Well folks, I guess this is goodbye. I don’t exactly know who my replacement will be, but I imagine it will be someone with a similar story – financial success, mixed with credit dependence – financial fail, mixed with debt collection – debt consolidation, mixed with financial gain. You know the plot.
I’m sure Full Circle will be able to convince one of their clients to share their success story, just as Julia, Eve, Scarlett, Ben and I have.
That’s the beauty of the Full Circle consolidation plan; it works. And because it works, people want to share their stories.
But for now, I will say goodbye. It has been almost a year and I am moving ever closer to my goal of a debt free existence.
Thanks Full Circle for all the financial guidance. Couldn’t have got this far without your help.
Au revoir
-Tyler
So Long Partners...
My favourite entries from the last few months of writing:
“Pride Only Hurts” – I love this scene and even though Marsellus Wallace is convincing him to take a dive, his speech is inspirational.
When you make the decision to apply for a credit card, it’s hard to see the completely random purchases that will one day be charged to it.
One of the largest and most random expenditures I ever put on my credit card was emergency dental surgery. It seems crazy, but Vancouver dental work adds up. I had left my debit card at home and I needed to pay the full amount before leaving the office. I had no cheques, so I pulled out my Visa.
The bill was still on my card when I made the decision to leave my insurance gig. I probably should have waited till I paid off my dental work.
I haven’t made any emergency trips to a Vancouver dentist since then – thank God. I am completely satisfied with the work they provided; it’s just the bill that was shocking.
If I did require more work I would definitely come prepared with an alternative method of payment, rather than my credit card. It is always best to pay upfront and avoid the credit lure.
When you finish your debt consolidation plan you will be financially ahead, your credit rating will be improved and your heart will have received less anxiety than if you went at it alone.
At the completion of your plan, tally the interest you paid. Compare it to the potential interest you could have paid if you continued with a handful of creditors. Those numbers don’t lie. That is a huge savings.
When you cross the financial finish line, your borrowing potential will have greatly increased. You will have proved to your previous and future creditors that you are able to payoff your debts. An increased credit rating will help you buy your first home, invest in a small business or purchase a vehicle on credit.
Your heart will also thank you for completing the consolidation journey. Without a consolidation plan, debtors are forced to deal with collectors and phone-calls from each of their separate creditors. With a plan, debtors only receive one bill – the one from Full Circle. With less agitation comes less anxiety. Less anxiety equals a healthier lifestyle.
Credit counsellors at Full Circle spend their days talking to individuals like you and me who are currently going through difficult financial times. Apart from giving advice on how to move forward with a debt consolidation plan, many of the Full Circle counsellors find their roles include offering personal advice on how to properly inform the debtor’s family about the nature of their financial circumstance.
Because debt is often hidden from other family members, Full Circle counsellors always suggest that new clients disclose their situation to their spouse or significant other. A debt consolidation plan is a new beginning and new beginnings should always start with full disclosure.
Sometimes, this conversation can be harder than making the monthly payments. But it’s always best to explain your debt when you have a plan in place to pay it off. Stuck on the right words? Full Circle’s counsellors will be glad to talk it over with you.
ZestCash is a new player in the American payday loan game. What separates ZestCash and its current competitors is that ZestCash is done entirely online.
Although the company claims not to be a practicing payday loan operation, its purpose is to provide short-term loans for clients who need money fast.
Clients are evaluated and offered a maximum payment based on their navigation of the site and application form. Their movements are electronically fed into an equation that rates the viewers estimated ability to pay the premium back.
Payday loans are deadly because their short-term nature demands a high interest rate. If the debtor is unable to pay the loan amount, plus interest and fees at the end of the month, the interest compounds.
Before you take on a loan of this nature, consider the other option; what will I need to pay if I can’t afford to pay the premium for four months? How much needless interest will I pay? These are important questions.
Unfortunately, many of the debtors that contact Full Circle have accepted terms similar to ones offered by ZestCash. Full Circle can help these individuals with a consolidation plan, but lowering the interest on these loans can prove difficult.
Your best bet is stay away from lenders that offer quick financial rewards.
Keeping our regular everyday finances in check can be a difficult task with debit cards, credit cards, change and cheques.
Tracking our spending is becoming increasingly complex. It is now easier than ever to overspend and windup on the wrong side of the line.
Like most things in life, less is more. If you can reduce your payment tools to two or possibly one method, you can keep a more accurate up-to-date record of how much you’re spending. You can also track where you’re spending your money.
Limiting your payment options will allow you to chose a service plan that meets your spending. Finding the right plan can save you money each month.
A Vancouver consolidation plan is similar in nature. With only one payment a month, you limit the number of creditors you have to keep track of. You also reduce the amount of interest you pay.
Interest is money that you will never see again. It’s money that goes straight to your creditors pockets without ever reducing your principal. If you can lower the monthly amount you pay towards interest, you can put more money towards erasing your debt.
This is basic finance. Why pay more, when you could pay less.
There are no strings, there is no fine-print to read, only a guarantee that your interest will be reduced.
That should be enough to get you interested. But it’s only the beginning of the advantages offered by a debt consolidation plan. Not only will your interest payments be reduced, you will also see an immediate change from your creditors. With a debt plan in place, you will never receive a bill directly from your credit companies. They will not call and they will not send you written warnings. The only piece of mail you will receive will be for the one payment you owe.
I know… You’re thinking the same thing I was; “Why didn’t I signup for this earlier?”
Sitting in my warm apartment, with the rain falling against the window, I wonder if the Occupiers are regretting their course of action. I know there are many who sympathize with their cause, but after working so hard to pay my own debts off, I find it hard to support a cause that wants their own debt erased with a magic flip of a wand.
The protests in New York City may have seemed like a romantic movement, inspiring our own Art Gallery encampment, but now with the rain and the cold weather, is it really that smart to voluntarily deny yourself one of the five basic needs? Wouldn’t it be more productive to come up with a plan on how to pay back your debt, rather than blaming others for their financial success?
The 1% got to the top tax bracket by working tirelessly. Sure some were handed family money, but they used that cash to build their own empire. It’s hardly fair to demand that they share with others who haven’t put in the time.
But this is a democracy and if people want to show their displeasure towards the current financial system by squatting on the Art Gallery lawn, I guess that is their prerogative.
Me, I’ll stay warm and continue to work towards my own goal of financial freedom.
The young lady on the other end of the phone identified herself as Rebecca. She was operating the switchboard. She said she had a few questions for me to help with her recommendation for the right counsellor for my case.
I answered her questions concerning my financial status and we talked a little bit about the burden of credit card anxiety. Then she directed my phone call to Morgan, a veteran debt management professional.
Morgan didn’t have the conversational skills that Rebecca had, but she immediately impressed me with her professionalism. She explained that Full Circle was going to do three things for me: they were going to give me one payment instead of six, they were going to reduce the interest that I paid each month and they were going to assist me in my financial decisions. In return, I would have to be committed to finishing the repayment program.
I explained to Morgan that I had recently pulled myself out a ‘life trench’ and was now looking to improve my status as a working professional. I knew the time was right for a plan and Full Circle was willing to provide that opportunity.
Sometimes debt is a scary subject. Sometimes it fills us with such extreme anxiety, that we can’t even talk about it. This is natural and it happens to everyone from time-to-time.
But debt can also be as funny as it is scary. To add to the funny side, I would like to pass along this little story. I hope you enjoy it.
It is a slow day in a damp little Irish town. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit. On this particular day a rich German tourist is driving through the town, stops at the local hotel and lays a €100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.
The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the €100 note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.
The butcher takes the €100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer.
The pig farmer takes the €100 note and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel.
The guy at the Farmers’ Co-op takes the €100 note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the pub.
The publican slips the money along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him “services” on credit.
The lady-of-the-night then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the €100 note.
The hotel proprietor then places the €100 note back on the counter so the rich traveler will not suspect anything.
At that moment the traveler comes down the stairs, picks up the €100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money, and leaves town.
No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.
The blogs were a nice introduction to the debt consolidation process. The variety of entries and the personal accounts helped me put together a clearer picture of the services Full Circle offered.
One interesting point I learned was that the service was not in the business to offer a consolidation loan. I would be paying my creditors, through the Full Circle Company. This was reassuring. I already had enough creditors; I didn’t need one more.
It was also nice to know, that once in the program, my creditors would not be permitted to contact me. No more voice messages, angry letters or threatening emails.
The best news was that my credit score would enter a different category. The new rating would be R7, a rating reserved for individuals who ‘voluntarily’ enter a debt consolidation process. As I continued to work on my debt, my rating would improve towards the goal: an R1 rating.
The blog was actually a really interesting read.
And now look at me. I’m writing on the very same blog that inspired me to start a repayment program.
So, if you have been enjoying my story, make sure to scroll down and read the personal debt tales from the other four writers who have produced for this blog.
Thank you Scarlett, Ben, Eve and Julia. Your work has shed light on a service that many Canadians should learn about.
When I saw Julia next, it had been three days since she slipped me the Full Circle website. I was back at the diner, unfortunately not in her section. But she saw me and wandered over with a smile.
“So, did it help?”
“It looks promising,” I said, trying not to give away my skepticism. “Where did you hear about it? Do you work for them on the side?”
“Not really,” she replied, “but I have been writing a little blog on the topic of debt consolidation. See I was like you. A little lost, treading water in the deep end of the pool. But these guys saved me. And as a little favour to them, I write a weekly blog about my experiences with debt. You should check out the blog.”
“Wow! And it’s been working? Lower interest and all that?”
“Of course,” she said. “But the best part is I don’t have to deal with a mountain of bills, just one payment to Full Circle. It’s so incredibly easy, you’ll wonder why more people don’t use the service.”
“Huh…” I mumbled. “And you have no problem making the payments?”
“Nope! I worked out a manageable rate with Rob, my credit counsellor. It still hurts each month, but the money is being split between all my creditors. Full Circle handles all of that. It’s brilliant.
Give them a call. They can explain all the details and put you in contact with your own counsellor. You won’t regret it. I promise.”
She looked sincere, but I still wasn’t ready to call.
“What about this blog?” I asked. “Where can I find it?”
“Just type in ‘Debt Consolidation Vancouver’ into Google, it should be in the top three search items. Give it a read and let me know what you think.”
That night, I went home and read every post on the site. I called Full Circle the next day. I haven’t looked back since.
The Vancouver rain poured down in sheets. It was a dreary day in December, the day I met Julia.
I was on lunch break, sitting in a diner down the street from the car lot. I stirred the soup that was in front of me and waited for it to cool. As I waited, I took out my pen and wrote the list of my creditors on the white restaurant napkin – six in total.
There were two credit card companies, the Bay, a phone company, The Brick and a credit union. With the list written and my soup still cooling, I stared out at the falling rain outside.
I started to imagine all the cars I would have to sell to pay off each creditor. I pictured them piled on top of each other like bundled commodities.
“Quite the list,” a voice broke in. I turned and saw the waitress refreshing my coffee. “What’s your plan?” she asked.
“Well, I don’t really have one. I guess pay it off slowly,” I replied.
Insurance it was not, but you would be happy to know I was offered the job at the dealership. I worked there for eleven months. It was humbling, but I realized one thing: Sales is sales. If you can sell a pair of shoes, you can sell a used Toyota Corolla. You either have the gift of sales or you don’t; fortunately, I do!
By the third month I was selling an average of eleven cars a week. It was fun and I loved doing it. I asked questions to the other salesmen, studied vehicle specs at night and by the eighth month mark, I was one of the top sales staff.
With success, came the return of a steady income. I moved out of the parents’ place and bought myself a new coach.
I settled in and started my adult life over again.
The last thing I unpacked was an old cardboard box. It had originally held a new coffee maker, but it was now full of collection letters and old bills from an assortment of creditors. I poured the contents over the kitchen table and stared at the paper reminders for close to twenty minutes.
My folks let me move back home, but like my girlfriend, they too began to tire of my self-pity and lack of motivation to find work.
Desperate to get her son back in the workforce, my mother talked to one of her friends whose family ran a used car dealership. She convinced the husband of her friend to give me an interview for a sales position.
The lot was in Burnaby and I had to bus to the site for my interview. I shared a seat with an older gentleman who asked a zillion questions. I avoided most of the personal ones, embarrassed of my current financial state.
The elderly man explained that he had just retired, at 68. He had worked for over a dozen companies since he was twenty; some of them good and some of them poor.
He must have sensed my situation because he seemed to constantly return to the theme of perseverance; ‘Yes, life was hard, but hard working people find ways to succeed.’
I thought about this as I stepped off the bus and into the dealership.
