<prompt> Human: So heres the situation. I cringe to even write this out, but it is what it is and pretending the problems dont exist doesnt make them go away.Im pushing 50, got three kids in various stages of teenagerdom, each with piddling college funds. Married, both my wife and I work. But life being what it is were drowning in debt. Ive got one credit card clinging to those 0 promotional balances, and another with a more typical interest rate I think around 14, both carrying balances over 10k. Our home equity line of about 80k is nearly maxed after work we did on the house. We have no meaningful savings account, a thousand or two, the kind of thing we dip into every couple of months when an expense pops up, and then try to build back up where we can.So heres my question - I find myself with an unexpected bonus of 5000. What should I do? I figure heres my options: Just stick in savings. College fund. Make a dent in the equity line. While its interest rate is lower than the credit cards, the balance is higher by a great deal. Plus, if I have room there then I can breathe a little easier if any unexpected home expenses show up. Pay a chunk of the higher interest credit card. Pay a chunk of the currently but not forever 0 credit card. It has a lower balance anyway so I could maybe get that one gone faster.Or something else? Whatever I do it isnt going to solve any of the problems Ive gotten myself into, so Im trying to figure out where it helps the most. Each has its own benefits. Im not in a position to make major life changes, and its not like were dying. We pay our bills. Its just that over the years the debts crept up on us and its not going down nearly fast enough.My current theory would be to put it on the equity line, both because itll give us that breathing room in the event of emergency, but also it might help bring down that interest payment a bit so that as long as I keep up the fixed amount payment Ive been making, more will now start going to principal and Ill get a mini snowball going. I suppose the same is true of the credit card but ideally the credit card is something Ill stop using, whereas the equity line is something thats there for a reason, to help the house not fall down.Thanks for any suggestions!  <response>: Pay off the ticking time bomb off first whatever that may be. Does the 0 credit card lapse at some point and jump to some outrageous interest rate?Generally its a good idea to pay down the highest rates first as those are costing you the most.It sounds like you might just be shuffling the chairs on the titanic. As your just paying your bills but debt keeps on growing and your dipping into your savings. I would setup a budget that details where all of your dollars are going to go. How much is the weekly food budget? how much for entertainment, bills, mortgagerent, credit card payments, etc etc.Once you have a budget, prioritize what debts you are going to tackle first and commit to any new money going to the first priority item. I blew through my first couple budgets and was a little defeated but kept at it. Now every dollar I earn has a purpose and destination. And I have a financial priority list so when unexpected bonuses or found money comes into my life.. I already have an idea where to put it. This helps me stay true to my plan and not get excited and blow it on something I hadnt planned for new tv or something.This is an excellent opportunity to change your families behaviors and set a life long lesson for your children FOREVER. I found reading personal finance books and listening to podcasts to be very helpful in building my financial literacy and helping me to be successful.You can do this 