It's not about having it all. It's about having what you value most.

By definition, saving - for anything - requires us to not get things now so that we can get bigger ones later.

If you have even a smidgen of doubt that you'll be able to stay away from racking up additional debt, don't do it.

A little personality goes a long way.

If you are able to settle, you'll be getting off rather easy. Debt settlement companies can sometimes get you off the hook for a large percentage of your debt - in many cases, up to 50% will be written off.

Unless you have multiple accounts that you need to negotiate and you think the project is just too big to tackle on your own, you're better off just calling your creditors directly.

Even in the days of the tightest credit in 2008, HELOCs [ home equity line of credit ] and home equity loans were being made.