Overnight Walmart Job + Chihuahua + Minivan Life = Needs to make possible!!!!

[urbankid12]

I'm barely staying afloat living in my apartment. My take home pay is about 1800-2000 a month. 900-1,000 goes to rent and utilities each month and from there the rest goes to pay down credit card debt, bills, and food. I been thinking about finding a cheaper place to live in November when my lease is up because looking online my rent is going to go up at least 10% Which with my raise at Walmart (assuming it's .40 to .50 cents) they will likely take ALL of that money and more making my situation even worse.

Not here to complain, I like my job it's physical and I don't gotta deal with customers so I get to have a nice workout and get in shape! I just want to be able to catchup on my bills faster than the projected 8+ years im thinking it will take right now..

I currently work overnights at Walmart and I been taking my breaks in my Van, many people do as well and I been thinking that why wouldn't I be able to have my dog with me in the minivan and save on rent! My typical schedule makes it so I'm on break every 2 hours so I can keep checking up on her. The Oklahoma summer heat would be impossible to sleep in the afternoons but perhaps if I were to stay around Northern California or even portland? I'm thinking I would try to transfer instead of just quitting so I would have a guaranteed job.

Giving up my dog would break my heart and that's a non-starter. I did enjoy vanlife during the winter in Arizona, the summer was much more difficult. I did get comfortable with using a Motel 6 weekly rate when I first started getting back into working my job now, so I would be able to see about either dog boarding ("daycare" except given it be overnight since im at work that could be an option then I can continue my gym workouts after work and shower and pick her up) OR weekly motel 6 rental for weeks of extreme temp changes.

My motel weekly rental was $250 which is almost the same price as my apartment this winter with the high heating costs! (rent was closer to $860 before the high heat costs)

Does anyone here work an overnight job on the west coast with a pet in van life or more specifically minivan life?

Right now my fridge leaks, my dishwasher leaks even though I don't use it!, the bathroom sink leaks, I don't even use the space... I loved minivan life because the space was MINE! I owned it! if it was loud I could just drive away and find a better spot. The summer heat concerns me but I think if I can find a place that is mostly much cooler than normal AND be able to budget weekly motel rates so I can easily move in there for a few weeks during a heatwave then I might have a far better life!

Even now my apartment isn't near any nice parks so I gotta drive my dog to a decent park to enjoy our days off... I feel like im wasting my money here..

is the west coast overcrowded with van dwellers that what im trying to do is much harder than I think? Is there something that im overlooking?

Right now what is most important to me is staying active and getting into better shape. I don't even want to be in the big cities either, so ideally setting up shop in a town some 50-100K in population and living on the edge would be ideal for me. Overnighting at rest area / picnic ares , truckstops or sister walmart locations would be ideal for my weekends. I would rotate between 4-6 public parks to sleep the afternoon away before work.

I would likely rent a motel weekly rate for the first few weeks to scope out the area, and get comfortable with my work before anything. Does anyone have any advice, thoughts or experiences that relate?

 

[bullfrog]

Since you have some time consider looking at a career change to an animal clinic or chain pet supply store where your animal might be welcomed along with you. There are several farm occupations/situations as well that might even work, do some research and check them out.

 

[SLB_SA]

Since you have some time consider looking at a career change to an animal clinic or chain pet supply store where your animal might be welcomed along with you. There are several farm occupations/situations as well that might even work, do some research and check them out.

Your suggestion of career change made the question "Which (types of) businesses will survive with higher housing costs, higher fuel costs, limited natural gas supplies or higher prices (which is needed for heating in many states), higher food costs, etc.?" come to mind. In particular, will the percentage of households with pets decrease as their resources grow slower than their expenses and what would this mean for pet stores, veterinarians, (pet) clinics, etc?

 

[Morgana]

Have you recently checked out motel weekly rates? I stayed in a Motel 6/Studio 6 when I moved cross-country last fall, and while I was there they had a shocking increase -- something like 30% from one week to the next. I looked at Woodspring (former Value Place) too, and I looked in a few other cities, and a similar increase seemed to be happening in a lot of places (but not every single one). Scared the $%^& out of me.

Hope that was an anomaly -- but just check to see what current prices are before you get too wedded to a plan that includes weekly motel rates. Good luck!

