You have not made payments on your credit card for months? You are ruining your credit history. People made great suggestions, let me add a few here.

Make the minimum monthly payment your credit card debt today and every month after now. When I say today, I mean within the next thirty minutes. If you do not even have that much money, sell stuff on Craigslist or Ebay. Do you really need a TV or a DVD player, that second PC? You get my drift.

If there is anyone you can depend in your family, maybe they can help you with your monthly minimum payment. It will only cover part of the interest, but it will put your credit on a better track. This is the time to ask for favors, don't be too shy. Pay them back at first chance and be grateful.

Turn off the AC.

Do you smoke or drink? Quit. They cost a lot.

Cancel your homephone or cellphone.

If your ex has a new job, suggest that he share a percentage of the payment for your broken lease. It's worth a shot, maybe he feels partially responsible for your financial woes. Don't blame him. Try to be kind and negotiate.

Make a plan. Plan how and when you can pay that 7000. Write it down. Month by month. Week by week.

Get a second job if you can. You need every penny.

If you cannot sell your car (and you really should), at least walk/bike more, much more.

Take up exercise and/or reading for fun. Reading is free and it is more fun than anything else when you read the kind of books you like. There are also many free activities for students in college towns.

Everytime you save money by not doing something, write it down and congratulate yourself (e.g.kudos for walking/biking downtown and saving 2 dollars on gas, saved 10 dollars on electricity bill this month, saved 30 dollars by cancelling phone plan, etc.). Add it up every week and month.

This is important: Learn to say "I cannot afford that" to yourself and to other people. There is no shame in that. You do not have to talk about your financial situation, but the easiest way to get out of expensive plans is to tell the truth plain and simple.

The start up costs of moving anywhere would only increase your debt. Do not move anywhere, unless you get a job there first. Negotiate for start up costs.

Watch "Million Dollar Baby", read every book on getting out of debt. Inspire yourself. You can do it. I believe you will do it. You are young and educated. You have the time and skills. Good luck.

Much of the information here on is just plain wrong, and based on moralistic misinformation pushed by the credit industry. There is no shame in BK; it is a longstanding legal method of getting a fresh start. Corporations do it at the drop of a hat and so do many of the wealthy - only the working class are advised not to. Student loans, despite more misinformation, can also be included in your filing if you have been in repayment for seven years. The BK will be on your credit history for a length of time (7, 10 years) but you will discover that after filing you will be flooded with credit card applications, as you no longer are in debt and cannot refile for 10 years. (I advise ignoring these as they are sharks hoping to rope you into more debt) Our economy is largely based on consumer credit, you can reestablish yours within a few years. Shop around for one of those cards where you deposit $500 or so and are then given that limit on your charges. There are some that do not charge yearly fees. Keep a small running balance, pay on time, and within two years your credit will be as good as new. There is only an upside to BK, that's why we have the law. The jerks will stop harrassing you and you will no longer be chained to debt. New York will be a lot easier without debt. NOLO press has great book on do-it-yourself BK (very simple proscess, you don't need a lawyer). Get the latest edition covering the new laws and decide for yourself. Your responsbility is to yourself and your life, not to Chase Manhattan and MasterCard.

I know this is a small thing but it’s driving me nuts – Manhattan is only part of NYC. The only danger of wearing birks in the tree lined Brooklyn neighborhood where I live is getting clipped by on of those fancy double wide strollers. NYC isn’t just one thing – its a million different things and that’s why moving there on the fly with no cash and no idea is a bad thing.

Don't get me wrong--I lived in Manhattan for 3 years while in law school and absolutely loved it, and love going back for visits. But I have to share with you this issue of mine that, when I think about it, is really the biggest issue I have with New York: the soot. In summer, I love opening my windows and shuffling around in Birkenstocks. In Manhattan, if you shuffle around in Birkenstocks or any kind of sandal, your feet are going to be black with soot by the time you get home. The same soot that collects on your windowsills (come to think of it, I think the soot collects on windowsills even when the windows are not open. When you wake up in the morning, you feel a grimy coating of this soot all over yourself. Your hair looks like you haven't washed it in 4 days.

I know that, of all objections to living in the city, this one probably seems rather minor, but every time I looked at this soot, I thought to myself, "I'm breathing this stuff," and am very glad that I'm not breathing it any more. What is that stuff? Is it from the cars, or the industry, or what? Whatever it is, it can't be healthy.