriots err loyalists err whatev.... enlighten me on this freedom thing. Is it supposed to mean the gift of a borderline psychotic meltdown? really? You sure bout that?

I empathize with some of you who are just pulling your hair out constantly over how you are going to keep maintaining this fake material lunacy... but I'm just waiting for it all to end, one way or another. People might listen then.

Namaste.

[edit on 2-7-2008 by dunwichwitch]

[edit on 2-7-2008 by dunwichwitch]

Hi. My family & I reside in Tampa, FL. We have been going thru some terrible times financially as well. My husband & I have 3 small children - 8, 4, and 1 year old. My husband works a full time job & i work part time only because we cannot afford childcare - as soon as he gets home, i leave for work. Although it's for good reason, our marriage is suffering because we rarely have time for each other. Because the cost of everything is rising & our pay is not, we have had to resort to applying for food stamps & medicaid for our family because we simply cannot survive on what we make at work alone. Not to mention the fact that we have to deal with the middle & upper class calling us lazy bums because we have had to apply for government assistance. We both work very hard for our family & it hurts to tell your kids (who are very well behaved) that we cant buy them a toy or coloring book they want. But then to have others judge us is wrong. I dont blame all of the middle & upper class for the few rotten ones but please know that we are not lazy people who lay around sucking off the government. I keep my home clean, my kids fed, they are very well behaved & groomed kids. We dont live in the projects & we are very well spoken. This can happen to anyone. Please realize that these remarks truly hurt the families that you direct them to. I pray for everyone going thru financial troubles. Instead of fighting & racism, we all need to come together & make this rough time easier on us all. Thank you for taking the time to read what i had to say. Bless you all. ****JMEG****

I live in rural Colorado. I commute 90 miles round trip every day, the gas is killing me. I make about $500 per week net, I rent my house and I'm a single mother with 3 boys (2 adolescents that eat like horses!) I don't want to move because where I'm living is in the middle of nowhere and if it all hits the fan tomorrow there is a good well (the landlord is a nice guy...he'd let me stay, right?).
All that said. The hardest part for me to cope with is the fear. I'm tired of feeling helpless and hopeless and insignifigant, I'm tired of a government that doesn't in any way reflect my voice- out there terrorizing the world. I fight bitterness, despondency and depression daily and meditate my a$$ off trying to manifest some good. Blessings to all who are struggling.

reply to post by schrodingers dog


First I am going to argue with you that DC is not average. DC is a pricey place to live. Not too far behind california and New York. The part you live in may seem reasonable but the housing in and around DC is much higher then most of the country.

A million dollars for a townhome is not average.

How are we coping? we are not.

medical bills are killing us. gas is killing us. we go into debt every month and had to utilize credit cards, furthering our demise.

if our rent wasn't cheap we would have to bankrupt. But the gov't has made sure we can't even do that.

I work part time but much to my dismay I am going back full time. Taking precious time away from my son.The last thing I ever want to do is put him in daycare full time. Now my family that I work so hard at is going to suffer for it.

My husband is looking for a job closer to home. We figure that even cutting his commute by half will save us several hundred dollars a month.

A lot of people are doing this. They are moving closer to work and saving a lot on gas. This is good for the environment. I was reading how one woman got an apt near her work and bought an electric scooter. With the money she is saving now she can pay the scooter off in 7 months.

I have grown some of my own veggies, and I plan on freezing the extras. I have heard that if you grow all your own veggies you can save 1500/ year.

We got a membership at a wholesale club, hoping to save money that way.


We are talking about sending my husband back to school. He did career training to be a mechanic. But the downturn has left him without any work. It sucks when you get paid by the job.

This morning he didn't have any more work by 10am.



As far as food goes, we do ok. This is one place I won't budge. We don't go out. We buy clothes at thrift stores. But I will only buy unprocessed,natural.organic food. My son needs the best chance in life. Both my husbands and my health are poor. My son will need all the healthy chances he can get.

We are very VERY fortunate that we have a family owned dairy that delivers natural and local meat,eggs, dairy, cheese, yogurt, etc. Even prepared meals. Since they are local and produce most of their own stuff, they have not had to raise prices , and are working hard to not do stuff. Though everything is local and natural, they can be compared to a local grocery.

and real milk tastes so much better, especially in a glass bottle. I can't stand store stuff anymore.