 

[user 22017]

I'm barely staying afloat living in my apartment. My take home pay is about 1800-2000 a month. 900-1,000 goes to rent and utilities each month and from there the rest goes to pay down credit card debt, bills, and food. I been thinking about finding a cheaper place to live in November when my lease is up because looking online my rent is going to go up at least 10% Which with my raise at Walmart (assuming it's .40 to .50 cents) they will likely take ALL of that money and more making my situation even worse.

Maybe, before making a move, consider debt consolidation? Companies will help you combine all your debts at a lower interest rate. Two of my daughters used the same company and it helped both immensely. If you want the name, I can ask them.

Also, since your rent is already due to increase, why not demand that your landlord fix the leaky plumbing? There are free, or low cost, legal aid places that help renters (if it comes to that). Illinois has some good ones. Maybe your state does, too.

 

[urbankid12]

Have you recently checked out motel weekly rates? I stayed in a Motel 6/Studio 6 when I moved cross-country last fall, and while I was there they had a shocking increase -- something like 30% from one week to the next. I looked at Woodspring (former Value Place) too, and I looked in a few other cities, and a similar increase seemed to be happening in a lot of places (but not every single one). Scared the $%^& out of me.

Hope that was an anomaly -- but just check to see what current prices are before you get too wedded to a plan that includes weekly motel rates. Good luck!

Motel 6 rates, (rolling up my sleeves to get into it!)

lets talk motel 6 rates and imma share what I LEARNED from my experience renting a motel room at the weekly rates for about 4 months!

The motel I had stayed at had a weekly rate of 199 per week and had a sign out front on the building... shockingly I didn't even realize the banner existed until 2 months later (you would have to either see it from the freeway which was partly blocked since you coun't see it from the parking lot because it was blocked but the awning and it was hard to notice.. but anyways)

I learned quickly how things worked... People who rented a day and then extended another day got rate increase. for example a lady in front of me in line was complaining about the rate going from 50 to 55 to now 60 on her 3rd day staying there!... yet, when I looked at the rates on the motel 6 app they were still near the 50 bucks rate. THEY JACK UP THE PRICES ON YOU AS YOU EXTEND!

I did the weekly rate.. the first time I got a 1K bedroom with no fridge or microwave. I paid 250 weekly rate, an extra 50 bucks for the pet. and was informed I would have to pay extra for ANY visitors and I know they were watching me like a hawk! after 4 weeks I had to move out for a day and then was able to move back into the motel. I just stayed at a park during the day and napped and slept at the truckstop and took the days off from work so I could be well rested and not leave my dog in the car alone.

When I returned they would always try to give me a higher rate. I pushed back, They tried to get me at a 300 dollar rate then lowered it to 275 and I kept saying no until they offered me the same 250 rate. This time it was a Queen room with a Microwave and fridge which was 1000% better for me this time! another 4 weeks and then I came back and again they tried to give me a higher rate. I kept pushing back, This time I learned about the sign and pushed back AND since I knew the rates online I knew the REAL rates (the weekly rates were NOT posted online though..) I kept implying that I knew of a better priced place I woudl be going to instead but I was bluffing since the other motel 6 in the areas were 1000% more scary given the homeless and drug addicts roaming the parking lots in the afternoons... yikes!

None the less I managed to get the same rate again. They switched my room this time they gave me a Queen room but no microwave and no fridge.. They even mentioned they had just put in a microwave in the "lobby / vending machine area" which was just the vending machine area and ice room because the lobby was locked due to covid.. It was a battle but I managed to keep the same rate.. They will try to price increase you and if you threaten to leave then they get NO RENT so they want you to stay. Granted I knew the area and my understanding was that on the weekends capacity was 60-80% and during the week it was more like 10-20% occupied. That gave me flexability. I worked in hospitality before and I learned a lot about the hotel industry, I never expected the price gouging practices to extend into the motel industry as well but they clearly do... I seen alot of people in difficult situations that were pouring their hearts out to the front desk but that was just making their situation worse because the front desk knew they were desperate and could charge them MORE given they had to just pay it or get locked out of their room.

A lot of people had problems and my stay was not without difficulties. I had found a cigrett that burned itself out on the back windsheild of my car, likely from the guy that was pissed at me for not giving him a free ride. Typically I would be asked for a ride or money once a week, but I usually wasn't at my car much so if I was there more I think I would be asked more often... The motel was hit with catalytic converter theft, I almost packed up and went home that week but managed to calm down and move on from the issue... it was sad hearing all the loud cars at the motel knowing everyone else there was struggling worse than me...