Disillusioned, lying on my parents couch, a number of questions started to go through my mind. Where would I get the money to pay my creditors? Could I continue to hide from them? Where would my credit rating be in six months? Could I ever recover? How did I find myself in this situation?
I pondered this last question for hours. Why did I ever take on so much debt?
Well, the answer is easy. Debt is a necessary part of life. Credit provides us the ability to buy key living components, such as cars, homes and education. It keeps us afloat and lets us enrich our lives.
It is only when we lose the means to keep up with our payments that we fall into trouble.
Managing our debt is not always as easy as applying for credit. When times are tough, we need to find ways to pay the minimal amount to continue our good credit standing.
This is all visible to me now, but at the time I only thought to curse my creditors. Their collection notices were making my life more stressful.
Without an out, I continued to mope, blaming everyone but my self for my situation.
I remember the day clearly. I had gone to the gym in the morning, picked up a coffee at 7-11 and returned to my apartment. I was checking my phone for messages as I stepped off the elevator. I rounded the corner of the hallway on instinct and put the key in the door. Still looking at my phone, I turned the lock. Then I looked up.
Staring at me, taped to the hospital grey door, was a notice from the landlord.
My first thought was he must have the wrong suite. I had paid on the fourth – a little late, but I had given him the cheque.
I pulled the letter off and read it in disbelief. Apparently my cheque had bounced. I had ten days to pay. If I failed to do so I would be evicted.
I called the bank. I must have misjudged my automatic billing. It was true; I did not have enough to cover the rent.
I was forced to give up my apartment.
Nine days later I moved back in with my parents. It wasn’t an extended stay. But the request was humbling.
I know I am keeping you in suspense, but the details of my financial turnaround will come.
This week I have two more stories to share about my dark days, my time spent without a financial counsellor.
So, as I mentioned in earlier posts, my girlfriend left me when my debt anxiety began to ruin our relationship. I’ve never blamed her. It was a totally natural response. I was acting completely erratic. And, as I told you at the end of the post, we have since reunited.
But during those months when we were apart, I decided to dip my foot back into the dating scene. Let me rephrase that – I went on a single date during our time apart.
Let’s call her Angela.
Angela was the daughter of one of my mother’s friends. She was the owner of a small marketing business and was relatively the same age as me. My mom had decided that we would be great together.
I wasn’t expecting much, but when we finally met, I was blown way. She was beautiful, smart, funny and outgoing.
We went for a ride around the seawall using bikes from a friend who owns a rental company. After making our way over to Granville Island, we spent some time browsing the market. After half-an-hour of interesting conversation, Angela suggested grabbing something to eat at Sandbar.
Now normally I would have chosen the hot dog stand, but this girl was special and I didn’t want to seem cheap. I somehow convinced myself, that my remaining credit card could handle the date.
You see where this is going…?
After three rounds of drinks and a full meal, the cheque came – she didn’t even reach for her wallet. I gave the waiter my card and prayed silently. Of course it was declined and I had to politely ask the young lady across from me to pick up the tab.
The ride back was quiet. I could have easily brushed the embarrassment off, but the anxiety surrounding my debt situation returned and that was all I could think about.
We parted at the rental shop with only a hug. I didn’t bother calling her and she never called me.
When you’re at the top of your game, everyone is your friend.
At work, emails are returned promptly, the boss invites you over for dinner, the secretary gives you a smile that she only reserves for her boyfriend and your clients swear their allegiance to your services.
At the bar, girls come up and start chatting without even an introduction. They can somehow sense your success and economic potential.
At the gym, the pounds are removed and your muscle definition becomes clear and ripped.
Compliments are thrown upon you, discounts are offered and your Facebook page is full of humourous banter between friends.
Everyone wants to bask in your successful glow.
This is when the credit card companies seek you out and feed on your already inflated ego. They convince you that your income will only increase and that a $30,000 limit on your card is a good idea. ‘You’ll need a whole new wardrobe and a fancy car to keep up with your new, powerful colleagues.’
Then ‘poof,’ like magic, they are gone when your finances turn sour.
It’s bad enough living without the smiles, idle chat and social favours that you enjoyed, but without credit your life becomes a day-to-day struggle.
The only evidence of your creditors existence is the monthly bills they send.
It’s true what they say about fair-weather friends…
With the bill in front of me, I started another tally sheet. I put together a ten-year budget. It included a minimum sum that I could reasonably afford to pay each month. This money would be split between my creditors.
But in my desire to eliminate my financial problems, I forget about one of the biggest potential threats facing my limited capital: interest payments.
With more than a handful of creditors, I tried in vain to calculate the interest I would owe each credit company. After more than an hour I gave up. Interest is a bitch!
I was in over my head. I wanted to organize a schedule of payments, but without an accurate understanding of the interest I would be charged, my budget was useless.
All I knew was that while I struggled to stay above the poverty line, my creditors would be living the good life with all the interest I was paying.
My conclusion was this: I needed a financial advisor and I needed some sort of debt relief to lower my interest payments.
I went for a walk later that night and thought more about my options.
My thoughts kept returning to bankruptcy. Sure it was a coward’s way out, but it worked and my debts would magically disappear. I could improve my credit rating when I finally found a field of work I was happy in. I had survived my first nineteen years on this planet without credit; surely I could survive another ten or so.
The rebuttle to the last statement was made by my uncle the following day. I called him because he owned his own business and had gone through similar financial problems when his business faltered a few years back. ]
His response to my idea was quick and to the point. He asked me if I ever wanted to own a house? If I ever wanted to take a trip again? If I ever saw myself returning to the lifestyle I led when I sold insurance?
I answered ‘yes’ to all three and he responded with raised eyebrows and a smile.
“You can’t run from this,” he said. “You didn’t think about this predicament before you quit – did you? Well, now you’re in it and it’s your responsibility to dig your way out. If you want the life you lead before, you’ll need credit eventually. Bankruptcy is not an option.”
I went back home and pulled out the paper again. How was I ever going to pay this down?
Sometimes you have to hit bottom, to know how to climb back up.
Bottom came when a repo man appeared at my door on a Wednesday morning in April. He wanted my television, my couches, my sound system and my laptop. I was able to save the laptop with a quick loan from one of my neighbours. The couches, TV, speakers and receiver were put on a truck.
Sitting in my apartment that afternoon, I pulled out all my bills and made a list of what I owed. I wrote the number on a piece of paper with a sharpie pen and stared at it for over two hours as I thought about all the options at my disposal.
My Parents: I had gone to them for money when I was in University, but that was it. I could have gotten student loans, but they helped me pay for my entire tuition outright. I still owed them that favour. I couldn’t go to them again.
The Bank: Use one loan to pay for another…? I hear you could do it, but was it worth borrowing from one evil empire to pay another?
My Friends: They had money, but I had Butch’s nagging sting. I could never ask them.
Who or what then would be the answer? How would I continue with my payments with the smallest of incomes?
You know that scene from Pulp Fiction when Marsellus Wallace gives Butch a lecture on ‘pride’? It’s before all the shenanigans with the gimp. It takes place in that bar with all that red lighting.
Butch is being paid off by Wallace to take a dive in a fight he will partake in. After Wallace pays Butch, he has a few words on the topic of ‘pride’:
Wallace: The night of the fight, you may feel a slight sting – that’s pride (beep)ing with you. (Beep) pride! Pride only hurts. It never helps. You fight through that (beep). Cause a year from now, when you kicking it in the Caribbean, you going to say to yourself: ‘Marsellus Wallace was right.’
Now the speech is intended to keep Butch on track. It is supposed to remind him of his role and keep him from straying from the plan. Taking a dive is obviously not a noble path, but it is the one Butch has chosen.
The nugget of truth in Wallace’s speech is the notion of ‘pride’ interfering with our decisions. I thought of this speech the other day, when I looking back on my debt troubles.
At the time, pride was keeping me from progressing forward. It was stalling my desire to seek financial help. I knew I was in trouble, but pride had a firm grip on me. Maybe it was a macho thing, but I wanted to somehow suffer through my situation alone.
Anxiety is a killer and it comes hand-in-hand with debt. When your bank account is less than the sum of your monthly bills, it’s hard to concentrate on anything else. Relationships suffer, your heath declines and your sour mood is evident to all.
I know.
Let’s talk about relationships. I had an amazing girl for three years when I was working in the liability field. She moved in after a year and shared my Yaletown apartment with me. Things were good.
Then I quit. She supported me and said that if I wasn’t happy, then it was the right decision to move on.
During my extended sabbatical, she put up with my many days on the couch. She knew I needed a break.
But then the money started to run dry and I started to panic. I let my anxiety get to me and I took it out on one of the only people who supported my decision to leave insurance.
After months of quarrelling, she left. Packed her bags one day while I was out and vanished.
I didn’t talk to her for half a year.
We have since made-up. But it took a cold hard look in the mirror, a substantial break and a credit counsellor to see that my debt was the source of my troubles.
This is Tyler. I’m new to this, so you will have to bear with me.
I read a few of Julia’s posts, so I have an idea of what you are expecting.
My story begins with a new job. After University, a family friend helped me get into the insurance world. I took a job with one of the major brokerage firms in Vancouver. After three years of paying my dues, I was finally able to build a respectable client book. By year seven I was pulling in over $100,000 a year.
Then I started to get bored with the industry. I made sort of a fool of myself at a business meeting and a week later I handed in my resignation. I worked for another month to save face.
The problem with me quitting my job was the bills that I had acquired during the period when I was making money hand-over-fist.
I had the fast car, a posh apartment in Yaletown and a taste for the finer things.
After a year of semi-retirement, I was out of cash and unable to find work in a field that would interest me. I had to reconsider my finances. I wanted to hold on to a few of the luxury items I had gained when I was at the top of my insurance game, but there was little money to pay for them. Eventually I sold my car, but there were still other bills that I was struggling with.
Hi guys, it’s Julia here. It’s been awhile since I blogged. My life has taken a turn. I finally landed a teaching job! Hurray for me!!! And I have been busy preparing for my first classroom assignment this fall.
I landed a job in Creston B.C. It’s a small town of about 5,000 people. I’ll be teaching at Adam Robertson Elementary.
Finally, I will have a steady paycheck. I talked with Rob, my credit counsellor at Full Circle, and worked out a plan to increase my payments. Hopefully I will be financially free in less than three years.
Rob has been a rock for me and I cannot thank him enough for his support and advice.
But unfortunately, the new job will occupy the majority of my time. So I have decided to pass on the writing reigns to a friend of mine who also signed on with Full Circle Debt Consolidation. His name is Tyler. Hopefully he will provide you with the information you need to survive in this crazy city. Cause we all know how costly it can be…
My last piece of advice, and I know I’ve said it numerous times already, “you’re not alone.” There are a ton of Canadians out there going through the same financial struggles. Finding help is the only way to deal with your debt. If you try to turn your back on it, it will only rear its ugly head to bite you. Talk to Full Circle. They helped me and they can help you.
Remember that twitter message you posted about a month ago when you were out at the clubs. Maybe you don’t. But the Internet remembers!
If you are applying for work with a new company, the chances are high that your potential employer will run a full background check on your online activity. Besides calling your references and talking to previous employers, companies are now examining applicant’s social media, print and video history. It can be as easy as a Google search or as complicated as a social investigator. If there is dirt on the web, they will find it.
If you are worried about what may be out there, start with a Google search of your name. Depending on your online activity, this may bring up pages of references. Check each one carefully, including links that may take investigators to other incriminating information.
If your social media account is public, change the settings immediately. Put up a recent, respectable photo for your Facebook account. If your settings are private, this may be a non-issue. If you have serious concerns, change your name to an alias in your Facebook settings.
The same applies to Twitter. If your account features your name, delete it. Start again. The problem with Twitter is Google references every tweet you make. This also applies to friends or colleagues who reply or mention your name in their tweets.
Message boards are another area of concern. You may have responded to an article or a video using your full name. This may have taken place years ago, but remember, Google never forgets. If you find a post that uses language that you would not normally use, try to delete the post, or if needed, delete your account with that board.
Investigators or the companies themselves will use the information you supply in your resume. This includes checking your University boards for any mention of your name.
Be smart. Tighten up your privacy. Create accounts with names only your friends know. Block your Twitter and Facebook accounts when you go out on the town. Land the job of your dreams.
Like many young people my age, I was forced to take Business/Consumer Education in high school. Maybe force is too strong a word. The course was required to graduate.
Over the semester we learned how to do our taxes, a little about mortgages and we had a small portion of curriculum set aside for small business development.
What we were never taught was: How to apply for a credit card. What happens when you can’t make a payment? The perils of bankruptcy.