But I cut where I can. I make coolaid now instead of buying drinks. Cheaper, less packaging. Probably less junk in it.


I even switched from the body shampoos to bars of soap. They last longer, far cheaper, less packaging.

Sigh, if gas keeps going up I don't know what we will do.

Originally posted by ohioriver
IThat cuts down on the grocery bill. I can,t believe the very first post said his electric bill was 300 a month. How is that even possible.

Here in Arizona in August ours gets to 280 a month. I can see it being 300.
Out here in when its 115-120 degrees daily, it gets high. My house is energy efficient , and it is still nearly 300 by August. That is keeping my ac at80 degrees. In the winter, my lowest is 70 a month.

How am I coping? Sometimes I wonder. I really do.

This will be the second attempt at posting my story. The first time I was close to being finished when an error message popped up on my screen and I lost all my whole post. I was not able to copy or do anything else. All I could do was close it out. That also is a great indicator of my life over the last couple years.

I work in the Service Industry. Slowly prices have went up, energy, gas, food. It didnt happen overnight. All these things affected my income. As people spent less, I began to make less. I had a very good business opportunity in the Gulf Coast area in 06. At this point gas was still under 3 a gallon but rising slowly, just like food was. Of course back then it was being blamed on the refineries that were shut down as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I figured a year after Katrina things shouldnt be too bad in that area. Right? Wrong.

Due to the nature of my work, I learned a long time ago to always have a "transfer clause" added to the lease on my apartments (yes I am a renter). Basically what it said is as long as I could provide documentation that I was being trasfered, all I would have to do is give a 30 day notice and I would be responsible to pay one month of rent and I would be released from the remainder of my lease. So I accepted the job in the Gulf Coast near the Texas/Louisiana boarder. I had to leave iimmediately so I packed up my things, gave my keys to my former boss with the understanding that he would turn it in and give the Landlord my 30 days notice with the explanation that I was required to leave right away.

Upon my arrival in the Gulf Coast I was amazed at what I found. I had been in the area before Katrina because my company had opened 2 business's in the area and I was needed to go and get the business's open and running and to help train the new employees. So I always thought I knew what to expect, but after Katrina and Rita things changed. At this time gas prices were beginning to climb but were still under $3.00 a gallon. Food was rising slowly as well. What I found upon returning was that the area was full of FEMA workers, Construction workers and Evacuees. Every hotel was booked from New Orleans to Houston. When I arrived in the area before Katrina I had found a cheap hotel for $125.00 a week. Not a nice place at all, but it was cheap and tolerable. This was the first place I went to when I returned, only now (post Katrina/Rita) the price was now $425.00 per week and EVERY hotel/motel was doing the same thing. There was no shortage of people who needed rooms, so they did it and got away with it and the people paid the price. Very quickly I learned I could not afford to make this transfer work. The money was not even the whole issue, finding a place to stay was much worse. IF you were able to find a room, you were lucky if you could stay long since they were always booked in advance. The hotels would usually tell you when you were booking the room just how long you would be able to stay. Usually 2-3 nights before more workers or evacuees were coming in. Needless to say, it got old fast. I had to return back to where I came from when I finally could no longer find an overpriced place to stay.

Upon returning I found out that my boss never gave my notice. According to the apartments my key was never turned in. According to my boss it was put in the night drop slot. However he just dropped the key in with no note or anything explaining where it had come from. The Apartments told me they had no idea I was even gone until they were posting the eviction notice on my door and noticed the place was empty. They were pretty understanding, and did not require me to pay the full lease off, but it was going to cost me $1000.00. Well of course I went through all my money in the Gulf Coast, I came back with $400.00 to my name. Most of the money I made while I was there went to hotels/motels and food. So now with a balance owed, I could not get another apartment. I figured it wouldnt take long for me to be able to pay it off, so I moved in with some friends and went back to work at the same place I already was. Prices continued to climb and I was still making less and less as it happened. I never was able to pay off that balance. Of course the friends I moved in with was a family. Man. wife, 3 kids. Then they had to move, but they always tried to keep me in mind. I ended up in a room off the garage of our next house. It had no insulation. I would run propane and kerosene heaters in the winter and would be lucky to raise the temp by 10-15 degrees. Quickly I learned how to dress warm and keep as warm as possible. I was just happy the place had walls to keep the wind from becoming a factor. Other than that it was about as good as being in a tent. Literally I was living in a shack and I still was not making enough money with no end in sight, literally I was living hand to mouth and doing the best I could to juggle my credit card bills, auto insurance, phone bill, and a storage bill where I put my belongings before I left for the Gulf Coast. There was literally no more fat for me to trim off. I had already minimized my bills. Still I couldnt get ahead. As time has moved I was still making less and less as people continue to stop spending.

