text: DO anything (legal) and I mean ANYTHING, before filing bankruptcy.  Check out debt consolidators, get a 2nd job, find a rich relative (:) The ramifications of filing bankruptcy will haunt you for a very long time. You won't be able to get a job in any occupation where you need to be licensed (real estate, insurance, government) There are SO many negative thing associated w/bankruptcy, plus these dys it's just plain damn hard to do it! Contact your bill collectors pro-actively, you'd be surprised how kind some of them can be. If you contact them, they'll get off your back, (a bit) plus there's laws now that protect us from harrassment. They can only call you so many times a day and between certain hours, and not if you've contacted them 1st...