I think the worst moment I experience at the motel was when I was walking my dog and I saw a neighbor couple. The woman was using a walker and had an oxygen mask on, she couldn't move very much but she tired to look out the door and find her man that was ignoring her... he was in the car using some type of substance... I felt her pain to a level I can't even describe.. I don't remember if they had a kid with them or not, but it felt like she was dealing with some type of cancer.. I will never know, but I do know that staying at a motel is no way a "vacation experience" anymore..

Maybe im just in the wrong metro and other cities are not as bad? Either way, if you know how to push back on the prices and if the motel occupancy isn't above 80% then you have leverage. Check the prices online and if need be book on the app instead. extending the stay DOES give you the 10/11AM - 3-4PM time in the room but that should NOT cost you more when the motel would have to clean the room if you checked out and checked back in via the app/online booking.

If all else fails simply state "that's to much to pay, I saw online the weekly rate was $199. I can pay that, what about a room without a fridge or microwave? or somthing along those lines. I had a fridge in my minivan and I bought an electric burner for 20 bucks at Walmart. Plus they likely have a microwave in the lobby you can use anyways if you really needed it.

Oh and always try to get a room closer to the office, I'd rather be watched like a hawk by the office staff, instead of being in the back where more shady stuff happens. Granted the rooms were infested with roaches, I saw a roach during the day a few times, mostly they only came out to dye weekly when they did the weekly spraying.

If you have any questions regarding my motel stay just ask... but overall I would say staying at a motel 6 can be a good way to get by. Oh and one of my rooms had a VERY weak AC. I had to turn it off during the overnight so it would work OK again the next day during the heat of the day. It was annoying but necessary to survive in that room. The value of the dollar is much weaker than it used to be when I was growing up that is for sure!!!!!! but it can be a good place to get buy when you need to and survive. Oh and extending the stay another week was simple I just payed the same rate as the first week. The weekly rate was "locked in" so week 2-4 was the same but when I checked out and back in for another 4 week stay that was when the price was subject to change and we negotiated.

Quite a long post, but I hope maybe somebody gets some value out of my experience.

 

[urbankid12]

Maybe, before making a move, consider debt consolidation? Companies will help you combine all your debts at a lower interest rate. Two of my daughters used the same company and it helped both immensely. If you want the name, I can ask them.

Also, since your rent is already due to increase, why not demand that your landlord fix the leaky plumbing? There are free, or low cost, legal aid places that help renters (if it comes to that). Illinois has some good ones. Maybe your state does, too.

I managed to move 1/2 my credit card debt to a 0.99% interest rate that will stay at that rate until about May of 23. The other cards are around 12% interest. Not the worst but each month I'm paying around 100 bucks in fees. I'm trying to pay down those higher rates now so that 100 bucks fee drops to some 60 bucks within a year, then by early 23 I could see about debt consolidation or moving that debt to a lower card. the 0.99% card has a regular APR of some 22% so that is really bad. I had fees of 300 a month and got it down to 250 before the option to get the balance transfer and the 0.99% rate. I would say I'm doing OK with my debt, but I'm tracking the monthly fees and if I don't see any progress in decreasing the monthly fee's or overall balances then I might need to rethink things...

I'm looking to increase my income in the next 6months likely so that should help me build my opportunity to pay down more of that debt, but if things don't go as planned in that route I might have to rethink things. I was hoping to drop that 100 bucks fees each month by some 5-8 bucks which is kinda difficult but would be great to reducing my fees VERY fast.

Either way I'm tracking my progress and I think that is key, knowledge is power and tracking my progress lets me project how long it will take and track my effort needed. Google sheets formulas is an AMAZING tool I build a spreadsheet that will show me how much of a payment I need to make to hit my goal and will show me my monthly and even daily rate I'm paying in fees.

Although if you'd like to share the company I would gladly look into them, I don't think I'd be looking into a company that others didn't have a good experience with because to many preditor loans out there so please do share the company if you can. Thanks

 

[user 22017]

Although if you'd like to share the company I would gladly look into them, I don't think I'd be looking into a company that others didn't have a good experience with because to many preditor loans out there so please do share the company if you can. Thanks

My daughter said she used Bankrate and they find the best bank/credit union that will help you consolidate. She did it all online. Then she helped her sister do that same thing. Visit: https://www.bankrate.com/

 

[Wrknmannavn]

I'm barely staying afloat living in my apartment. My take home pay is about 1800-2000 a month. 900-1,000 goes to rent and utilities each month and from there the rest goes to pay down credit card debt, bills, and food. I been thinking about finding a cheaper place to live in November when my lease is up because looking online my rent is going to go up at least 10% Which with my raise at Walmart (assuming it's .40 to .50 cents) they will likely take ALL of that money and more making my situation even worse.

