I unabashedly insist that in designing your budget, you fund food, shelter, clothing and transportation first. Everything else comes afterwards, especially debt. Very few things animate me as much as pushy debt collectors. In this lady's case, a medical bill that she had missed was immediately passed on to a debt collector. In order to address her perceived need to keep up on bills, she has been paying the bill, and buying groceries with her credit card.

This is not responsible behavior, especially considering this bill is just over $500. The guilt-inducing debt collector is NOT going to take her to court to collect the money. It's not worth the expense to him. It is honorable to pay your debts, but do not put yourself in a position to pay debts by incurring more debt.

I have little empathy for this collector or the medical office that jumped the gun and sent the bill to collections so quickly. The other medical debtors have worked with her and understand that she needs to take care of her needs, as well as those of her nieces.

In discussing this issue, I reminded her that she has no obligation to go into debt just to pay a debt. You do not need to eat pet food, or live in your car. You need to prioritize your spending and make a plan to get debt free.

Please fund your food, shelter, clothing, and transportation needs first. If you have money left over, then address your debts. Also, keep communicating with those you owe money to. Communication is key to working things out.