Filing Chapter 7 is a huge deal.
In fact, it is even harder to do now that new laws are in place making it harder to file and much more likely that you won't have all of your debts discharged in a few months.
There is no doubt that those that are in need of this service still have it available to them, but it should still be something that you consider avoiding if at all possible.
Before you file Chapter 7, find out what things you should be doing.
First of all, you should know what you owe, who you owe it to and have a budget that cuts out every possible extra expense so that you can work to pay down your debt.
Finding ways to actually cut through your bills can help you to really pay off those credit cards and bills, without having to file Chapter 7.
The more drastic you are in doing this; the more successful you can be to avoid this problem.
Another thing that you should do is to consider using only cash for purchases.
You may want to consider going to only cash in a set allowance, too.
This will help you to really cut into the amount of money that you owe because you won't be adding to it each month.
Give yourself a set amount of money to spend per month and don't go over.
You can also look for small ways to add dollars into your pocket.
Selling off a few assets that you have and don't really need can help you to actually find benefits in the long term.
If you have an extra car sitting in the garage, it may look nice, but it could be something to help you avoid filing Chapter 7.
You should try to sell little things too, such as through garage sales and even by selling them in your local newspaper.
Another step in the right direction is to work with your creditors.
You'll find that there are non profit consumer credit counseling programs available that will work as the middle man.
They will help you to find the right balance with your credit about your situation and even try to get your rates lowered.
There are many ways that you can actual benefit from doing these things.
The most important benefit is that you can avoid filing Chapter 7 and find yourself in a much better place.