You can buy bitcoin on credit cards and still come out ahead if you're willing to destroy your credit and are not trivial to service.

The amount debt collection companies ask for, is more of a reduction in amount from peak bull to bottom of the bear.

Now, that's just running the numbers. Getting on zero fiat is likely the optimal path for most people, unless they are young. Young people without a lot of money should be buying as much bitcoin as possible and defaulting on their debt.