Now, as an adult in my thirties, I have had to learn those lessons the hard way. I should say the last two were hard. Applying for the credit card was easy.
But, as many of you know, I received my adult education credit when I signed up for a debt management program with Full Circle Debt Solutions. Robert, my debt counsellor, was my instructor. After a few meetings and a dozen emails, I had a management plan in place that I was proud of.
With less interest to pay, no collection calls and a move towards improving my credit, I was certainly better off than I was after completing my B.Ed. class.
And too think how close I came to declaring bankruptcy. Yikes. That would have been a disaster.
There’s plenty of personal finance advice out there, but oftentimes some of the most basic steps toward financial freedom are overlooked. For me, becoming a frugal person didn’t happen overnight. It was a process of discovering strategies that helped me save for the important stuff and avoid impulse buys. Here’s a simplified version of the steps I took. Maybe some of them will help you.
Avoid credit cards that don’t allow you to pay off your purchases immediately. Credit cards are important part of building a credit history, but you don’t need to accumulate balances to use them. Many store credit cards allow you to make a purchase and then pay off your balance immediately.
Create separate accounts for important payments and purchases. Setting up separate accounts for travel or car payments or new technology helps keep you from dipping into your savings during your everyday routine. It also allows you to see the progress you’ve made toward your goal.
Think before you spend. Do you spend a lot of money on a cable TV package you hardly use when you could be watching your favorite shows online or on Netflix? Do you pay for a long distance calling plan when you could be using a calling card? It’s important to think about every spending decision you make, knowing that spending in one place means giving up something else.
Squirrel something away. If you can accumulate a small amount and put it into an interest-earning certificate of deposit or another investment vehicle, even if it’s only for a short time, you’ll see your money grow and feel good about making even more frugal choices.
Buy in bulk. If you have the space to store large bottles of catsup and other staples, you can save a lot of money by shopping at discount stores that sell larger-quantity items.
There are a lot of other money-saving strategies I’ve adopted, such as driving slower to save on gas, but the ones I’ve listed here are key when you’re just starting to figure out how to live a better and more sustainable financial life. I hope they’re helpful to someone.
I think it’s important to focus on success stories. Stories that offer hope. Recovery stories.
Well, this week offered one of the biggest recovery stories in professional sports, as Manitoba was finally able to bring a hockey team back to Winnipeg.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, May 31st, with a somewhat sombre Gary Bettman in attendance.
Why will it work this time around? Strong management.
The Atlanta Spirit Group did nothing to market the team in Atlanta. The Thrashers were always an afterthought to the cities NBA franchise, the Atlanta Hawks.
In Winnipeg, the team will most definitely be the biggest card. They still have the Blue Bombers of course, but a NHL team is another sporting identity altogether. The True North Management Group will have no problem selling tickets. The Winnipeg fans are well aware of what will happen if they don’t manage to fill their arena.
Here’s to second chances!
Full Circle is 100% committed to reducing your debt and getting you back on track. They want to see you return to a life of opportunity, a separate routine from the shackled existence you now command. Reduce your debt, save money along the way and get back to enjoying the game.
As a society, who do we look up to? There are our friends and family, the few politicians who remain honest, local business tycoons like Jim Patterson and then there are the celebrities, the people who, through their looks, talent or birthright demand attention.
This latter group may seem like excellent role models, but often they struggle with the same issues we do.
Financial problems plague the rich and powerful. They may make millions, but they can be equally suited to burning millions.
Mike Tyson is a great example of this. Here is a young boy who fought his way out of the ghetto to become one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. He may have lost all credibility with his rape charges and his later antics in the Holyfield fight, but at one time Tyson was earning close to $400 million.
By 2003, after a fall from grace, Tyson owed $27 million in debts, $9 million for a divorce case and $13 million in back taxes.
Then there is the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. At the time of his death, Michael owed $400 million dollars to various large lending agencies and private financiers. His album “Thriller” is still the second largest selling album of all time, but still Jackson’s spending outdid his income. After his death, one forensic accountant estimated that Jackson was spending over $20 million per year more than he was actually earning. Yikes.
One of the biggest obstacles I grappled with during my lowest point was the feeing of being alone. I had all this debt to deal with and no one to talk to.
All around me I saw successful people, going to their steady jobs, driving their luxury cars and living a life that was miles away from my own.
I kept asking myself: “Why me? I’m the only one who is struggling to get by?”
Each of us has a different story of how we managed to accumulate so many bills, but the final condition is sadly similar.
Strapped with debt, we take on second and possibly third jobs to pay off our credit cards and loans. We lose touch with our friends and our families and become consumed by the struggle.
Have you ever heard the fable about the ant and the grasshopper? Of course you have. The ant is the steady producer whose work ethic leads him to a life of security, while the grasshopper lounges and eventually struggles through the winter due to his lack of production.
It’s a sad tale, but an honest one.
The grasshopper’s heroic flaw is that he can’t see past the present. This is a condition that many of us, including myself, have experienced. We take the easy road and accept lines of credit to maintain a lifestyle that we are accustomed to.
What we can’t see at the time is how a seemingly easy decision to extend our credit line can damage our future opportunities. At the time, we can’t imagine that our decisions will possibly one-day limit our chances of purchasing a house or will result in a denial of a business license.
But a bad credit rating does just that. Improving that rating is not an easy task and that is why there are companies like Full Circle to offer assistance. Full Circle can get you back on track, building for your future.
Figures have just been released that show a dangerous trend among Canadian borrowers. The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy reported last Wednesday that bankruptcies in Canada were up 10.2 per cent in February.
The total number of Canadians that applied for bankruptcy status in the second month of the year: 6,774.
Ouch!
Trust me guys, this is not a road you want to travel down. Once you declare bankruptcy your credit record is ruined. You may be asked to surrender many of your valuable possessions such as your car. It also requires you to meticulously track your future income and expenses.
For those of us buried in debt, there are other options.
Applying for a debt consolidation plan informs your creditors that you are making a serious attempt to repay your debt. It will stop the phone calls, the angry letters and most importantly, it will put your credit history into a category that, with steady payments, you can come back from.
Alright readers, this week we are going to get a little personal. We’re going to talk about relationships and financial compatibility.
Before you jump into a serious relationship, it may be worth your while to have a long talk with your partner about their financial goals and current status.
You may have been working for years to improve your credit rating, but your new partner could be concealing thousands in debt. Financial conversations are just as important as discussions on childbearing. In an alarming statistic, 35 per cent of couples don’t talk about money before marriage. This is not healthy. You need to have the talk.
If you don’t ask you will never know. And sure it’s not very romantic, but neither is taking out the garbage. They both have to be done.
You don’t want to be carrying someone’s unpaid debt for the next twenty years. If your partner’s financial history is drastically different than your own, you may want to reconsider your compatibility.
If not. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Love conquers most things, but it doesn’t pay the bills at the end of the month.
This Sunday, May 8th, is Mother’s Day. It’s the one day set aside to remind our mothers how much they mean to our lives.
But how do we go about communicating this? Through gifts?
If I buy my Mom a huge basket of flowers, with every known blossom known to humankind, she would reply with a huge lecture on how I had wasted my money on a gift that will wilt by next week.
If I make my mother a card, she’ll love the effort, but the crayons and sparkle glue will only remind her of the fact her daughter is still struggling to make ends meet on the West Coast.
No, I think the best gift I can give my mother is the knowledge that with the help of my friends at Full Circle, I have finally got my life in order. Bills are getting paid, my credit level is improving and for the first time in years my head is firmly above the water line.
If you want put your mother’s mind at rest, sign up with Full Circle and give the gift of security. No more calls for financial bailouts. No more co-signs. No more teary phone calls complaining about your aggressive creditors.
It’s the gift she has been waiting for the past ten years.
Organization – It’s what separates the achievers from the dreamers.
Unfortunately, not all of us come by it naturally. Some of us need a little coaching on how to manage our time, work and money.
Many of us who lack critical organization skills are helped by our significant others. Our partners are always the first ones to notice our deficiencies (and I don’t mean that in a bad way), so when they can step up and help, it means a lot.
Sometimes it’s a friend who steps in and helps us organize our schedules and demands. Making timelines and helping with our financial records goes beyond the duties of a friend, but this kind of help is often received by the organizationally challenged.
For the rest of us, there is Full Circle Debt Solutions. Full Circle can help you make a financial plan and stick with it. They will outline exactly how long it will take for you to pay off your debt by giving you a fixed, manageable, monthly payment amount. Their counselors will provide tips and instruction so you can manage your credit back towards a positive standing.
A debt consolidation plan is your first major step towards organizing your life. Let Full Circle help you start yours today.
Continuing on the Star Wars theme, R2D2 was a proud little protocol droid who did his work and stayed out of trouble. Actually, he continually disobeyed orders and had a quick temper. But he passed along a few very important messages that got the Rebellion back on their feet.
R7, a close relative of R2D2 (you see how I’m stretching), is a rating given to debtors who voluntarily choose to engage in a debt consolidation plan. In Canada there are nine rating marks with R1 being the perfect credit and R9 being bankruptcy. What R7 means to a future creditor is that the individual had problems with repayment, but sought help to pay off their debt. It means the debtor is dedicated to the credit repayment process.
The R7 rating is considerably removed from the R1 rating, but it shows that the individual chose to avoid bankruptcy. This is always a positive sign.
Three years after completing your debt consolidation plan, your credit rating will move back towards the R1 rating and closer to R2D2 status.
For more information on credit ratings, talk to a debt counselor by calling this number: 1-877-220-3328.
One of the most important things about dealing with debt issues is knowing your personal rights. Your creditors may seem to hold all the cards, but there are rules that apply to their collection practices. Knowing these rules is an important part of managing your debt.
The first thing you should know, is that no creditor has the legal right to use threatening or intimidating language. This applies to contact with you, your family members and or any of your acquaintances. It is also against the law for them to publish a record of your failure to pay.
If a creditor has your correct contact information (home telephone number and address), they are not permitted to contact you at work. If, for some reason, contact cannot be made at the home number, a creditor can make ONE call to the debtor’s place of employment.
A creditor can only phone you between the hours of 7:00am and 9:00pm. They can only contact you on Sunday between 1:00pm and 5:00pm. They can never contact you on a stat holiday.
If you would like to learn more about your rights as a debtor, call 1-877-220-3328.
The ostrich is an interesting animal. It is the largest bird on earth and has the largest eye of any land animal. The latter feature gives the bird acute eyesight. It also has exceptional hearing. Just try and sneak up on one. Bet you can’t.
But why am I talking about ostriches? You got it! Because they stick their heads in the sand. And what does someone drowning in debt do? C’mon, I did it myself. Right, we ignore the problem and bury our responsibility.
Is this the best choice? Probably not.
But that’s why the ostrich comes equipped with powerful legs, to defend itself against predators. “Are you telling us to take a karate lesson to handle our debt.” No. But you can attack it head on when you seek the help of Full Circle Debt Solutions. By creating one easy payment, you can minimize the anxiety that comes at the end of the month when all your creditors come asking for a piece of your income.
Now I’ll let you in on a little secret. The ostrich head-in-the-sand connection is actually completely false. Ostriches lower their bodies as a defense mechanism, but they never shove their heads into the earth. They’re too smart for that. And so are we. So start paying back your debts and start seeing what’s really around you. It’s not as bad as you think.
At the doctor’s office the other day, I happen to pick-up a copy of Good Housekeeping. Now, you may ask, ‘Julia, why are you even reading a periodical that focuses on home ownership when you rent.’ Well, dear readers, you can always dream. And, like many media sources out there, you can always find something that deals with your interests.
Sure enough, I found an article on saving money, my newfound passion. It was the title that first grabbed me: “Get it For Free.” Yes – you now have my attention.
The article talked about the online world of trading. It focused on two sites: Swapadvd.com and Swap.com. Both of these sites let you trade products with other users. The only charge is the shipping. If you package a bunch of trades with the same user, you can lower the cost dramatically.
The Swapadvd.com is simple enough, you can trade movies, but on Swap.com you can trade just about anything. When you create your profile, you make a list of the items you have and the items you are looking to trade for. The site automatically matches you with other members who may have similar interests and items you need.
It’s a pretty cool idea. Check it out. And the best part – No credit debt!
This week I have another tip to pass along on how to make our hard-earned dollar go a little further. It concerns the price of gas in the Lower Mainland and for that matter the price of gas across the country. It’s skyrocketing! But that’s probably not news to anyone. With the unrest in the Middle East and the fate of nations being held at the hands of revolutionaries, the price of oil is reaching never before highs. Just last week, a station in Richmond posted their regular gas at a price pennies away from $1.40 a litre. I know, crazy talk. But that is the world we are currently living in.
