$var = { '1234-567' => { 'key1' => 'stuff' ,
                         'key2' => 'stuff',
                       }
         '1234-997' => { 'key1' => 'stuff' ,
                         'key2' => 'stuff',
                       }
       };

##</code><code>##


foreach my $paymentRow ( @$payments ) {
  foreach my $salesKey ( keys %$sale_items ) {
     ### make sure we're applying the right line items ...
     next if ( $paymentRow->{creditacct} != 
        $sale_items->{$salesKey}{debitacct} );

     ## if payment can be applied, 
     ## apply it and delete the row from payments/credits array
     warn "DELETING ...  {$salesKey} " 
       if ( $paymentRow->{amount} == 
              $sale_items->{$salesKey}{amount} and
            $paymentRow->{ppid} == 
               $sale_items->{$salesKey}{ppid} );
         
     delete $sale_items->{$salesKey} 
       and undef( $paymentRow ) 
       if ( $paymentRow->{amount} == 
              $sale_items->{$salesKey}{amount} 
            and $paymentRow->{ppid} == 
              $sale_items->{$salesKey}{ppid} );
               
     $sale_items->{$salesKey}{amount} -= 
        $paymentRow->{amount}  
      and undef( $paymentRow )
        if ( $paymentRow->{amount}  < 
             $sale_items->{$salesKey}{amount}
           and $paymentRow->{ppid} == 
               $sale_items->{$salesKey}{ppid} );
        }
   }