Debt Consolidation Vancouver

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.

I’ve been a car salesman for close to a year now. Before that, as most of you know already, I was an insurance salesman. I consider myself to be fairly good at what I do – selling.

But before I got into sales, I saw my career path heading down a different road. My goal, ten years ago, was to go into the locksmith profession. Crazy, I know, but for some reason I thought being a Vancouver locksmith would be a really cool job.

Every exterior door in the city has one, so there would always be business. They don’t require a huge amount of technical experience to install, so I could pretty much learn my trade on the job. I wouldn’t have to rely on others for support; I could work alone on most jobs. And, I would be able to provide a needed sense of security to thousands of individuals.

Seemed like a dream job.

Lured by a higher starting salary, I ditched the lock world for the insurance industry. I guess they both provide security in a way…

Now, every time I lock my door when I leave my apartment I think, what if I had taken the other road. Who knows?

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.

Receive all three of these benefits when you apply for a Full Circle Debt Consolidation Program.

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.

Start a repayment program that you can be proud of. Contact Full Circle Debt Solutions to begin a conversation with one of our many licensed, government approved credit counsellors.

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.

If you are serious about finding a solution to your debt, call 1-877-220-3328.

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.

The number one reason to start a debt consolidation program is: it will lower your interest payments.

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?”

It’s hard to save money for your credit payments, especially if it means severely cutting your social activities or family outings. There are other ways to make up the extra cash needed to pay your bills.

One place to start is your home. Simple energy saving tips can dramatically reduce your power bill. Here are a few that have been passed on to me.

1. Dirty Filters – Replace your furnace filters every couple of months. If they’re clogged, your furnace has to work harder to warm your house. A harder working furnace is dollars up in smoke.

2. Digital Readout – There is an obvious initial cost to a programmable thermostat, but some homeowners claim to have saved almost $200 the first year.

3. Cold Wash Clean – 85% of the energy used to do your laundry is spent warming the water. Switch the dial to cold and save money.

4. Don’t Let Your Crack Show – Make sure to weather strip all your windows and doors. Don’t forget the door that heads to the attic.

5. More of the Pink Stuff – Insulate all your walls, including the basement. This will keep the heat in. No sense warming the backyard.

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.

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.”

“So you’ve used their service?”

“Yeah, and continue too. I’m on an five year plan to pay off my creditors.”

“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.

She stared at the list again. “Probably drowning in interest payments.”

I shook my head slowly in agreement.

“You want some advice?”

“Sure, if you’re offering it,” I said.

“I’m offering, only if you are serious about repaying.”

“Of course I’m serious,” I replied. “I’m just a little frustrated about where I should start.”

“Start with this,” she said. She took a pen from her shirt pocket and wrote on her order form. Then she slapped the paper on the table in front of me.

“Check this site out. Come back tomorrow with your questions.”

Skeptical, I paid and walked back to work, wishing I had brought an umbrella.

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.

Where to start?

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…

You worked straight through the summer, with hardly a day off. Your friends all cashed in their holiday time and took their families on vacation, but your job required your full attention from May until the end of August. The only thing that kept you focused through the hot Kamloops summer was the promise you made to your family of a winter vacation.

While the temperatures rose and the masses moved outdoors to tan, swim and enjoy the sunshine, you were stuck indoors working. You caught the odd softball game after work and enjoyed a few sunset beverages, but the majority of your time was spent working.

With your goal almost in reach, you have decided to increase your time-off, to reward yourself and your family. But a longer vacation will mean more capital and even with your extended hours, your savings will fall short.

Fortunately there are other means to finance your well-earned vacation. A Kamloops mortgage broker can help you pay for the time you need to take your family away to somewhere warm during the winter.

With a quick application process, the money you need could be delivered within days. Within a week you could pay for all the flights, accommodation and extra activities you have planned for your trip.

You deserve a break and a Kamloops mortgage broker can help turn your dream vacation into a reality.

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.

