Even when she has the money to pay off her debts, Becky refuses to do so, choosing instead to make a small gift to Miss Briggs and pay the bare minimum to her landlord in order to temporarily satisfy them both without having to pay off her debts in full. Becky understands that once she pays back the money, it’s gone for good—but as long as she has debts, there is the chance that she can keep postponing payment, or perhaps get the debt reduced or canceled (as she did earlier when negotiating with Rawdon’s creditors to allow their return to London).