Not here to complain, I like my job it's physical and I don't gotta deal with customers so I get to have a nice workout and get in shape! I just want to be able to catchup on my bills faster than the projected 8+ years im thinking it will take right now..

I currently work overnights at Walmart and I been taking my breaks in my Van, many people do as well and I been thinking that why wouldn't I be able to have my dog with me in the minivan and save on rent! My typical schedule makes it so I'm on break every 2 hours so I can keep checking up on her. The Oklahoma summer heat would be impossible to sleep in the afternoons but perhaps if I were to stay around Northern California or even portland? I'm thinking I would try to transfer instead of just quitting so I would have a guaranteed job.

Giving up my dog would break my heart and that's a non-starter. I did enjoy vanlife during the winter in Arizona, the summer was much more difficult. I did get comfortable with using a Motel 6 weekly rate when I first started getting back into working my job now, so I would be able to see about either dog boarding ("daycare" except given it be overnight since im at work that could be an option then I can continue my gym workouts after work and shower and pick her up) OR weekly motel 6 rental for weeks of extreme temp changes.

My motel weekly rental was $250 which is almost the same price as my apartment this winter with the high heating costs! (rent was closer to $860 before the high heat costs)

Does anyone here work an overnight job on the west coast with a pet in van life or more specifically minivan life?

Right now my fridge leaks, my dishwasher leaks even though I don't use it!, the bathroom sink leaks, I don't even use the space... I loved minivan life because the space was MINE! I owned it! if it was loud I could just drive away and find a better spot. The summer heat concerns me but I think if I can find a place that is mostly much cooler than normal AND be able to budget weekly motel rates so I can easily move in there for a few weeks during a heatwave then I might have a far better life!

Even now my apartment isn't near any nice parks so I gotta drive my dog to a decent park to enjoy our days off... I feel like im wasting my money here..

is the west coast overcrowded with van dwellers that what im trying to do is much harder than I think? Is there something that im overlooking?

Right now what is most important to me is staying active and getting into better shape. I don't even want to be in the big cities either, so ideally setting up shop in a town some 50-100K in population and living on the edge would be ideal for me. Overnighting at rest area / picnic ares , truckstops or sister walmart locations would be ideal for my weekends. I would rotate between 4-6 public parks to sleep the afternoon away before work.

I would likely rent a motel weekly rate for the first few weeks to scope out the area, and get comfortable with my work before anything. Does anyone have any advice, thoughts or experiences that relate?

I'm barely staying afloat living in my apartment. My take home pay is about 1800-2000 a month. 900-1,000 goes to rent and utilities each month and from there the rest goes to pay down credit card debt, bills, and food. I been thinking about finding a cheaper place to live in November when my lease is up because looking online my rent is going to go up at least 10% Which with my raise at Walmart (assuming it's .40 to .50 cents) they will likely take ALL of that money and more making my situation even worse.

Not here to complain, I like my job it's physical and I don't gotta deal with customers so I get to have a nice workout and get in shape! I just want to be able to catchup on my bills faster than the projected 8+ years im thinking it will take right now..

I currently work overnights at Walmart and I been taking my breaks in my Van, many people do as well and I been thinking that why wouldn't I be able to have my dog with me in the minivan and save on rent! My typical schedule makes it so I'm on break every 2 hours so I can keep checking up on her. The Oklahoma summer heat would be impossible to sleep in the afternoons but perhaps if I were to stay around Northern California or even portland? I'm thinking I would try to transfer instead of just quitting so I would have a guaranteed job.

Giving up my dog would break my heart and that's a non-starter. I did enjoy vanlife during the winter in Arizona, the summer was much more difficult. I did get comfortable with using a Motel 6 weekly rate when I first started getting back into working my job now, so I would be able to see about either dog boarding ("daycare" except given it be overnight since im at work that could be an option then I can continue my gym workouts after work and shower and pick her up) OR weekly motel 6 rental for weeks of extreme temp changes.

