Some days Bennett stared at her closet, filled with 3-inch peek-a-boo heels she once wore to work. She fired the housekeeper and the pool guy, found a cheaper hair colorist and once paid her $2,200 mortgage in keno winnings.

She has refused to walk away from her suburban home, with its pool, five waterfalls and those brand-new toilets. "I'll do what I have to do," she said. "I'll work three jobs if I have to."

Her shoulders slumped, her voice quavered. "I can't even get one."