So my tip, check out the GasBuddy app for your smart phone. Last week it was the 18th most downloaded app at the iTunes store. What GasBuddy does is track the daily prices of fuel around the city of your choosing. With this information they are able to post the best deals of the day, so you don’t have to spend time looking for them.
A noticeable trend in price spikes shows that Thursday night is a good night to purchase your fuel. Gas stations tend to raise their prices Friday morning, as many individuals load up their cars for the weekend.
So buy your gas during the week and download the free app to find the cheapest station in your neighbourhood.
Friends. I’ve been telling you for weeks about my debt problems and yes, the numbers speak for themselves, but the number one reason I made the valuable decision to contact Full Circle Debt Consolidation was that the anxiety was killing me. I had all these bills coming in, a modest income and I felt helpless in my efforts to control my financial destiny. That’s where Full Circle can help.
By consolidating your debts, Full Circle can create a single payment plan that is much less daunting than five or more credit statements.
With a plan in place you will find yourself getting more rest, enjoying your leisure time and improving your output at work. Debt anxiety is a taxing affair that only has the potential to damage our regular activity.
Find freedom from the worry and stress of your credit debt with the help of the financial counselors at Full Circle. Your basic everyday demeanor will improve, you will take a positive first step in repaying your loans and your credit rating will remain level.
By reading this blog you are already ahead. Try the service of Full Circle Debt Consolidation. Call them today.
Renting is for suckers. That said, I am the city’s #1 tootsie pop. I have been paying rent for over eight years, if you include student housing and living with my brother. All that money I paid for a simple roof over my head and running water in the taps is gone. I will never see it again.
The smart option is home ownership. Paying into a mortgage is far more financially productive than paying a third party for the right to stay in their dwelling.
Full Circle Debt Solutions can help you right your credit ship. They will construct a tailored repayment plan that will direct you out of your credit cave.
Once you have proven to your creditors that you can make punctual payments, your rating will begin to show positive signs. You can also take your credit plan to the banks to present a powerful argument for your capacity to repay your mortgage.
Credit troubles should not be black spot for life. Reduce the risk. Talk to Full Circle about a plan and get your finances in order for the big move into your first home.
Folks, for those of us trying to rid ourselves of debt, there are a few institutions and practices we really should avoid.
At the top of this list is ‘gambling.’ Playing the lottery is fun and it’s nice to dream about all the millions that could be ours, but the math is obviously not in our favour. The lottery should not be seen as a viable option for ridding our self of debt.
Neither should weekly or daily visits to the Casino.
There are plans in place to expand the operations at Edgewater to include a monolith casino that would be attached to the newly refurbished BC Place. The B.C. Pavilion Corporation hopes to bring a massive casino and hotel venture to the property directly adjacent to the BC Lions new home.
This casino, if it was to be built, would be a huge draw for those looking to quickly pay off creditors.
But let me tell you, the risk is far greater than the reward.
The only solution to dealing with your debt issue is a well thought out debt repayment plan. Full Circle Debt Solutions offers this service to it’s many Canadian clients across our country.
If you have debt problems and are looking for a way out, avoid the distractions of the bright lights and chance games. Talk to the experts at Full Circle about a consolidation plan. It will take less time than you think to pay off your creditors, with zero risk.
Leave the gaming to your idle hours in front of your XBox.
My friends! I have a little entertainment saving tip for you.
Concerts can be an expensive luxury, especially if you want to check out some of the bigger acts that come to our fair city. Rihanna tickets went on sale last week and the majority of the seats were over $100. Ouch. The same applied for the Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj tour. Honestly, who was $140 dollars to spend on a one-night ticket? Not this young lady.
But don’t turn your back on the music. There are plenty of small shows playing around the city that are more affordable and way more intimate.
Hey Rosetta is playing the Rio Theatre on Friday night and tickets are only $25. This is an awesome venue to check out a show. And for all the hipsters, the Rio serves Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Saturday you have The Dears, an amazing indie band out of Montreal, playing Venue. Tickets, again, are only $25. And you can get as close to the band as the bouncers will permit.
So don’t let your limited finances hold you back from enjoying what the city has to offer. Just pick your events a little more carefully.
Stay tuned for more affordable entertainment options.
Did any of you watch Gilligan’s Island when you were young? I sure did. I loved that show. I used to ask my mom every day: “Is this the one where they get rescued?”
My mom would always answer in the same way: “Watch and see.”
They never did get rescued from that island – not during the regular seasons anyway. They were stranded out there on a tropical isle, doomed for decades of reruns and speculations about who got Ginger (the professor) and which one got Mary-Anne (The Skipper).
Either way, there was one episode where they put on a play, I believe it was Hamlet, and as a part of it they sang this song.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
Do not forget: Stay out of debt;
Think twice, and take this good advice from me,
Guard that old solvency.
There’s just one other thing you ought to do,
To thine own self be true.
After all, it was Hamlet who got himself into a whole load of trouble borrowing more than he could pay back.
That song really stuck with me. For years. Every time I opened an overdue bill, or saw Unknown Caller in my call display, my skin would crawl and that song would start playing in my head.
Now, years later, I see that I’m just like Hamlet from Gilligan’s Island! I owed all this money, and they came knocking! I should have taken that good advice from the Skipper and Mary-Ann.
With all the work I’m doing to pay off my debt, it is sometimes hard to find time to keep my body in the shape I like it to be.
(Ladies, we’re talking about the backside. Boys, we’re talking about your gut. And that joke about having a keg instead of a six-pack stopped being funny years ago.)
This week I considered joining a private gym. I confess my new infatuation with Vancouver’s adopted leader, Trevor Linden, lead me to ponder a membership to Club 16. Yes it’s in Coquitlam, but the chance to work out beside Linden had me looking past the drive.
Trevor Linden on the Treadmill
So I started doing some research and looked into the price. It cost $14.99 a month, but I would have to lock into a 12 month plan. I looked at my budget and even though I was spending almost right to the cap (Gillis style), I could just afford it.
But then a few days went by and I started to think about my idea with a little more clarity. How much would I honestly spend on gas? Would I use the gym for the five months of the year when Vancouver is truly amazing outside? What if I joined and decided three months down the road that it wasn’t for me?
Then I looked into Community Centre plans or lack thereof. The monthly price was a little higher, but there was no contract. The location was less than four blocks from my house. And the equipment was a little older, but the basics were all there.
Then I thought, what if I just used my home as a gym. I had stairs in my apartment for climbing, a park near by for running, a yoga mat for crunches and a old workout ball from an ex who thought he could tone his tummy by sitting in front of the TV.
Eureka! Julia’s private workout club was born.
I had enough bills already. A gym membership was silly, private or public.
And the best part. No gym monkeys posing in the mirror.
Try it. It’ll save you money.
-Worried about motivation. Find a friend and create a daily schedule. Push each other to increase your difficulty.
I had an interesting conversation with one of my girlfriends this weekend. We were talking about whether or not girls should pay for their half on the first date.
I’ve been paying my way for years, because that’s just who I am, but she had an enlightening story to share.
It involved her great aunt Jane. My friend had been talking to Jane about a date she had gone on over the holidays, when her aunt suddenly cut her off with a simple question: “What, you paid for dinner?”
This shocked her aunt Jane beyond belief. Her aunt proceeded to enlighten her about the unspoken social contract between a man and a woman. Apparently ladies, if you go on a date, the man should pay for the privilege of your company by picking up the tab. Jane proceeded to tell my friend that in her time, you ordered as much as you could at the restaurant and what you didn’t eat, you brought home to your sister.
Funny, but it sort of makes sense. Even today, times are tough and with bills adding up, a free meal is a free meal. So put the equality speech in your back pocket, order the lobster and enjoy the little perks that come with being a female. The money you save can go towards paying for that prestigious University you went to. If I’m not mistaken, I think your date went to Community College.
Being that I had a massive debt problem just under a year ago, I thought I should probably read up on what the paper’s expert had to offer; You know, just in case I could share it with you guys. After reading the article though, it occurred to me that every tip offered I had heard before. Don’t get me wrong! It was great advice, but it was like they had interviewed my debt counselor at Full Circle and stolen all of his wisdom.
Whatever the case, I thought I would pass on his pearls to my readership.
1. Work with a repayment plan
-This is exactly what Full Circle provides. Your personal credit counselor will devise a plan that works for your current income. If that rate changes, they can readjust the numbers to suit your needs. The focus of payment should always be on the debt with the largest interest rate.
2. Don’t Pay More Than You Have To
-Lose the balance protection insurance on all your credit cards. This is a scam! The article also puts forth a disturbing example of how paying the minimum payment hardly affects your overall balance. In most cases it only just covers your interest. Full Circle’s advice: When you have the funds, pay as much off on your high interest debt as you can.
3. Create a Spending Plan
-This is a where you can pinpoint just how and what you are spending your money on. It’s great for cutting needless expenditures. The Globe suggests using a site to create your plan. They endorse MoneyStrands. See how it works for you.
4. Don’t Shred Your Cards When You Finally Pay Them Off
-Credit cards do have their perks. Rental insurance, extended warranties and lost or damaged items are just a few reasons to hold on to your plastic. Ironically, they could end up saving YOU money.
5. Don’t Go Down That Road Alone
-This is exactly the service that Full Circle provides.
Well readers, with all the social unrest demonstrated around the world these past few weeks, it probably isn’t a surprise that Canadians are finally taking to the streets to mount their own protests. But instead of demanding a power change or basic human rights, Canadians are fighting to hold on to the one free luxury that has surfaced in this modern age of technology: the glorious Internet. The CRTC, the same group that recently pulled a Dire Straits classic from the airwaves, has just approved a plan to allow service providers to charge their users according to their Internet usage.
What does that mean for the average Internet user? You know all those movies you have been downloading? That could potentially spike your Rogers Internet bill.
But before we march on Ottawa, it should be noted that the government has already seen the potential for a unilateral surge of public outcry. Harper’s Conservatives have stepped in and delayed the notion until further review.
Thank god!
In a day and age when movie theatres charge close to fifteen dollars and CDs cost close to twenty, it’s nice to still count on Al Gore’s wonderful series of pipes and tubes to provide us with free entertainment as we go about our busy lives.
Even with the government’s intervention plans have been made for public demonstrations against the CRTC ruling. Several major groups are planning to stage protests across Canada on February 26th.
Part of my problem when I was struggling with my debt issues was the denial of my growing debt. The bills would come and I would immediately stash them in a drawer in my room. The numbers depressed me and I knew I could never pay them.
The same applied to my bank statements. I never wanted to know how far I was into my overdraft or the amount I had spent on my Visa that month. I just wanted to pay the minimum and move on with life.
This, dear friends, is no way to live.
You need to be conscious of your spending if you ever plan to manage your life in a progressive manner. One way I found to manage my resources efficiently was to signup for online banking. It literally only takes a few minutes and you can do all your account transfers and budgeting online.
Opening monthly bank statements can be traumatic. Opening your account online is easy and painless. You will also be able to track your balance as you move through the week. It is an excellent resource for financial management.
No Internet access? Use the computers at your local public library.* You can check your Facebook, watch YouTube and manage your money all in one stop. Try it. It helped me. And most of my friends said I was beyond help.
*When working on computers at the library and at Internet cafés, always remember to clear your cache and reset your browser. You do not want your banking information getting into the wrong hands.
Well hello again. It’s me Julia, your friendly storyteller and fellow debtor. If you have been following my story, you know that by the fall of 2009 I was seriously floundering.
Let’s quickly review my situation for those who weren’t paying attention:
I was unable to find work in my field of study, Education.
I found a job as a waitress to pay for my rent and the minimal payment on my card.
Student loan repayment had me paying another $357 a month until I got it reduced to $187.
I found a position inside a school, but fortunately it was only volunteer. Income tax can be a killer.
To get back and forth to my non-paying job I bought a car. Correction; I agreed to start making payments on a car.
Now let’s add up those monthly totals:
Credit card min. payment: $110
Student Loan: $187
Car payment: $263
Rent: $720
Subtotal: $1280
Lets add to that my other major expenditures:
Groceries: $375 (roughly)
Cigarettes: $120
Gas: $60
Subtotal: 555
Grand Total: 1835
Ouch. And I was barely making $2,000 a month. Paying the bills, but only when I could. I prayed for an easier way, a path of less resistance. It came, finally, but not before I added another debtor to my list…
This article is for all those ladies out there. Girls, it’s a fact we love to shop. If I had unlimited funds and no job demands, I could spend the rest of my days visiting every boutique on the planet in search of the perfect outfit.