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?

Hi.

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.

The anxiety was crippling and it affected my search for a new job.

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…

Anyways, thanks for reading. I enjoyed sharing my stories with you.

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.

Alright Tyler, I hand the pen (keyboard) to you.

Imagine if you added all the hours together that you spent worrying about your debt. What could you do with that time?

You could read the entire Harry Potter series from his early days under the stairs to his final battle with Vold…. ‘The One Who Will Not Be Named.’

You could take ten windsurfing classes – that’s almost pro status.

You could weed, replant and water your garden a dozen times.

You could learn basic Spanish – enough to leave the resort with on your next vacation to Mexico.

You could retile the bathroom.

You could attend at least eight of your son’s soccer games.

You could film, edit and publish a video on YouTube explaining how easy it is to remove your debt with a debt consolidation plan from Full Circle.

Any of these options could be yours.

That last one stands out as a winner.

When you apply for a debt repayment program, your level of anxiety is greatly decreased if not eliminated.  With Full Circle’s help, you will only have to make one payment a month; this amount will be dispersed between your creditors. You will have less interest to pay and you will know exactly how long it will take to eliminate your debt completely. Try it today. Gain back hours of your life almost immediately.

Have you recently been laid off work? If you are between jobs and are finding it hard to pay your monthly bills, Full Circle Debt Solutions can help you get back on track.

When you sign up for a debt consolidation plan, Full Circle, with your permission, will contact your creditors and negotiate terms that are more amicable to your current income. If you are currently on unemployment insurance, Full Circle will help you find a way to pay for your living expenses and your debt.

No one likes to be out of work, but our payments still need to be made. The bankruptcy route can be long and painful, with lasting issues surrounding your credit rating.

Choose the safer route and apply for debt consolidation. Once you find work again, you will be glad you chose to continue your payments instead of throwing in the towel.

Here are some helpful resources for finding work in British Columbia.

Service BC website:

http://www.servicebc.gov.bc.ca/life_events/job/index.html

BCjobs.ca:

http://www.bcjobs.ca/

Don’t discount Craigslist:

http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/ca/bc

Good luck!

A recent Canadian poll discovered that a quarter of Canadians carry no debt. The data was collected for Scotiabank, one of Canada’s largest banking institutions.

Interesting… a bank produced a poll about the lack of debt in our country. Isn’t that exactly what they want us to believe so we will go out and apply for a loan, confident, that like other Canadians, we can pay it off quickly.

What about the three quarters of Canadians that do carry a negative balance?

The same survey found that 19 per cent of the individuals polled from British Columbia feel overwhelmed by their debt. If three quarters of our province has debt and 19 per cent are overwhelmed, then there are roughly 600,000 BC residents struggling to pay their bills.

If you are one of the many British Columbians who is in need of credit guidance, talk to Full Circle Debt Solutions about consolidating your debt. You can reduce your creditor list to one, lower your interest payments and eliminate your anxiety.

Call today and talk to a credit counsellor about your financial situation.

The key to being organized is lists.

The simplest list: your grocery list. We’re human, we forget things. Next time write all the ingredients down so you won’t have to make two trips to the store.

Make a list of important dates. You don’t want to miss your mother’s birthday – for the third year in a row.

Hire a personal trainer for a day and have them make you a list of appropriate exercises that you could do at home.

If you have eight important clients to handle in a day, make a quick list and rank each one on their importance. Then make another list identifying how much time you think it will take to handle each client. Use these two lists to build your weekly working schedule.

Make a list of all the things you wish to accomplish by the time you’re 50. Post this somewhere safe, but visible.

Spend a few minutes and make a list of all your creditors.

Wow… you can stop now.

Want to reduce that list to one. Full Circle Debt Consolidation can help. With a debt consolidation plan, you will only receive one bill and you will only have to write one cheque.

Stick with the lists that matter. Hike in Nepal before you turn ten past forty.

