The numbers of people going bankrupt in 2009 will likely be the second-highest total ever. With the recession and unemployment, nearly 130,000 families filed for bankruptcy just last month.

Very often on Clark Stinks, we'll get posters who express that the consumer champ shouldn't have any kind word to say about people who file for bankruptcy. Sure, some people contemplate going into bankruptcy like they're ordering a pizza. But for most it is a devastating life decision.

What's at the root of the bankruptcy trend? The easy answer is that it's a side-effect of the recession and unemployment. But so many who are facing a problem are doing so because they went into the recession with a large amount of debt at the time that they lost their job or had hours cut back.

Barron's reports that the debt level of the average American household stayed steady at 60% of personal income for decades, all the way through 1985. But today, Americans carry a debt-to-income ratio of 130%.

Slicing the same data another way, Barron's estimates that Americans used to carry debt equal to 20% of the nation's output of goods and services. Today, that figure is 100% -- five times the level of debt relative to the size of the economy.

Interestingly, the amount of monthly spending used to service debt is not up dramatically because of lower interest rates. Even so, it's still a 40% larger monthly "carry" (that is, what it takes just to service the debt) than a few short years ago.

The tie-in between people going bankrupt and the debt levels that exist in their lives is so concrete.

Clark despises debt because it puts you in a weakened position. Of course, some debt is the result of people getting hit with catastrophic illness or divorce. Mostly, however, it sneaks up on you with a little bit here and a little bit there to create a huge problem.

Let's face it, life is messy and you need financial breathing room. Think about that the next time you buy something you don't have the cash for. The consequences can be ugly.