I don’t what it is… the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction received when you come across that amazing accessory or maybe it’s just we like to look good for our boys. Well, you can throw out the latter option, because I don’t have a boy and I’d rather look good for my own self-image than the affection of a hockey obsessed superfan.
But with very little expendable cash, it’s hard to pursue my passion.
That is until I discovered the wonderful world of consignment. Girls, I know it sounds like a dirty word, but consignment stores are a dream come true.
This is how it works. First, you go through your closet and pick out those twenty or thirty outfits you don’t plan on wearing again. Then you bring them down to your nearest consignment store. My favourite is Modern Upbeat on West Broadway.
Hopefully, in the next few months, your items will sell. The store will then give you 40% of the sale price. It’s that easy.
In the meantime, you can buy other brand name items at ridiculously low prices. If you see an article you like, but it still costs too much, wait a week or two and watch the price come down. It’s amazing. It’s like a sale everyday and with your own clothes in the mix, it’s almost like you are getting paid to shop.
Try it. Tell them Julia sent you.
And now with my debt under control with the help of Full Circle’s debt management program, I can shop even more!!!
Then, on the 23rd I got a phone call from a friend working in the Surrey school system. He told me that the school he worked at had drastically cut back the hours of the teacher librarian. They were looking for potential teachers to volunteer their time in the library. He asked me if I would be interested.
Of course I said yes. But as I hung up the phone, my one thought was: “How am I going to get to Surrey three days a week.”
Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘the Skytrain runs right out there Julia.’ And yes, I am aware of this mysterious people transporter, but realistically it wasn’t an option. My job in Vancouver and the school in Surrey were both more than 5 km’s from a station. That meant a bus on each end.
By the end of the month, I signed myself up for yet another expense: a 1999 VW Golf. Yes, I could have bought a cheaper model, but I figured if I was buying a car I should probably buy one that was going to last me. And when I use the term ‘buy,’ I use it in its loosest form. Clarkdale provided me with a decent finance package but the monthly payment still eclipsed my monthly student loan bill.
So just when I was getting a grip on my debt, I dug the hole a little deeper. If only I heard about debt consolidation sooner.
But, on the positive side, I was in a school. Working for free. Thumbs up for volunteering! Yayyy….
Let me preface this entry by stating that no, I do not have Bieber fever. I am perfectly healthy, besides the odd cigarette. I like Spoon, The Black Keys and I am super pumped for Interpol later this month.
But what I would like to say is: “Damn, that Bieber kid puts up with an awful lot of hater abuse. Imagine going on your YouTube site and reading all the terrible comments that people write about you. I really don’t know how he does it.
Well, that’s not entirely true. When I was at my lowest, I remember hearing murmurs from certain friends and family members accusing me of getting into a debt situation that threatened to ruin me. I just had to put my head down and know that the plan Full Circle had set out would lead me to the Promised Land.
Bieber does the same. He plays almost every night, he blogs, he tweets and he looks past his critics towards the final goal: Freedom 25. The young man believes in himself, he has talent and he’s reaching almost every top 40 market in the world. And while I might not be as talented or prolific, I am doing my own gig and getting it done. In no time at all, I will be able to look back and be proud of the long journey I embarked on to remove, what I thought was, insurmountable debt.
So I was reading the paper last week and I found this crazy story about a group of forty women who were trying to raise money and awareness for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
The women are planning on breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest hockey game ever played; a truly Canadian undertaking. They are planning their attempt for next fall, from Aug 26th to Sept 5th. That’s right, 11 straight days of hockey! I couldn’t believe it either. The teams will be fixed and each will consist of twenty players.
Reading this story, I thought about the agony and the ecstasy of competing in a sporting marathon of this scope. What would it take as an athlete to play your game for 11 days straight?
Then, being ever obsessed with my debt situation, I started comparing it to the repayment program that Full Circle had worked out for me. Sure the goal was a long way off, but I had a plan and a means to get to my final goal. The consolidation option was my ticket to freedom.
To these women, the grueling hockey game will be their self-sacrifice. By playing out the game they love, the foundation will be able to raise more money for research and care for those suffering from Cystic Fibrosis.
Nothing comes for free in this world. Working hard is just part of the game. To learn more about this event or to make a donation, visit www.longestgame4cf.com
July 2009 – The Heavy Hand of the Federal Government
Opening up the bill, I slowly scanned the statement provided by the National Student Loan Bureau; $357 a month was to be my minimum payment. Wow. That was half my rent!
Well my friends were at the beach, I spent July working like an animal and worrying about how I could pay my credit cards and my loan payments. I felt alone, left to meek out a meager existence in a forest of debt.
Then a co-worker told me that I could apply for debt relief. By filling out a form and providing details on my current income, I could become available for a short term, reduced payment plan. I applied and two weeks later was accepted.
My new payment was $187. Steep, but manageable.
I paid the minimum on all my bills at the end of the month. Again, I was just barely surviving. The credit card interest was killing me. I needed a way to pay them off and focus solely on reducing my debt to the government.
I also needed out of the waitressing gig and into my field of study.
All right my followers, it’s a new year, a new beginning, time to get your life in order. Trust me, once you do these few simple things, you will feel so much better about your daily routine.
The first thing you need to do is organize. Forget the money issues for a sec and take the time to clean up your living area. Clean the bathroom, the kitchen, the closet; especially the closet. Throw out any old clothes you don’t think you will wear again. Next, do your car. Get rid of all that junk you’ve been lugging around.
All right, now back in the house.
Next is your purse/backpack/wallet. If you are one of those people who likes to collect receipts (which is great!), find a shoebox and store them away. You don’t need those little paper reminders in your back pocket. Then take your key ring and remove any key that you don’t use on a regular basis. Do the same with your cards, pens, and cell phone adapters; anything that you might be carrying with you that is of little or no use discard.
Do you know what you just did? You consolidated. Now, it is a little trickier with your finances. That’s where Full Circle Debt Consolidation can help. Their expert credit team can help you minimize the bills that reach you. Your only concern will be one simple sum that will arrive once a month.
Like Lindsay Lohan’s career, my debt issues spiraled out of control in the early spring of 2009.
April 2009 – The First Bill Arrives
With my rent paid for with the Devil’s blood money, I resumed my efforts to find a job placement in my field of study. Maybe they could sense my soul had been removed, but by the middle of the month I was still without work. I was now making weekly visits to the school board offices, but each time they explained that there was already a list of available teachers and I was at the bottom.
On the 27th, my first bill arrived from Visa. Apparently interest begins immediately on cash advances. Why was this never explained in Grade 10 Business Education? I buried the bill, took another advance and paid off another months rent.
May 2009 – Resumé Rebuild
In the hole for over fourteen hundred dollars, I gathered what little pride I had left and returned to the Island to ask for help. I sought out one of my Ed teachers and asked him if he would mind reworking my resumé. We sat down for two hours and tweaked my professional CV and brainstormed a new, tentative cover letter.
Once back on the mainland, I returned to my hustling ways, but still no results. Rejected and convinced of failure I gave up my search and applied for a waitress position at a local restaurant.I was hired the next day.
When the end of the month came, I begged my boss for a cash advance to pay for my rent. He agreed. Thank you Rob.
June 2009 – Balancing Act: Waitress Nightmares
Two months overdue, I was finally able to pay the minimal payment on my credit card. I was working doubles and picking up any shifts I could get my hands on.
The work was physically demanding and tediously boring, but there was a small trickle of money coming in. At times I wanted to quit, but at the back of my mind was the now close to two thousand dollar debt that I had racked up on my Visa. It pushed me on and kept me from ripping off my apron.
I didn’t apply for a single position in June. I was caught, working a job that just barely held me afloat. I was treading water, but determined to survive.
Serving it Right
But that was before the government heavies sent me my first student loan bill…
The way he explained it, this statistic is troubling because it could spell financial ruin for families who have over extended themselves. The threat comes in the form of rising interest rates. Currently interest rates are at a all-time low, but as the economy rebounds, these will start to rise. When they do, some families may not be able to meet their higher payments.
I brought up the matter with my credit counselor at Full Circle. He told me that this was exactly the reason why debt consolidation is a smart move for any Canadian with a variety of credit card and personal debt payments. Consolidate and you only have to make one payment at a fixed rate. It’s simple. Even I get it. And you know how much financial trouble I used to be in – We’ll get back to that next week.
Here is another article if you want to read more on the debt-to-income crisis. You’re welcome…
No, really it’s not. It’s actually a lot brighter. But even after finding Full Circle, my guardian angel, I still have to pay my daily bills. One of those is my cell phone bill. We all get it. Every month. And it’s always bigger than those lousy cell phone companies promised.
I’m with one of the big ones. It starts with ‘R’ and ends like tigers. Didn’t leave much to the imagination there did I? So this company has me on a basic plan of… I think it’s like 65. But like all those plans it ends up being in the high 70s or 80s each month. And, I know, it probably is my fault for going over my minutes and calling during the day. But sometimes its unavoidable.
So Rogers (whoops!) has me in a contractual trap. I’m stuck paying these ridiculous bills until my contract runs out in the spring.
WRONG.
There are ways out. The easiest being: a simple pay-off. A small fee for each of the months left on your contract.
But then what. I need a cell phone!
The answer is in the Wind. Wind Mobile has way better deals than Rogers. FACT! For forty dollars I got an unlimited Canada wide talk and text plan. Listen to me, I sound like an advertising talking head. But it’s true. Way cheaper, no contract, keep your old phone number. It’s awesome.
The Winds of Change
And no, I’m not on commission. Just wanted to pass along some advice from my own life.
Save money. Pay off your debt quicker. It feels good.
It’s been a week dear readers. Did you miss me? Please say yes.
Well, lets get back to the gory details.
January 2009 – Resumés, resumés, resumés!
So after completing my Education program on the Island, I crossed the Inlet to look for work in the lower mainland. I had a brother living here, so I moved in with him. That proved difficult, but again, that is a story for another blog.
The first month here I spent my time checking different job posting websites. I submitted my resumé to every position that became available and waited patiently for a response… nothing. Then I started dropping my resumé in person at every school board office between Squamish and Chilliwack. I got one phone call. From the Surrey office. They called to say ‘they weren’t hiring, but they would keep my resumé on file.’ Excellent.
February 2009 – Tears and Fears
With no responses, I started to panic. What if I never found work? What if I went years without work? How would I afford to live in the city? I couldn’t move back home, that would admit failure. Could I take on another job and still look for work?
Totally confused I spent the rest of the month feeling sorry for myself.
March 2009 – Last of the Free Rent / Deal With the Devil
In March my brother told me I would have to start paying rent. I needed to come up with money quickly. That’s when a friend of mine, a so-called-friend, suggested getting a credit card. They said I could use the card to take out an advance and then pay the money back when I found work. Honestly, looking back, I thought I was smarter than that. Turns out I wasn’t. Like a junkie’s first hit, I took the card, paid my brother off and bought a new pair of boots to help boost my spirits. And like that, I was hooked.
So, that night when I got home I followed Alexis’s advice.
Google Search: Debt Consolidation Vancouver
• Debt Consolidation in Canada – Full Circle Debt Solutions
Debt consolidation and debt management options that can reduce your debt payments … -Crystal, Vancouver. Thank you for again taking the time to talk to me …
www.debtgone.ca/ – Cached – Similar
6935 120 Street, Delta
(604) 724-3242
Amongst the top three results was the entry above. After looking over their site, I gathered that this must be the company Alexis was referring to. They offered a complete package of debt consolidation and credit counseling.
After calling their toll free number, 1-877-220-3328, I got hold of a young man named Robert. Rob explained my rights as a debtor and laid out my options to move forward.
He promised me a dramatic drop in interest payments, a convenient single payment and my own credit counselor. It sounded to good to be true.
But I told him I would have to think about it.
The next day, before work, I called back and signed up for a consolidation program. I haven’t looked back since, well besides recalling the events for you, my dear readers.
Next week I’ll get into a little more detail about how I wound up, in what I thought, was financial ruin.
Till then, sleep well. And remember, there is help out there. I found it at Full Circle.
Well, I should probably tell you how I found my financial saviours.
It all started with a text conversation, with my good friend Alexis:
Alexis: OMG! Have you heard the Arcade Fire’s new album? Frking amazing!
Me: Yeah, I downloaded it last nite. The Sprawl 2 gave me goosebumps.
Alexis: You know theyre coming in Sept?!?! Lets get tix!
