The preacher shifts uncomfortably in his leather chair behind his desk. He's had these talks before, and they've never been easy. Tension knots his stomach as he searches for the right words. The couple in front of him seems equally worried. You can see it in their anxious glances and nervous gestures. They would rather be someplace else-anywhere else-than the preacher's office. Married for 15 years, they've managed to become "good Americans," with a truckload of payments to prove it. There's the new car loan, a Mount Everest-sized mortgage, a giant-screen TV big enough to hide a barn, three computers, and closets of designer clothes.

This family has it all . and a stack of maxed-out credit cards to show for it. The husband never met a fly rod he didn't like, and the wife is known for her fine taste in antique china. Appearances say they're doing well. But the truth is, they've overborrowed, over-spent, and under-saved. Just paying the minimum on their debts uses much of their monthly budget. The money comes and goes, the house is bursting, the garage looks like a fifty-pound feed sack with a hundred pounds of corn stuffed into it, but the bills keep growing. He blames her, she blames him, and the kids wonder what all the fussing's about.

How did we get into this mess?.