My motel weekly rental was $250 which is almost the same price as my apartment this winter with the high heating costs! (rent was closer to $860 before the high heat costs)

Does anyone here work an overnight job on the west coast with a pet in van life or more specifically minivan life?

Right now my fridge leaks, my dishwasher leaks even though I don't use it!, the bathroom sink leaks, I don't even use the space... I loved minivan life because the space was MINE! I owned it! if it was loud I could just drive away and find a better spot. The summer heat concerns me but I think if I can find a place that is mostly much cooler than normal AND be able to budget weekly motel rates so I can easily move in there for a few weeks during a heatwave then I might have a far better life!

Even now my apartment isn't near any nice parks so I gotta drive my dog to a decent park to enjoy our days off... I feel like im wasting my money here..

is the west coast overcrowded with van dwellers that what im trying to do is much harder than I think? Is there something that im overlooking?

Right now what is most important to me is staying active and getting into better shape. I don't even want to be in the big cities either, so ideally setting up shop in a town some 50-100K in population and living on the edge would be ideal for me. Overnighting at rest area / picnic ares , truckstops or sister walmart locations would be ideal for my weekends. I would rotate between 4-6 public parks to sleep the afternoon away before work.

I would likely rent a motel weekly rate for the first few weeks to scope out the area, and get comfortable with my work before anything. Does anyone have any advice, thoughts or experiences that relate?

I currently work overnights and have my pets with me in a large van. I use a gen with a portable A/C when hot and run a diesel heater during winter. I go out to my van every break to check on things and get a breather. Ive been doing this for 11 months. So far it has been working well for me.

 

[urbankid12]

I currently work overnights and have my pets with me in a large van. I use a gen with a portable A/C when hot and run a diesel heater during winter. I go out to my van every break to check on things and get a breather. Ive been doing this for 11 months. So far it has been working well for me.

I have so many questions!!!

mainly..

1. What temps do you NOT run A/C or the diesel heater? ( Just to identify a "normal" pet comfortable temp )

2. What types of pets do you have?

3. What state or metro do you work out of? ( General climate temps in that area to get a basic understanding of how others make it work)

4. have you used other methods like heated blankets or fans during nights where the temp wasn't to extreme but just outside of the comfortable zone (follow up from question 1.)

5. Would you recommend it to others, especially somebody with a Minivan set up?

I don't think I have the resources to upgrade to a full-size van right now but I think if I moved to a more stable climate ie around Portland where it's more cooler than warm I could make it work like you, but perhaps make it easier given the limited space.

6. What would be easier to get the diesel heater OR A/C (based on cost and space needed) especially for somebody in a Minivan?

Knowing that would help me better understand if I would be better off sticking with a cooler climate or a warmer climate if I can only get ONE due to funds and space limitations in a minivan.

..also any more advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Wrknmannavn]

Too many questions. Google montana weather. Many may say no to montana because of the winters but its beautiful here. I also have a good job here. I wouldnt do a mini van but if thats all you have. Youtube joy route. She vans it in a mini most of the time.

 

[rruff]

Does seasonal work appeal to you? If so, is there any way to work seasonally for Walmart? I gotta believe that Walmarts near summer resorts and tourist areas would love to have extra help during the busy season only. Not ski resorts, since these are busiest in winter. Seasonal work is also great for nomads since you can take winters off and always be in a nice climate, and you can stop worrying about heating and cooling your small space. Also in some states that have lots of seasonal work you can collect UE all winter and not even pretend to look for a job... this was true in UT when I did it in the early 2000s; don't know about now.

If seasonal work appeals to you, then look at places in the west which have high altitude... or on the coast. I can tell you that away from the coast anywhere in the west, it can get quite hot at low altitudes in summer.

Dealing with cold is way easier than excessive heat for you and your dog. Usually just bundling up with good blankets and coats is good down to the 20s. If you use equipment, then heating is *way* cheaper and easier than AC. That's assuming you are self contained. If you have an outside electric hookup, AC isn't so bad, but still a lot more stuff.

Good resource for climate data: https://wrcc.dri.edu/Climsum.html

 

[WanderingRose]

Reading this, one thought I had for the OP was looking for a second gig that might include housing, like camp hosting from your van, a doggy day care or some other caretaking situation that included a room.

Then, use your income from your day job to steadily whack away at the credit card debt you are drowning in.

Most of us have made financial mistakes/taken on too much debt, etc., and the only real way out is to just buckle down and pay it off.