Me: Love to, but honestly, I have 0 funds. Can’t even afford to pay Rogers bill. This time next week I may be sending this msg by carrier pigeon. LOL
Alexis: Seriously, is it that bad? ☹
Me: You have no idea!
Alexis: You know my brother signed up for this debt program online.
Me: Oh yeah. You know what it was called?
Alexis: No, but Ben said it made his life way easier.
Me: How???
Alexis: Well for 1, he got in touch with a credit counselor. They explained his rights and then worked out a plan for repayment.
Me: Was this 2 different org.s?
Alexis: No, the debt program and the counselor were from the same company. I think the term Ben used was debt consolidation.
Me: Sounds like a disease.
Alexis: Hey! Don’t you knock it. Ben is way better off now. You should try it. Just google debt-consolidation-Vancouver.
Me: Alright, I’ll try it. But if I develop a thirst for kool-aid…
Alexis: LMAO!!! Don’t worry babe. It works.
Hello out there in cyberland. (Echoooo….)
My name is Julia and I have financial problems. Yes, I am one of the many who can’t seem to manage their finances. Too many bills, not enough steady income.
A few years ago I thought I had it all under control. I was just about to finish my Post-Bac Education Program and head straight into a teaching job. Oh, naive Julia of two years ago, if only I could warn you…
Now, in December of 2010, I have still not found my way on to the TOC list of any district in the Lower Mainland. I am working as a waitress four nights a week and volunteering at a local elementary school three days a week. I also work sporadically at an English school in North Vancouver.
Still Waiting For My Own Classroom
Most days, my schedule is pretty tight, but sadly I am not making nearly enough to cover all of bills that seem to fill my mailbox.
I’ve asked my parents for help and they have provided me with a small amount of money to keep me afloat, but that too is running out.
I came out West to make it on my own and I am determined to succeed.
But determination doesn’t pay my student loans.
Thankfully, a friend tipped me off to a company that specializes in getting lost souls like myself back on track.
And that my friends, is why I am writing this blog. To share with you my story. And to offer hope to those floundering in financial woes.
Every once in a while, we at Full Circle Debt Solutions take a step back to reflect at the stories that have been posted on our debt consolidation blog.
We started this experiment with Scarlett, the artist. She was deeply into debt thanks to credit card bills, bad credit and student loans. She wrote about her Vancouver debt adventures. You can follow along here: Scarlett’s debt consolidation story.
Our next author was Ben, an accountant. For a guy who was good with numbers, he certainly had his debt management problems. You can follow his debt consolidation story here: Ben’s debt management story.
Then along came Eve, who joined us earlier this month. Eve is a dental assistant from Vancouver, BC. She had a few problems balancing her chequebook and keeping her credit cards in line, so she eventually found us to get her debt under control. You can follow Eve’s adventures here: Eve’s debt consolidation story.
So like I mentioned earlier, I had just recently graduated as a Certified Dental Assistant and I was now enjoying life in the workforce earning a decent wage. About 6 months in I received a letter regarding my student loan, stating that the interest payment freeze was over and I was now responsible for the payments of my previous student loans. Ouch. Also, my newest loan was now requiring monthly payments.
Vancouver is an expensive city and I soon found my new wealth drying up. I was struggling to make monthly minimum payments and rent, let alone any extras for fun. It’s such a trap, like a hamster on a wheel. Any extra money I had would go straight onto my ever growing credit card bill but it didn’t make a difference. My funds would run out before the next pay period so back on the credit card it goes. At this rate I would never pay anything off not to mention be able to afford to do anything fun. I wish someone would have told me about Full Circle Debt solutions at this point in my life.
It felt exhilarating to be released from school and to finally be earning a proper wage. I managed to land a great job that paid more then I expected ($19/hr) to start and I was on my way. Life was good. Roger and I were stronger then ever and I suspected that we would soon be moving in together, away from wild roommates and communal living!
And boy did I spoil myself those first few months after school! But I deserved it, or so I rationalized. A girl can only take so much suffering and I used a great deal of my new cheques to spruce up my wardrobe and buy lovely things for my house that I could never afford before.
It took about 6 months for the dust to settle and then I realized that I was in a whole world of trouble but I’m off to sleep right now so this story will have to continue later.
I decided to take a brief interlude from my story to talk about something fantastic that I did today… I bought a new bed from Simmons Mattress Gallery! This may not be a big deal to some but those people probably haven’t spent their entire adult life sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress that they inherited from an old flatmate. Or maybe they have but when I laid my head on that pillowy mattress top I knew that I could never go back.
I feel so grown up!
I should also point out that this isn’t an impulse buy. I have no intention of stepping one little toe back into debt now that I have clawed my way out thanks to Full Circle Debt Solutions. I happen to stroll by the West Broadway and Oak Simmons store daily so this is an idea that has been ruminating for a long while, long enough for me to wait for a deal and pay with cold hard cash.
Actually, vocational school wasn’t all bad. Dental Assisting is a very practical and hands-on profession, which I found a refreshing change of pace from my university days. It felt good to be a little settled on a career path too. I was able to put a hold on my former student loan interest payments while I was in school so my debt was less intrusive to my day-to-day existence.
Plus I was in love! His name was Roger and was a ruggedly handsome carpenter that I met through a friend of a friend on a wild night at the commodore. We drank martinis and discussed everything under the sun until dawn.
Love has an all-consuming quality and my year of dental assisting school whirled by soon spitting me back into the workforce.
You know when something haunts you? No matter what you do or where you go, there it is. It hangs over your head until it becomes a part of your DNA and you can’t remember life without it.
That was my debt.
Before I found Full Circle Debt Solutions I was lost. I would oscillate between trying to be responsible by paying the miniscule amounts I could towards the debt or throwing my hands up at the sheer absurdity of my struggle and splurge to treat myself with some new clothes or such.
It was such an intense feeling to feel this debt looming over me and being powerless to do a thing about it. I became accustomed to avoiding thinking about it all together. I reasoned that there was nothing I could do about it so no point dwelling on the topic. Something like plugging ones ears and singing la la la la la la I can’t hear you! Probably not the best strategy granted.
Anyway I do digress. What I’m trying to say there is a way out. Don’t give up!
What is a girl to do with a mountain of debt and no skills beyond table service? Vocational school! So I swallowed my pride, cut my losses and succumb to the seemingly happy girls in scrubs advertised on route to my crappy job.
Dental Assisting.
I figured in for a year and out with a decent paying job that would tide me over until I could figure out what I really wanted to do with my life.
Interestingly, when I headed down to my local community college I discovered that many people had a similar plan. The dreaded 2-year waiting list. I mean who has 2 years to wait around to get into a course? 2 more years of slinging hash browns. Forget that! Luckily one of the private schools offered the program too but of course the catch was cost. Almost $20 000 for the year. That is more then the combined total of my stint at university. Unbelievable. Highway robbery.
But what is a girl to do?
Time is of the essence and the sooner I complete the program I can start earning a decent wage.
This journal project that was given to me by Full Circle Debt Solutions is turning into an intriguing personal project. I guess I haven’t given much thought to how I ended up here as a success story for a debt consolidation blog. After so much struggling with bills and interest rates and minimum payments I’m finding it almost therapeutic to examine the choices that got me into this mess in the first place. We really do have a relationship with money and mine was dysfunctional.
Like I mentioned, I was inspired to move on from the service industry so I packed my bags and headed to the west coast. I planned to attend university in the fall and enjoy my first summer in Vancouver. Life was good.
I had a little money saved for the move and enough to get by for the summer but that was it. For all those years flush with tax-free cash I had nothing to show for it. Students loans were it and that is really where all my troubles began.
I’ve always been an indecisive person. I become enamored with something for a short period of time until I soon grow restless and in search of the next thing. School turned out to be no different. First I studied chemistry but I soon realized what a giant mistake that was (so boring!) so I moved on to philosophy and when I lost interest in that I moved on to psychology.
That is how my mountain of debt began, with school. A year here, a year there, dancing through different disciplines and trying to find my niche. Post secondary education is a very expensive place to find oneself. After three years I was no further ahead and I had completed nothing.
Oh, and I had a load of debt and no skills to land me a decent paying job so back to serving in a restaurant it was. Only now I’m in my late 20’s and it is even less fun.
Hi, my name is Eve. Full Circle Debt Solutions has asked me to join this forum and share my story in the hopes of inspiring other people to utilize their services and finally get out of debt. I can still hardly believe that I did it!
I’m a pretty average girl in most aspects of my life. Unfortunately, I have excelled in one particular area … the accumulation of debt.
Now it wasn’t always this way. My early 20s procured a false sense of wealth. Tax-free tips earned from various waitress and bartending gigs left me with a continuous wad of bills tucked into my pocket. I didn’t know anything about budgets and didn’t need to. I always seemed to have cash in my hand.
Then, as many people in the service industry do, I soon grew weary of dirty dishes and a general lack of respect given to people working jobs that don’t require an education or specialized training. So, I packed up my bags and headed out west to Vancouver, BC.
Well, if your blood could be exchanged for hundred dollar bills. But I’m pretty sure you just get a cookie for plasma these days.
And no, I will not be going as a vampire for Halloween this year. No money for a costume. Still trying to save.
For the third year in a row I will be going as a hippie. My old tie-dye, the tinfoil peace necklace and the John Lennon glasses I bought from that crazy old woman at the garage sale down the street. Nothing scary about a Hippie, apart from the odd acid trip.
If I really wanted to scare some partygoers I could enlarge a few of the collection notices I’ve received.
I am the fear inspiring student loan reclamation document. Tremble before me.
I don’t know if everyone would get it though. It would be lost on all those kids who went through University with a financial plan. Guess I missed that lecture. Now I’m stuck in debt purgatory. Seriously considering getting some help. Can’t live in the 60’s forever.
This may seem like an odd forum to discuss shopping, but this week I thought I would give a little mention to a company in Victoria that helped my mom purchase her first new mattress in over twenty years.
My mom, after years of putting up with a springy old bed, finally told me last week that she was considering buying a new mattress set. I told her she needed a new one back in the late 90’s, but you know mothers, sometimes they like to stick it out until the bitter end.
So to help her, I thought I would find her a mattress company. I googled ‘Mattress’ and ‘Victoria’ and came up with a small, locally owned company called Mattress Choice. I called ahead and told them to be on the lookout for a grouchy pensioner.
She finally went to visit the showroom on Sunday afternoon. After spending an hour discussing the different brands, she went with a Sealy Posturepedic mattress.
Later she told me she smooth talked them into delivering it for free, but I checked out their website and they offer free delivery to any customer in the Greater Victoria area.
After her first night on the new mattress, she called me at 9:30. She told me she just got out of bed. She said it was the first time in years that she hadn’t woken up at 6:30 am. I mumbled a ‘you’re welcome.’
What I really meant to say was, ‘well I could also use some help me with my debt.’ Guess we share that stubborn gene.
Vancouver is surprisingly a pretty nice place to live when you’re close to the poverty line. Gregor must have a soft spot for those of us living in debt, because some of his green initiatives are actually working to keep more of my money in my own pocket.
Take the Dunsmuir bike lane as an example. With a safer route across town, I can ride my bike from one side of the city, easily over to Stanley Park for some cheap, outdoor entertainment. (I won’t give away all my secrets, but the seawall is a dynamite first date)
And, in a few months, the Hornby lane will be open for a quick route down to the False Creek seawall.
No need to spend money on gas or waste time idling in traffic. I can save my loonies for paying off some of my bills, while the extra time can be spent planning my new firm.
It’s not bad being a single guy in this town. Vancouver is the ultimate cultural and culinary melting pot, which means beautiful women everywhere and plenty of amazing restaurants to take them out to. When I started working at the accounting firm, and stopped being a broke college student, I took full advantage of what our wonderful city had to offer. But now that I’m job-less, broke (yet again), and in debt (no less), it’s back to Subway and ESPN companionship.
Every lonely night I spend sitting on my couch, eating store-brand popcorn and throwing back Colts is depressing. The only way I get through it is by reminding myself over and over again that I have to save money, and get rid of my debt, if I ever want to get my business off the ground.
I’m not proud of it or anything, but I was what they called, a “super senior” in university. Not because I was the star basketball player or anything of that nature; rather, because it took me 6 years to graduate instead of the usual 4. Now let me explain myself… I’m not a dumb guy, nor am I a slacker. I am, however, extremely indecisive. I started out undecided as a first year, and then after a summer abroad in Rome, I decided that my life calling was to be an art curator. One Art History class later, I realized how wrong I was. Third year, it was journalism because I figured I’d be a great news anchor – after all, it’s like being an actor but without having to memorize lines. You can imagine how that went. Finally during fourth year, when all my friends were scrambling to complete their requirements and score internships, I found my calling. Business. And more specifically, accounting. Surprising even myself, it came quite naturally to me, and I liked the feeling of being good at something (for once!). Only problem was, I figured this out kind of late, and had to spend 2 extra years to get my degree. Great news for my career, but not-so-great news for my student loan debt.
