Your car is broken down in the middle of nowhere. The only mechanic for miles around says he can fix the car, but it’s going to cost you a few thousand dollars, and even then he can’t promise the repair will get you all the way home. No telling what other expenses you might face before you get there. You can abandon the car, a very expensive one, and try to hike the 200 miles to the next town, knowing you’ll never see the car again, or you can get the repairs done. Problem is, you are self-employed and your income is way down because of the economic downturn, which has left you deeply in debt. You are resolved to draw the line, and incur no more debt until you can get out of the hole you’re in. You have an important business meeting in two days. You have no cash. The question is: Do you use your credit card to get the car moving again and get back home, or do you abandon the car, start walking, and hope that by some miracle you will be able to make the meeting, and only lose the car? When you have no good choices, what is your least bad option?
Your car is broken down in the middle of nowhere. The only mechanic for miles around says he can fix the car, but it’s going to cost you a few thousand dollars, and even then he can’t promise the repair will get you all the way home. No telling what other expenses you might face before you get there. You can abandon the car, a very expensive one, and try to hike the 200 miles to the next town, knowing you’ll never see the car again, or you can get the repairs done. Problem is, you are self-employed and your income is way down because of the economic downturn, which has left you deeply in debt. You are resolved to draw the line, and incur no more debt until you can get out of the hole you’re in. You have an important business meeting in two days. You have no cash. The question is: Do you use your credit card to get the car moving again and get back home, or do you abandon the car, start walking, and hope that by some miracle you will be able to make the meeting, and only lose the car? When you have no good choices, what is your least bad option?