Here we are today.... my friends that I live with are getting divorced. I have not been able to give them rent for the last 8 months. A friend of mine just paid my phone bill with no expectation of repayment. I have not made a credit card payment in 3 months. My car insurance is canceled, I couldnt afford it. By law I am supposed to turn in my tag. I haven't yet, and it is costing me $10.00 per day that I have the tag and no insurance. Plus if I get pulled over, Im going to jail and fined heavily. I also have lost my job and been unemployed for the last 3 weeks and counting with no local prospects. Right this moment I have a total of $120.00 to my name, thats it, and I only have that because I have been selling things I own so I can buy food and gas so I can eat and look for a new job. I consider myself luckier than most. I have worked all over country and have a lot of connections. I am now packing my things again and again I am headed for the Gulf Coast. They have agreed to pay for a hotel for me for one month, give me all the shifts I need, and send me money for gas so I can even get there.......... (continued)

........ of the $120.00 I have now, I have to pay $100.00 to the storage place so I can put what little I have with me back into storage so I can go. My friend I live with now is also broke Times have hit him hard and he is now working long hours at a minimum wage job. There are 3 of us left in the house and even before I lost my job we could barely afford to live here with each of us paying our share. Which basically equals out to $100.00 per week. Currently we are awaiting our eviction notice. We cant afford rent this month. My one roommate is moving now, he found a repo job. I am leaving, I set up a decent deal in the Gulf Coast that will at least give me a one month break to try to make some money and find a way to get on my feet. I have no idea what our third roommate is going to do, but he at least makes more money than the rest of us, but not by much. I have no idea how I have managed over the last couple of years, if it was not for friends and a little bit of luck, I would have been homeless and living on the streets a long time ago.

Where to begin, my situation actually began about 2 years ago. Had a well paying job, had a journeyman card for industrial electrician( worthless for a woman my age) my job moved overseas, and have been actively and aggressively seeking employment since. Found employment in neighboring state, moved in with daughter while I had my home for sale, during this period, state decided they wanted 1/2 acre of my front yard for what later has been determined to be a turn lane going nowhere. No one wants to buy a home with the state tearing up your front yard. Next the property taxes took a nose dive and mortgage issue crisis has left me returning back to my home and giving up a great job( not well paying, but the atmosphere was superb) because no one is loaning money to new homebuyers. I have been unemployed for 1 1/2 years now, had to cash in 401K to survive and about broke. I have applied to service jobs, anything for employment. Not 1 response this whole time period. I have skills and surely I can clean a toilet, but not 1 response. I have learned to fast 2 days a week, I have not had a soda or fast food during this period, my vehicle sits parked but insured for the day I can drive to work, I am learning how to grow a garden, I eat brown rice and broccoli 3 days a week, a friend gave me 1/2 hog,( what a blessing) I am on dial-up for internet because this is the only means searching for employment this day and age( easier for job descrimination by employers) and now, my county is being annexed by a worthless mayor. This will force the county homeowners $10,000 to tie into the sewer and water lines, on top of this fee, we will be forced to discontinue our wells and pay their high monthly fees for water and sewage.This will force about $400.00 more per month on top of my mortgage payments. God help me. This will further prevent me from selling my home. Home ownership is the biggest lie we are living and believing the lie that our Government has our best interest at heart.I could go on, but what is the purpose? The only blessing to my outcome is, I have always been a work-aholic, never had a vacation and here I am. I get to watch the birds and animals and actually for the first time in my life, learn how to plant and grow a garden. Nature has a way of showing you love and compassion. My children are grown and gone, and my heart is on my sleeve worrying about the families with children. The elderly makes my soul ache with pity. I am learning how to go to my inner being and heal thyself, I am re-inventing myself. More importantly, I pray for all that is worse off than I. I send you all love and compassion.

reply to post by SevenThunders


This is what so annoys me about people who say?: want a better life? then get an education.
As if you can walk down the street, start school, and afford it.

I would LOVE to finish my college education.I can't afford the loans I have. AND it doesn't gaurentee you a job.

