There is one - unavoidable - danger.

Although measures have been taken by reputable online businesses to help safeguard your shopping experience, there is one danger that yet remains. You may enjoy shopping from comfort of your own home or office - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - so much that you become " a regular on-line shopper ".

Yes, there is a danger that this may happen to you...and so far as I know there is no known cure, either. It is simply too easy to not put yourself at mercy of Mall crowds...so nice to not have to wait in line...to not have to be presentable in appearance and to be able to find and purchase what we want before we have even finished that cup of coffee. It can be after everyone else is in bed for night...or before anyone else has even awakened for day... And it is always at our convenience!

But those shipping and handling charges....

Today, most reputable online businesses work hard to keep shipping and handling costs down. Remember, they are at mercy of shipping and handling rates being charged them by carriers. But when you shop online...you also have benefit of comparison shopping at your fingertips. When you are in a single store somewhere, you pay whatever price they are asking...you can't run from store to store to store to compare and save a buck or two. With online shopping you can!

I know what it can cost me to drive here and there to find something - only to find that next week it's on sale ! Because of gas prices...it will always cost me several dollars to drive and I will pay that - even if I am unable to find what I am looking for. When you add it all up - shipping and handling affords you luxuries and minimizes frustrations of shopping.

Of course there will still be times when you prefer to drive - walk - search - stand in line - be treated indifferently - and spend more than you wanted to spend...but when you want to enjoy shopping at your convenience with ability to instantly compare prices in comfort of your own space - there is always "online shopping" - just be careful, it can be dangerously satisfying!

C.L. Hanna is the C.E.O. of HEART'S DOOR which specializes in the use of vintage and collectble items in home decorating. After over 20 years of collecting and interior decorating she recently took her shop online at www.heartsdoor.org/Staff@heartsdoor.org

Look for ways to get extra money just for purpose of paying your overdue bills. This can be either a temporary part time job or selling something that you can do without.

If you own your home and have equity in your property, you may want to consider a bill consolidation loan. While this seems like an easy out, many people start obtaining more debt after they receive loan since they have some disposable income. There are pros and cons to bill consolidation loans and you would be wise to investigate it thoroughly.

If you have exhausted all of above options, you may have to consider one of below options. You must remember that filing bankruptcy can stay on your credit history for up to 10 years and can have a devastating effect on your future financial plans.

In extreme circumstances, and always as a last resort, consider filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection. This allows an individual to setup a repayment plan of between 3 to 5 years to pay off all or part of their debts. You must have sufficient income to permit a portion of it to be used toward your repayment schedule.

Another option is Chapter 7 bankruptcy which is most commonly filed chapter since it can completely eliminate all of your debt except ones you choose to continue paying. There are exceptions to debts that can be discharged and to what property is exempt from being taken by your creditors. You should discuss any bankruptcy actions with a competent bankruptcy attorney. Only individual's may file for chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Just because you are behind on your bills doesn't mean that your bill collectors can do what ever they want to collect their debt. You have rights under Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. It would be a good idea to visit The Federal Trade Commission's web site http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm to find out what your legal rights are.