<prompt> Human: Approximately 2 years ago I got layed off. Went from my wife not working and me bringing home 87k a year to us both working and only bring home about 44k. Thanks oilfield. Before the layoff my wife, son and I were looking for a house to get out the apartment complex weve been in forever and mostly debt free. After my wife had a nervous break down due to the increased financial burden I traded in my truck and leased a car. Terrible decision. I was trying to lower my note and save gas because my new job is about a half our drive away one way. Now we are sitting at about 2100 in monthly bills. About 350 of it is credit cards. We have a 5k line of credit from when my wife was going to school got sick and couldnt finish the payment on is 125 every month. I have to pay this and then transfer the payment to my checking because I cant afford the payment really.We have to pay the credit cards and then use the balance for gas and groceries. We bring in approximately 2700 per month leaving us somewhere around 600 to live off of. The little Im getting back from income tax is going to be used to pay off outstanding medical debts from a dental procedures and emergency room scare my son had at the end of last year.I just applied for a debt consolidation quote from citi and was denied because the ratio of balance to debt on credit line was too high.Struggling to make ends meet and Im terrified of having to raise my son in an apartment complex. This entire situation is a huge negative to my self confidence and self worth and I dont know what to do. We have barely enough money to live and emergencies are out the window. My son caught the flu and between Tamiflu and the visit we have 100 to live off of for 2 weeks. So we have to use a credit card for groceries. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks I suppose I should add Im almost 31 and Ive given thought to bankruptcy. Im not sure if thats a smart choice though. Edit: Rent: 680Car note: 331 lease, 2 years leftCar ins: 157Rent ins: 21 mandatoryCell: 147 22 discount from employerElectricity: 108Netcable: 122 under contractAmazon credit card:Balance - 666 26.24Minimum - 25Best Buy:Balance - 816 24.74Minimum - 27Chase:Balance - 3950 could not get the interest off mobile, pretty sure its in the 20sMinimum - 127Walmart 1:Balance 1408 - 76 was not enrolled in paperless so no statement was availableMinimum - 76Walmart 2Balance - 1297 23.15Minimum -75Total at minimum : 2021My income after taxes approx 1050 every 2 weeksSpouse about 550 per monthAssistant: First: Im sorry. You should know this already, but being laid off because of forces beyond your control is nothing to be ashamed of. Take advantage of all the retraining and job-search benefits you can get, because thats whats going to ultimately make the difference. If it requires you or your wife to go back to school for a bit, dont be afraid to look into whatever part-time assistance you can get. I assume youve used up all your unemployment?Bankruptcy might be a good choice down the road, but only once you have enough income to live on. Otherwise, youll be right back where you are now, but with fewer resources. Focus on boosting your income however you can, and if it requires short-term sacrifices, you may have to get creative.As to the apartment thing: dont worry about that, your kid will be fine. Plenty of kids have grown up in small apartments and had perfectly happy childhoods. Thats why parks exist!Human: Thanks for the kind words. My field in the oil field can be a lucrative one I work in inspection however things are tight in the industry right now all around. My wife was part way through a nursing degree years ago but got sick and lost state funding and now we just cant afford the tuition etc. She works part time as a health aid in a public schoolAssistant: Why are you terrified of living in an apartment complex? Right now you need to be grateful you have a place. Where does that 600 go? Its not lavish, but its not so tight of a living budget that you should be going back into debt. You could spend 250-300 on food.Also cell phone and Internet seem really expensive.Human: Internet is locked into a plan cant do anything about that until later this year however cell is high. I need to shop around for a lower planAssistant: Ill second what uskeever2 asked - whats so wrong with an apartment complex? Literally millions of people live in them and raise families in them, its honestly not a big deal.Human: I grew up with lots of land to play on and wanted my son to have the same opportunity. Its not the greatest part of town so he doesnt really get to play outside near us very often. There is a park nearby but we havent been in a while  <response>: So go to the park. I dont mean to be harsh, just seems like a very silly thing to worry about. Having a lot of land to play on is something you remember fondly from your childhood, doesnt mean it would make a difference in your sons. Dont obsess over trying to recreate your childhood, especially when its clearly causing you stress and depression. 