Debt Consolidation Vancouver

Serious about reducing your debt? Start cutting out all the tiny purchases you don’t need. Here’s a list of some of the worst smalltime offenders:

1. Gossip Mags – They’re there at the checkout, you’re bored, the cashier just went on break and J.Lo has a new man. The perfect storm. But resist! If you need to have the latest celebrity scoop, wait till you get home and read it online. Or we can tell you – she’s dating one of her dancers (again…).

2. Lottery tickets – You’re not gonna win. EVER!

3. Adding a Combo / Upsizing – Fries are the furthest thing from a healthy side dish. They can hardly be considered a vegetable by the time they are added to your sandwich or burger.

4. Water Bottles – Water is free and clean in this country. In most places… Take advantage of this fact and fill up your reusable bottle at home, work and while you’re out-and-about.

5. Oil Light – When the little light comes on, spend a few dollars and buy a few litres. Don’t let it linger like a solitary Christmas decoration you forgot to take down. An engine overhaul could cost you thousands.

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.

Those savings could go to paying down your debt.

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.

Win-win.

To find out if a credit consolidation plan is right for you, visit Full Circle’s website or call them in person at: 1-877-220-3328.

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 had managed to raise a family and save for his retirement.

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.

Car salesman was a step in the right direction.

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.

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.

Before you throw in the towel, think about your future. Apply for a debt consolidation plan with Full Circle Debt Solutions.

Why are more and more Canadians finding themselves in debt trouble?

Perhaps it is connected with the ease at which we are able to pay with our credit cards. Scan, swipe or enter our digits, and bam, the purchase is completed. The speed at which we can buy products and services using a credit option is driving us into unthinkable debt.

Now Visa Inc. is making that process even easier. This fall, Visa will launch a new payment program called “digital wallet.” Designed for the online purchaser, the Visa wallet app will allow customers to simply enter their email address and password to pay for their purchases. No need to get out your card, and type in the 16-digit number plus an expiration date. That takes up to much time and god forbid you cannot find your card. Now, all you will need to remember is your email and password

Scary.

What’s next?

In the future will we just have to say the words ‘charge it‘ into a voice detector and we can walk away with an X-Box 1080?

Who knows?

All I know is the harder it is to use my credit options, the less likely I am to run up a huge bill.

So if Visa comes calling, maybe tell them you’re happy with the old ways.

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.

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.

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.

To continue with my story for Full Circle Debt Solutions …

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.

Sweet Dreams!

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.

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.

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 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…

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!

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.

1. Don’t open up a credit card account just because they offer you a discount. It’s too hard to keep track of multiple accounts and you’ll end up racking up the bills.
2. Ignoring the pile of bills on your desk will NOT make them go away. The only thing that will go away is your credit and the only thing you will gain is debt (at a high interest rate!).
3. Your kids do not need to wear designer duds. Not only do they not appreciate it, kids are cute no matter what brand they’re wearing.
4. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend on decorating your home. Nobody will notice it if your house is a mess.
5. Managing your debt is a full time job – unless, of course, you’ve got Full Circle and their team of licensed debt management consultants by your side.

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.

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.

There’s a reason why people let their bills pile up on their desk. The task of paying them is a grueling process, one that takes a big toll on the wallet. There’s a lot of ‘why the heck did I buy this?’, and even more of ‘how the hell am I going to pay for that?’ The problem is, the more we let them pile up, the more they will show up in your mailbox, with the addition of late fee notifications.

At Full Circle Debt Solutions, our goal is to make debt payment easier for you. Our team of licensed debt management professionals will design a debt reduction plan that is tailored to your needs and concerns. We will talk to your creditors and consolidate your debt so that paying your bills feels less like walking into a battlefield and more like a walk in the park.

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.

When you’re in debt, it’s really hard to think about anything else. Sure, you can avoid looking at the growing pile of bills on your desk – say, by avoiding the desk, or by avoiding the room that houses the desk altogether. But deep inside, you know full well how much money you owe and the extent of your debt. And on the outside, the new clothes hanging in your closet and the brand-new mohair rug on your living room floor are constant reminders. In fact, falling into debt is not unlike stepping on dog sh#!. The smell follows you around and lingers no matter how many times you try to get rid of it.

So if you’re sick and tired of worrying about your debt, and want to do something about it, give us a call. At Full Circle, our team of licensed debt management professionals will help you minimize your debt and your monthly payments. We know everything there is to know about debt consolidation and we’ll even help you get rid of those annoying calls from creditors.

Bills are one thing, late fees are another. At least when it comes to paying bills, I know I’m paying for something that I used or received. Paying late fees, on the other hand, is almost like you’re giving money away. Although I know that late fees are supposed to be more of a deterrent than anything else, so that these companies don’t fall behind on their own accounting and so that you don’t fall into the habit of paying late – it doesn’t stop me from channeling my inner petulant child whenever I get fined with one.

But with all the bills I have to pay, it’s easy to fall behind. For example, there was this one time when Mark and I first moved into our new apartment in Vancouver. I got so caught up in the unpacking, furniture shopping, and setting up of our new apartment, that I had forgotten to tie up our loose ends in Calgary – and we ended up getting late fees on our cable and electric bills. And this other time, in my college days, when I let the credit card bills pile up, for fear of dealing with what was inside.

Ever since we got in touch with Full Circle though, we’ve been pretty good about keeping on top of our monthly bills. By helping us consolidate our debt, the process of paying the bills has become a lot less daunting. So if you find yourself paying late fees all time, consider giving Full Circle a call. They’ll walk you through the entire process of managing your debt so that you can be one step closer to financial freedom.

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.

Mom was so proud.

Full Circle Debt Solutions here. We’re not going to sugar coat it. Scarlett’s path to financial freedom isn’t an easy one. In fact, it was a long road that was filled with potholes and ditches – and it’s definitely a road that will never really end. It’s the consumer thirst that seems insatiable, especially when we’re constantly faced with promotions and products that we ‘have to have’.

If you’re looking to manage your debt and you live in BC or in AB, give us a call. We’ve got licensed professionals who specialize in debt consolidation and will be there every step of the way on your journey towards financial security.

Feeling blue about the never-ending stream of bills that seem to find their way to your mailbox? And the debt that’s straining your finances? Nothing will get you down quite like debt stress, and nothing causes wrinkles quite like it.

Put down the anti-aging cream and self-help books, because the only way to treat a serious case of debt downer is to face the problem head on. As Scarlett can attest to, avoiding the problem only makes it worse.
So call Full Circle Debt Solutions and talk to a debt management professional to reduce your monthly payments. He will help you consolidate your debt and guide you through your financial road to recovery. As any good dermatologist will tell you, it’s about maintenance, not a quick fix.

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.

If it weren’t for Full Circle Debt, I’d be knee deep in these bills. But thanks to my debt management consultant at Full Circle, I’ve consolidated my debt so that I just have to submit one payment each month. Much more manageable – to my relief but also to my mailman’s.

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.

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.