It’s my second week of chronicling my journey here, and I’ve been playing around the blog a bit. I did some reading up on my predecessor Scarlett and even checked out Full Circle’s site, to see what they’re all about.
I know Scarlett had great results working with FC and everything, but I don’t know if I’m ready to take that leap yet. After all, I’m just getting comfortable with admitting the serious $H!# I’m in… You might think that it’s bull-headed stubbornness or even delusions that make me want to go it alone, but a guy’s got to try right?
I will say, though, I was glad to see that the process is pretty painless if I decide to get some professional help to manage my debt. It doesn’t leave the lazy-guy-in-me with any excuse to not sign up when all I have to do is fill out my name and contact info.
I was out having beers with my buddy Mac from university last week, catching up on what was new in our lives. He was regaling me with stories of how sick his trip to Cabo was, and I was getting him up to speed on how my business venture was going.
Somehow the conversation moved onto Twitter, and personal techniques on Twit-flirting, and he mentioned one of the Tweets that he had received that day. It was basically a casting call from a debt solution company for someone who would be interested in sharing their debt story.
First, let me note that Mac has always been the type of guy who did homework assignments a week before they were due, and who painstakingly took the most detailed notes in class. He was obviously pretty concerned with my current financial state and my seeming lack of initiative to get it under control. So he suggested that I volunteer myself to document my story for their blog.
“Hey man, just think of it as your financial journal. If you write this stuff down, you won’t be able to avoid the problem anymore,” he said, trying to convince me.
My hesitation must have been apparent because he quickly added, “Comon, it’ll help you start your business. Once your own debt’s taken care of…”
And long story short, ladies and gentlemen, here I am – revealing all the blood, guts, and gore that I experience on my way to financial freedom. End goal? Starting my own business.
I have something to admit. I forgot to mention one little detail in my last post. And that’s that I am deep in debt. And when I say deep, I mean like 69-days-to-rescue-the-Chilean-miners-deep. I’m still trying to pay off my student loans, and my credit card bills are piled as high as that rescue shaft was deep. I really don’t know why my personal finances always trip me up, considering the fact that I help people balance their checkbooks all day. I really have to get it together soon, god forbid one of my future clients finds out.
So my debt poses a problem for my entrepreneurial aspirations. How am I supposed to pay my web programmer and graphic designer if I’m struggling to make ends meet? At the very least, I know I need to have a solid website if I want this business to succeed…
Hey guys, since this is my first blog post, I guess I should probably introduce myself. My name is Ben and I’m a 29 year-old guy living in Vancouver. After I graduated from UBC, I jumped right into a job at one of the Big Fours in accounting (I won’t name which), and ended up staying there for 3 years, working my way up from being a lowly auditor. Like my fellow number-crunching minions, I was also trying to get my CA certificate so that I could eventually move up the corporate ladder. Endless nights and forsaken weekends later, I passed the test and became a chartered accountant. However, the corporate ladder proved too slippery for me to climb.
So I left my job, and everything that was safe and steady behind, to start my own boutique accounting firm. Sure, it’s going to be hard as hell, but I’ve got time – that’s where the ‘boutique’ comes in handy. My grand plan is this. I’ll start off small, build my brand, and once the customers start coming, all I’ll have to do is expand, right?
At Full Circle, we love our clients. Helping them manage their debt is our passion, and sending them on their way to a debt-free life is what we aim for. We build such strong bonds with our clients, that it’s a bittersweet moment when they reach the point of financial freedom – and part ways with us.
Such is the case with Scarlett, who was kind enough to share her story with the world on our blog. Now that she’s got the skills she needs to manage her debt, she’s more than prepared for staying on top of her bills and payments. Although she’s parting ways with us today, we know that it’s not goodbye; rather, it’s more of a see you later. Not because she’ll fall off the wagon, but because we know she’ll be back, but with success stories to tell.
This past Sunday, Mark and I were sitting in the kitchen after a particularly festive brunch, relaxing and enjoying our lazy Sunday. The kids were in the den, watching their cartoons, and we were sipping on our coffee, and flipping through the pages of the Sun. I was doing some serious newspaper reading (Dilbert, my ultimate guilty pleasure!), when Mark said to me, in a voice that he reserved for emotional or confessional moments, “Scar, I’m proud of us”.
This got me to thinking… We’re finally out of the woods with debt thanks to my rehabbed spending habits and our debt management consultant at Full Circle, and we’re finally making progress on the kids’ college funds. People are even asking me (me!) for financial advice. 4 years ago, I would have never guessed we’d be this far along.
So, dear readers, I think it’s time to say goodbye…As sad as I am about it, and as much as I love sharing my debt stories with you, I’m excited. Excited about my newfound financial responsibility and all the freedom that comes it. I can’t wait to spend time with my family, without the stress of thinking about interest rates, and bills. So thanks for hearing me out, and good luck to you on your road to financial freedom!
I was getting none of it a couple years ago, when Mark and I were clawing our way out of debt. But ever since we got in touch with our debt management consultant at Full Circle, I’ve been able to sit back and relax. Our debt was in good hands, and all Mark and I had to worry about was making our newly lowered monthly payments.
Not only were we able to consolidate our debt, we even started to save some money (finally!). Weights off our shoulders, we were finally able to focus all our attention on our careers – and that’s when Mark got his job offer in Vancouver. Our finances were finally back on track, I was finally getting some beauty sleep, and the rest is history.
I love my job. As a legal assistant at a law office that does a lot of great work in First Nations economic development, I’ve been learning a lot of Aboriginal law and the ins and outs of the Canadian justice system. Who knows? Maybe I’ll go to law school one day, when the kids are older. And to be honest, anything is better than my job in Calgary, where I was essentially a bona-fide document filer at a law office.
But as much as I love my job, I have days when I wake up and the only thing I want to do is lay on my couch and watch trashy soaps and infomercials. As soon as I go to wake up the kids, though, all those thoughts wash away and my work ethic kicks back into overdrive. After all, the last thing I want to do is to fall back into debt, and have to struggle to raise them.
You know, when I graduated from Emily Carr, I went through this whole phase where I was really into decorating my apartment. I was going for the mid-century modern feel and even splurged on a tufted velvet couch to complete the look. I hired someone to do crown moldings, redid my window treatments, and even repainted my walls. Clearly, I was on a mission to obtain my dream apartment with no regard for my credit card debt.
When I finally completed the apartment (and accrued a boatload of debt), I was so excited to invite all my friends over to admire my work. I invested another $300 on the housewarming party, justifying the expense on all the compliments I would receive – after all, it would have been a waste of money spending all this money on my home if nobody could appreciate it, right?
Well, what I should have realized is that no matter how much money you spend (a lot, in my case), nobody will even notice your awesome one-of-a-kind lambskin rug if your apartment is a mess. My guests were pirouetting through the clutter in my apartment the whole night and the closest thing I got to a compliment was, “oh, I like the area you live in”. Gee thanks. Not only was I up to my neck in bills debt, I was also knee deep in a huge mess.
For the first couple of months after I called Full Circle and finally got my debt under control, I was walking on eggshells. I was so worried about falling back to my old habits of overspending and underpaying that I would avoid social situations almost altogether. I knew that if I went out with my girlfriends to the mall, I’d be itching the whole time to splurge and I knew that if I did, after my prolonged period of saving, I would end up binge buying. And if I went out for a casual dinner with my coworkers, I would end up dropping at least $50 – I mean, if I’m going to dine out, I’m going to dine well). I even stopped wanting to go out on date nights with Mark anymore, and subjected him to many of my home-cooked meals.
Before long, Mark called me out on my hermit-status and convinced me that staying home all day was no way to live, even if I was living free of debt stress. So slowly but surely, I started to go out again, with my friends and with Mark. And sure, I slipped up a couple times and ended up buying something I shouldn’t have, but I was buying less, and buying less often. But I really should have give myself a little more credit – after all, I was doing pretty well for a recovering spendaholic.
As you probably already know, I’m somewhat of the black sheep of my financially responsible family. My mother and my sister both, are constantly aware of how much money they are spending and how much money they can afford to spend. I, on the other hand, seem to have been born with an awful predisposition to overspend.
But after my debt management consultant helped me wrangle my debt down to a low, manageable monthly payment, I was finally able to call my mom and just chat. Before, I avoided talking to her on the phone, and when I did, I would have to skirt around any issues that had to do with money, for fear of getting another earful of nagging. And it wasn’t that I was trying to be a bad daughter, you know, never calling my own mother. It’s just that I didn’t want to disappoint her and have her worrying about my money situation.
You can imagine her surprise when she received my call that night. I came clean about all the money trouble I had been in for the past couple of years, and how much stress I had been under. I rambled on and on, not wanting to interrupt before she understood that I had it all under control now, and that I had finally consolidated my debt, with the help of my debt management consultant at Full Circle. When I was done and a little out of breath, there was a moment of silence from my mom’s end. When she spoke, it was very quietly. “I’m proud of you,” she said.
When Mark and I first moved back to Vancouver together, the first order of business was to buy a car. While Mark was enamored with sleek lines and big engines, I was all about energy efficiency and eco-friendliness. After weeks of listening to Mark wax poetic about Napa leather seats and the ‘practicality’ of a sports car (honey, the kids are so small, they’ll definitely fit in the back seat!), I finally put my foot down and insisted on the Toyota Prius. And plus, we just got our debt under control, and there was no way I was going under again for some European sports car.
Of course, for the past couple of years, I’ve had to listen to Mark whine about our car’s torque and how the whole green car thing is a passing fad, and look at that the 20 inch rims on that beauty! So when I read in the paper about how one in three vehicles in B.C. would be electric by 2030, I almost jumped out of my seat at the breakfast table. It was a shame that Mark had already left for work, because I would have loved to do a victory lap around the kitchen, article in hand. Sure, it’s a tad bit immature, but so is wanting to own a convertible.
There was this one month when Mark and I were living in Calgary, when we were really down and out on cash, that we considered skipping town to escape our debt. And the calls we were getting from those annoying creditors did nothing to make us want to stay. We were broke, and getting desperate.
It’s a good thing my sister called one day to check in on us. She convinced us that running away from our debt was not the way out, pointing out that our credit scores would be ruined (and where would we run away to and what money would we live off of?). Thank goodness for older sibling wisdom.
So we decided to stay put and slowly work off our debt, which in retrospect was a good idea because a couple months later, we heard about Full Circle Debt Solutions. They helped us consolidate our debt, and even got rid of the annoying calls from creditors. If you find yourself in a similar situation that Mark and I were in, wanting to bail on your debt, give Full Circle a call before you make any drastic moves.
I know the kids are still young but I worry all the time about setting a good example for them when it comes to taking care of finances. As you probably know already, I had some problems when I was younger what with my swipe-happy habits, shopping sprees, and fine dining excursions. And this was all despite the fact that my mom was always in my ear about managing my money properly.
Sure, 10 years ago I wouldn’t have been the best financial role model for my kids. But ever since I got in touch with my debt management consultant at Full Circle, I can say that I am. He helped me design a debt consolidation plan that reduced my monthly payments to something I could manage, and helps me stay on track. I might not be the shining beacon of financial responsibility but at least my kids will know that I picked myself back up and hopefully they’ll learn from my mistakes and not make as many of their own.
Mark’s always been the responsible one. And when we first met, he seemed to have it all together – spacious apartment, nice (aka functioning) car, and a stable job that was going somewhere. Once I got to know him, it became very apparent to both of us how different we were when it came to money management. Where Mark was diligent about paying his bills, I was getting late fees and overdrafts. Where Mark only had only one credit card, I had five. Needless to say, he was pretty much free of debt while I was swimming in it. The poor guy, he always had to foot the bill whenever we did something nice, or for that matter, whenever dined at an establishment posher than Pita Pit.
But when Mark lost his job, everything else seemed to unravel along with his career, including his good habits. Instead of opening his bills as soon as he got them, Mark would let them pile up on the desk. So much so that his tower of bills started to compete with my own. Pretty soon, he was swimming right along with me in our ocean of debt.
Our saving grace came when my sister suggested we call Full Circle Debt Solutions. I was skeptical, but at her insistence we gave them a call. I got connected right away to one of their credited debt management consultants who outlined a debt consolidation plan specifically for our situation. Miraculously, he minimized our payments to one so we wouldn’t have to worry about paying so many creditors at the end of the month. I guess it just goes to show that even the best of us can get into money trouble, and only the best can get us out.