If school was so easy to obtain, more then 30% of the population would do it.

My state is one of the worst. It gets a D- for affordability.

Community college is 200$ a credit. I think most people pay that for a university in most states.

I know you guys are American but i wanted to give you an idea of what the situation is like in the UK. I earn £900 a month, around $1700, i fiance earns about the same. But still we are unable to afford to live.

We pay £650 ($1300) a month rent, which is about to go up by £100.. £120 taxes.. £200 electric n gas.. £100 water bills... £70 on tv/cable/internet... £25 phone... £50 insurance and about £400 a month on food.. this is the bare essentials we have to pay to get by..

we have one car but only use it to drive to work.. most months we have to choice to either pay the rent or the bills because we have had to borrow in the past to survive and now we have loans. I don't know how anyone can afford to live these days. Neither of us can get better jobs... we cant get a morgage which would be cheaper.

Next weekend we are having to move back in with our parents so we can save some money to buy a house. I don't understand the ecconomy these days. Where is all the money going??

Man, after reading all of these responses it really does hit home just how tough people have it right now.

Makes my situation pale in comparison. My business has been cut in half from last year due to the slump in the lending and housing market, but as much as I whine and complain I really am doing pretty well (nowhere near as well as last year!!) Im not behind on anything and am not facing homelessness any time soon, so I guess I really have no place to gripe here.

It may sound a bit loco, but sometimes I feel like an economic crash would not really be such a bad thing. I honestly would love nothing more than to get back to the tribal clan mentallity, living amongst a community of people who need to work together in order to survive. My grandparents lived it and were happy, my dad grew up on a tobacco farm and had twelve brothers and sisters (cheap labor..lol) They were entirely self sufficient, raised animals, a large garden, had fruit trees and a fish pond, and the men hunted. Their generation was probably a lot happier and a lot more satisfied internally than mine.

There is no satisfaction in wearing a tie and working in a damn office. It eats right through you and steals your soul. This 7/11 lifestyle that people live these days goes against what our true nature and instincts require. Not knowing your neighbors and secluding yourself from group living is unnatural. Maybe I AM a bit crazy, but I long for the comraderie and the brotherhood and sense of community that prior generation enjoyed. People these days really have been spoiled and most seem to live a singular and solitary one dimensional type of existence.

Enough though, I do not want to derail this excellent topic.

Keep strong people, do your best and let the chips fall where they may. If we are forced to get back to our roots then so be it. The worst thing that could happen if you might starve, the best thing that could happen is you earn back your right to exist in this world.


PS: to the lady who is currently raising eight kids by herself....DAMN!!!....thats all I can say about that

You have my sympathy.

[edit on 7/2/08 by BlackOps719]

reply to post by amatrine


I just wanted to say that if you're not allready, please pray for your'e situation. After reading your'e story I'll be praying for you too. It feels wierd for me to say stuff like that (i'm only fifteen) but I felt I needed to.

God bless you.

I am in debt! Around $3500 NOW but before i owed around $5k or more to be exact. I been in debt since 05' because i wasn't managing my money right. I work for my family 6 days a week and get paid $350. Live at home with my parents and im 25 years old. I drive a car that take only premium gas and a full tank cost me under $60 dollars when the price of gas is $3.99 for premium. Before i was in debt i was spending money on new clothes, gear, and going out. Years later now im in debt. So the way i handle now days... i had to change my ways of living and going out. So now i only shop about once every 3 months and gas.. i cut down on driving around. Sofar im getting my bills paid and hopefully it will be paid off by the end of the year. If i was to have no job right now i would be screwed and yes gas is pretty much effecting the way i live. I even thought about getting a bicycle and riding to work. But lets see how the rest of the year is going to go down.

One last thing I will say, this is what I tell clients who are really really struggling to get by.

If you have to make sacrifices in order to feed and shelter yourselves and must let something go, let it be the credit cards or an unsecured debt that you have.

Credit card companies will eat the loss, 9.5 out of 10 times they will not pursue the matter further than a basic collection agency. Yes your credit will drop, but you cant eat credit, and scores can be easily repaired when back on your feet.

Pay your basic stuff first, food, shelter, heat, most auto companies will wait until a customer is 90 days behind before they even consider doing a repo. Im not saying not paying your credit cards is a victimless crime, but it should be the first thing that you allow to go if you are down on your luck and trying to make it.

Just my $0.02