At a birthday dinner for Amanda at the gang's regular restaurant, Stacey's credit cards are all overdrawn when she tries to pay. Eric offers to pick up the check, but Stacey says no, it's my treat--and tells Ned to pay. Back at the apartment she writes Ned a check for the dinner, a check he knows will bounce. Ned soon gets the story out of her--she's in deep financial trouble. In fact when Eric comes over to figure out her situation, he finds she's $28,000 in debt! Amanda suggests she start cutting her losses by moving out on Ned, but he will not hear of losing his trophy wife. The next morning Ned and Stacey visit the bank to try to straighten things out and are told they best term they can offer her is a partial payment of $5600 due immediately. Ned writes a check but a proud (and unrealistic) Stacey tears it up, still insisting their finances are separate and she can pay off the money herself.

Stacey is rolling up coins, taking hack writing jobs, doing anything she can to make money--including waitressing three nights a week at the restaurant, where she is proving to be terribly incompetent. Ned doesn't know she's working there until he brings in Olivia Newton-John for a schmooze session. To his horror, Stacey is his waitress. The combination of her constant pestering and awful service turns Ms. Newton-John's sunny dispsition sour and she stalks out on Ned. At closing time Ned returns to the restaurant to find Stacey has been fired. Once again he gives her a $5600 check, but this time he says it's a proper loan. She accepts.