One of my favorite $aving tips of the day is, “Buy in bulk – and invest in a vacuum sealer”. It’s something my mother taught me, just from tagging along with her whenever she went shopping at my all-time favorite store, Costco. I would insist on sitting in the cart (despite my age and size) while my mom pushed me through the store. The smell of samples hot out of the toaster ovens, the garish fleece jackets piled in cardboard bins, and the seemingly endless array of candy lining the warehouse shelves were feast to all my senses. The experience was, at the same time, fascinating and intoxicating to my 8-year-old self. In that 6000 square metre concrete warehouse, the world was full of possibilities.
Needless to say, the addiction continued into adulthood. Whenever we need something in the house, whether it be toilet paper or some eggs, I jump at the opportunity. Not only because I love Costco, but also because we save a lot of money getting things like meat, seafood, and cheese there. Throw in a basic at-home vacuum sealer, and you’re looking at a packed freezer and a boatload of savings. And even though I don’t get to sit in the cart anymore when I go to Costco (I had to relinquish my seat to my son), I get to be a kid again.
I’m sick of paying bills. I know it’s all part of being an adult an all, but sometimes I wish I could go back to my sandbox days. Sure, I wouldn’t have a car to drive, credit card to use, or cell to text with, but I’d be totally debt free. (And I’m sure my mailman wouldn’t mind.)
But seriously, how nice would it be if the biggest worry in your life were the guest list at your next play date? Instead, I have to worry about how I’m going to make my next mortgage payment and how I’ll pay for my car insurance.
My mom is the thriftiest woman I know. My dad worked all the time, and since my mom was a stay-at-home mom, she took it upon herself to manage our family’s finances. Every purchase, payment, and deposit was balanced in her checkbook, which seemed to be a permanent fixture in her handbag. All receipts – even those from buying a pack of gum – were stored in a tiny drawer in the kitchen desk and dutifully checked whenever the credit card bills came at the end of each month.
When my sister and I were growing up, mom tried to instill in us a sense of financial responsibility. The earliest lesson I can remember was when she gifted us with piggy banks when we started getting our allowance. While my sister would carefully deposit half of her weekly $5 into her pig, I would be at Seven Eleven on Monday shoving my hand into the 5-cent candy jars. Needless to say, her pig got fat while my stayed painfully thin.
In retrospect, that was a pretty good predictor that my sister would be the one to guide me out of my financial rut. Which is exactly what she did 2 years ago when Mark and I found ourselves close to bankruptcy and ready to skip town. She told us to call Full Circle immediately, assuring us that their debt management consultants would help us reduce our debt. We called, and surely enough, our consultant helped us consolidate our debt to one manageable monthly payment.
Our oldest, Griffin, is on summer break, much to the delight of his younger sister Silvia who considers herself his sidekick. All summer long, they’ve been taking advantage of the sunny days and warm weather, and have developed quite the skill at convincing our nanny to take them to the beach. When I get home from work, I always know if they’ve been successful, not only by the sandy trails I find in the foyer but by the stories that the kids enthusiastically tell me about their seaside escapades.
Now that Mark and I have our finances under control, thanks to our Full Circle debt consultant who helped us consolidate our debt, we’ve decided that we should take our first family vacation abroad. Since the kids love the waves so much, we’re definitely thinking somewhere tropical with white sandy beaches, but we’re not sure where. Any suggestions?
When Mark and I first moved in to our new apartment in Calgary, it was not all sunshine and roses. Both of us had been struggling a bit with our finances, trying to keep up with rent, bills, and student loans. So it was sort of a no brainer for us to live together so that we could split our living expenses.
But just when things started looking up, Mark lost his job at the architecture firm and had to go into freelance consulting. Our cash flow reduced to a meagre trickle, what with my pay as a legal assistant and his inconsistent employment. Add that to the trail of personal debt that had followed me from Vancouver, and we were in serious trouble.
That’s when the fighting started. And it was always about money, even if it wasn’t explicitly expressed. As you can guess, passive aggressiveness was usually my weapon of choice. Despite the fact that my finances were in a worse state than Mark’s, I picked fights over just about anything – not putting the toilet seat down, his gym membership fees, and the flavor of ice cream he’d buy – everything was fair game.
During one particularly ridiculous argument, while bickering about the recyclability of a pizza box, Mark’s pressed his lips together and his grinning eyes caught mine. In that instant, it dawned on me how crazy we had become, and I burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.
Looking back at those days now brings a smile to my face, but only because we decided post-pizza box, to do something about our debt. We called Full Circle, and one of their debt management consultants guided us through the process of debt consolidation. We reconfigured our monthly bills to one low monthly payment and never looked back.
I’m so sick of getting bills in the mail. And I’m sure the mailman is sick of the dirty looks I send his way whenever I happen to see him on my daily walks around the block. Poor guy, it’s not his fault that I’m perpetually swipe-happy with my credit cards, and that I have student loans that will take me until retirement to pay back. Add that to bills I have to pay for auto insurance, car payments, and electricity, and you’re looking at a mailman who is going to be looking at a huge chiropractor bill by the time he finishes delivering my mail.
Moving homes is one of the most expensive things I’ve had to do. And I’ve had to do it twice. Once when I moved to Calgary and again when Mark, the baby, and I moved back to Vancouver. Paying for the moving guys, boxes, trucks, and new furniture took a huge toll on my wallet, not to mention the emotional cost.
Since graduating from college, I promised myself never to buy another piece of furniture from Ikea, a promise I didn’t manage to keep when I moved to Calgary, due to my ailing finances. But thanks to Full Circle, our debt was under control for our move to Vancouver, and I finally managed to fulfill my interior decorating dreams.
When we were living in Calgary, on rare occasions I would have weeks where I had no bills to pay, no things to buy, and nowhere I had to travel to (other than work). Thanks in part to the fact that I’d uprooted my life in Vancouver and moved to a new city, my billing cycles for my utilities, cell phone, and cable were the same. I savored these days, relishing the moments when I’d check my online banking and see the balance NOT decrease. I was so smitten that fanning myself with the cash that was in my wallet may have crossed my mind.
But the days would turn into a couple, and then I’d get that terrible itch. The one that presents itself when I’m feeling particularly good about my good behaviour. Usually triggered by something like a television commercial, or an ad in a magazine, the result was always the same – go out and buy something. And let me tell you, it’s quite the fall, falling off a financial high horse. Your spending goes into overdrive, a sort of subconscious overcompensation for all the saving you’d been doing for the past couple of days.
After a particularly damaging self-rewarding bout, and after the retail euphoria wore off, I was racked with guilt and stress about how much money I’d spent and how much I’d have to pay for it when I got my bill in a couple weeks. So I called up my debt management consultant over at Full Circle. He talked me through some debt-reducing strategies like debt consolidation, and assured me that he’d walk me through the next billing cycle. Relief! I quickly added him to my speed-dial that day.
You hear all the time about how raising a kid is hard work and how it costs a lot and how you never get as much sleep as you’d like to. But you never truly understand all of that until you actually have one. After we had Griffin, the cost of diapers alone was enough to keep me on contraceptives until at least Mark and I got our debt under control. Lucky for us, and for our beautiful Silvia, we gave Full Circle Debt Solutions a call one evening after a particularly disheartening day of opening up the bills. They patiently guided us through the process of consolidating our debt and our monthly payments. Our minds were immediately put to ease and a year later, the cutest little girl, Silvia, came into our lives!
I’ll never forget the first time I was approved for a credit card, if you can call it that. I was a studying at Emily Carr at the time, with little to no credit to my name. But since I was enrolled in a university, I qualified for a student credit card. The limit was something like $500, which seemed like the king’s bounty at the time considering the fact that my allowance up to that point was measly 20 bucks per week. So with my newfound wealth, I spent like a high roller buying fancy art supplies, splurging on pricey meals, and buying tickets to concerts.
Needless to say, what seemed like a lot of money at first turned into what-can-I-really-buy-with-five-hundred-dollars. That changed again when I got the first statement in the mail, this time to holy-sh#!-where-the-heck-am-I-gonna-get-five-hundred-big-ones? So I had no choice but to go with the minimum payment and get charged an insane interest on the rest. And that, ladies and gentlemen is when my debt started piling up.
Where was this sign when I signed up for that darned credit card?
You know, before we called Full Circle, Mark and I were really in a tough place when we were living in Calgary. As you know, Mark had lost his job at the architecture firm and was doing some freelance work that didn’t seem very promising. I was an out of work art-school graduate with student loans to match. Our income was unstable, to say the least. And our debt? Out of control. To make matters worse, we were getting calls from debt collectors who would call incessantly to pester us about paying up. They were a tricky bunch, calling from different numbers so that we wouldn’t know who was calling. Eventually, I took to screening out calls from unknown numbers completely. It didn’t matter that it could have been my mom calling me from her friend’s house, or my sister calling me from work. I wasn’t going to pick up!
Have you ever seen that movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic”? I saw it on re-runs with Mark this weekend and spent the most of the time shaking my head at how irresponsible the main character, Becky Bloomwood, was. I guess Mark couldn’t hold it in any longer, because once the credits started rolling, he blurted out, “What were you shaking your head at the whole time?”
“I can’t believe she bought all that stuff even though she was broke! Com’on, did she really need that scarf?”
“Umm…” he continued, “Scar, that might as well have been you in the movie.”
That’s when I got real quiet, first because I was pissed off and then, sheepishly, I realized how right he was. I am Becky Bloomwood! Well, not actually…but you get my point. I buy art supplies instead of scarves and rugs instead of purses but nonetheless it adds up to a lot that I can’t afford.
I was feeling pretty down and guilty after my epiphany, so I decided to give a call to my debt management consultant over at Full Circle. Good idea. He called me down and talked me through the next strategy he had in mind to consolidate my debt. I guess movie night turned out alright after all. Maybe I won’t make Mark sit through another chick flick again.
When I was a kid, I used to play all these mental games with myself. Like at the mall, I would avoid stepping on the lines on the floor, or if I was in a car, I’d click my teeth every time we passed a street pole. I never knew whether anyone else had similar neuroses but in retrospect, it sure was a good predictor that I’d be playing mind games with myself well into adulthood.
The one I’m referring to is the one where I avert my eyes to the left every time I enter my kitchen. The reason being that my desk is tucked into a nook on the right side of the kitchen and if I look away at just the right moment upon stepping over the threshold, I can avoid seeing the toppling tower of bills threatening to take over my desk. Someone please tell me that I’m not alone in this game of denial! What do you do to avoid facing the bills?
With Full Circle on my side, I can’t help but feel really good about myself for facing my debt. I have to be careful though, because patting myself on the back sometimes turns into rewarding myself with expensive meals. This is especially the case when I’m clock-watching at work, waiting for my precious lunch break. I trick myself into thinking I deserve more than my boring packed lunch of ham on rye and sliced apples. The prize usually ends up being a full-course meal at my favorite sushi restaurant that just-so-happens to be right across from the office. Good news for my palette, not so good news for my wallet.
nom nom
So I really need to try harder and stay on track with my debt management plan – maybe I’ll pack a more appetizing lunch next time. I guess I can’t expect my debt management consultant, as good as he is, to do all the work…
-You don’t answer numbers you don’t know because you’re worried about some creepy collection agent breathing in your ear.
-Your voicemail is always full from their annoying messages
-You dread opening your mailbox. Your hand even kinda shakes when you fumble with the key.
-There are more bills on your kitchen table than crumbs.
-No one takes your personal cheques anymore.
-Your mom and dad screen your calls. Isn’t that horrible?
-Garnish isn’t just for dinner.
-When they cut your credit card up at stores, they say, “You again?”
-You never sign for registered mail. Believe me, registered mail is for chumps.
-When strangers try to give you something, you run!
-You are better at making excuses than getting things done.
-When your waitress says, “Hello, I’ll be your server tonight.” You make a quick exit through the bathroom window.
When I first talked to Full Circle Debt Solutions about consolidating my debt and managing this big hairy monkey on my back, they lent me a supportive ear. It was almost like they had been in my shoes. I have to admit, I was crying a bit after telling them about how crap my life had become because of all this stupid debt. But they had ideas to help me out right away.
One of the frist things they did was set me up with a plan to make paying off my debt that much easier. By consolidating all my high-cost debt into one low monthly payment, I was able to breathe a little easier, and one-by-one the things in that list began to vanish into a bad, faint memory – kind of like the time I drank tequila and Tang.