If you can find a way to eliminate shelter costs, that would be huge, tho I think living in your van with a dog when you have to work away doesn’t sound good for the dog.

And I understand not wanting to let him go.

Good luck.

 

[peteg59]

Many unscrupulous folks in your situation would file bankruptcy and walk away from the excessive debt.
But that would potentially come back at you for 7 years.
Landlords that do credit checks on renters might reject you.
Insurance companies will jack up your rates to their max settings.

Many other potential downsides to the bankruptcy filing, so good for you that you're attempting to get it right in paying off the debt you accrued over time.

Good luck on finding the right climate to work in and survive in your minivan...

 

[user 16179]

Most of us have made financial mistakes/taken on too much debt, etc., and the only real way out is to just buckle down and pay it off.

If one can they should keep one low rate card. Use it little enough you can pay it off every month, so interest doesn't accumulate. It shows good habits to banks and will make it easier to get a loan on a vehicle, or for an emergency at a better rate.

I said "never again" and stopped using credit. My family said I needed a vehicle and credit before I started out (I was a touring bike rider). I hadn't used credit in 21 years and didn't have a credit score. They hadn't heard of me. A friend in finance said I am a ghost and would get credit easier if I had bad credit. I even offered 10K down on an 11K van, and was turned down!

So, get straightened out and be sure to use a very little credit wisely to get a good record. You'll be miles ahead of paying cash for years if you ever need credit again.

 

[bullfrog]

Many unscrupulous folks in your situation would file bankruptcy and walk away from the excessive debt.
But that would potentially come back at you for 7 years.
Landlords that do credit checks on renters might reject you.
Insurance companies will jack up your rates to their max settings.

Many other potential downsides to the bankruptcy filing, so good for you that you're attempting to get it right in paying off the debt you accrued over time.

Good luck on finding the right climate to work in and survive in your minivan...

Shame on you! Have you ever been through bankruptcy or even considered why it came about as a legal way to overcome oppressive debt. There is nothing immoral or wrong about using bankruptcy in our system. Just look at the number of the richest people shielded by corporations that use it on a regular basis like our former President. Bankruptcy has actually helped many learn from fatal financial mistakes and go on to become economic saviors in our economy. Granted there are several penalties for using bankruptcy to overcome permanent living in poverty but the benefits well out weigh them by allowing someone to start over with a new outlook and knowledge of what can happen when you allow yourself to be taken advantage of financially by unscrupulous operators. Before you make judgments about bankruptcy make sure you understand the reason it is a legal and acceptable way to overcome permanent indebtedness. It by no means should reflect on a person’s character, only their ability to judge their investments and the people they trust with their money.

 

[txmnjim]

Shame on you! Have you ever been through bankruptcy or even considered why it came about as a legal way to overcome oppressive debt. There is nothing immoral or wrong about using bankruptcy in our system. Just look at the number of the richest people shielded by corporations that use it on a regular basis like our former President. Bankruptcy has actually helped many learn from fatal financial mistakes and go on to become economic saviors in our economy. Granted there are several penalties for using bankruptcy to overcome permanent living in poverty but the benefits well out weigh them by allowing someone to start over with a new outlook and knowledge of what can happen when you allow yourself to be taken advantage of financially by unscrupulous operators. Before you make judgments about bankruptcy make sure you understand the reason it is a legal and acceptable way to overcome permanent indebtedness. It by no means should reflect on a person’s character, only their ability to judge their investments and the people they trust with their money.

and if bankruptcy is fine for corporations (and some former presidents) its fine for working folks as well.

 

[WanderingRose]

On the flip side, extreme circumstances may require an individual to file bankruptcy, but I don’t believe it is the go-to answer to simply acquiring too much credit card debt.

Bankruptcy also follows you, and may affect many parts of your life in ways you don’t anticipate.

Just as buckling down, paying off debt and making better decisions about acquiring new debt does.

 

[Morgana]

Bankruptcy is (1) a valid tool that is (2) sometimes abused by unscrupulous people.
Nothing surprising there -- it's probably true of every good idea humans have ever come up with -- and no reason to shame somebody for mentioning point #2.

 

[bullfrog]

Unfortunately most of the unscrupulous people are the ones loaning the money to people when they should be donating money to education to improve society to where bankruptcy doesn't occur as often. Unfortunately the lenders end up making money on both ends paid for by an uneducated society.