Carol Bruns
Age: 48
Hometown: Cedar Park, Texas

As a special education teacher assistant at a local high school, Carol Bruns earns a mere $18,000 a year. Her husband, meanwhile, makes about $45,000 as a construction manager. Together, their salaries aren't enough to support the couple and their three children, who are 18, 16 and 10.

The oldest child is heading to community college in the fall and the middle child is about to start applying to colleges.

They have taken out piles of loans and have defaulted on payments. They currently have about $11,000 in student loan debt. So even as they approach 50, they haven't been able to save anything for retirement.

All of this has put their 20-year marriage on the rocks.

"[W]e can't even afford to get divorced," said Bruns. "I don't think there's ever been a time we've been able to say, 'let's go on a vacation' -- we never have fun, and I think that has just eaten away at our marriage. We're more like roommates now, and I never thought I would have a marriage like that."

What's your biggest stress? "Just having enough money to pay the bills, and going to the grocery store and having to watch exactly how much we have to spend."

What keeps you going? "Maybe someday getting out of this debt, and finally having money for a family vacation."