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 are many things that we can’t reasonably live without, but in this day and age, a computer is at the top of that list.

When our desk or laptop breaks down, it leaves us feeling as if one of our limbs has been taken from us. Sure, this ‘Borg’ way of thinking is a little unhealthy, but it almost can’t be avoided. Where would we be without Google Maps, iTunes or email? (Notice we didn’t even mention Facebook)

Buying a new computer to repair that missing limb is a pain, but it has to be done. When that time comes, we occasionally fall short on funds. With our credit maxed, it is nice to know there are other options.

Alpine Credits can help you replace your old computer with a new, more powerful, faster, computing station. Your new arm will have you doing one-handed pushups by the end of the week.

Don’t let your credit deprive you of the Internet, word processing or pirated movies. Apply for a Vancouver home equity loan and purchase a computer that will last your for years to come.

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.

Are these people we can look up to? No. But we can learn from their mistakes.

The most important lesson to take away: “Only spend what you can afford.”

Am I the only one who is a little confused by the sudden escalation of the word “swag?”

I always thought swag meant the free stuff you got when you attended a conference or charity event. But now I hear hip-hop stars and celebrities using the word as an affirmation or noun to mean style or confidence. I even hear it being used as a verb: “swagged-out.” Then all of sudden I read that Puff Daddy has changed his name to “Swag.” What gives?

Well readers, I did some research and apparently swag comes from the hip-hop term “swagger.” Remember that song M.I.A. did with T.I., Jay and Kanye: “Swagga Like Us?”

No one on the corner has swagga like us

Swagga like us

Swagga swagga like us

I guess these four thought pretty highly of themselves.

Now the shortened form swag, picked up by the hip-hop group of the moment Odd Future (OFWGKTA), has taken off. For example, I was watching “Dancing With The Stars” (don’t judge) the other night and one of the dancers used it to describe their routine: “That is swag!”

If you’re thinking of using it in your everyday life, try alternating it for the word cool. “Do you think it would be swag if I wore my Bruins jersey to the game?” And the answer to that question is definitely no! That is not swag.

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.

You don’t need to freeze next winter if you start a repayment program while the weather is fair. Contact Full Circle about a Canadian debt consolidation plan.

With your debt mounting are you forced to take on additional jobs? Maybe pick-up a blogging gig for you nights off? Has your free time evaporated?

Don’t run yourself into the ground trying to pay back your creditors. Sign up for a debt consolidation plan and work towards paying one realistic payment a month.

A debt consolidation plan could save you thousands in interest charges. It will also allow you to resume a normal life. One where you can take the odd night off. Maybe catch a movie or try that new bistro down the block.

It’s not a loan to pay back another loan. It’s a service.

Contact Full Circle Debt Solutions to apply today. The professionals at Full Circle will contact your creditors and negotiate terms that are consistent with your current income level.

You won’t have to spend your days off picking up extra shifts or spend your nights scouring Craigslist for a job that brings in more income. Full Circle will help you pay off your bills while maintaining the same lifestyle you currently hold.

For a no obligation consultation, call: 1-877-220-3328.

The name of the company that saved me from my credit catastrophe is Full Circle Debt Solutions. An appropriate name for a company that specializes in returning dignity to the lives of average Canadians who may have been trapped in an otherwise hopeless cycle of credit debt.

No one plans to get caught up in a web of credit bills, but sometimes, through poor budgeting or unforeseen events, we find ourselves cornered by our creditors. With the two options of bankruptcy or repayment, the latter is often seen as the tougher road to travel.

Fortunately, Full Circle is in the business of helping Canadians fulfill their repayment obligations. Full Circle helps individuals pay off their debts by reducing their troubles to one easy payment. They accomplish this by negotiating a plan with your creditors.

It is in Full Circle’s best interest to help you find a plan that works with your income level. Talk to them today and meet with a credit counselor almost immediately. You will save thousands in interest payments.

Sign up and turn your life around – Full Circle.

Hey guys. I had a coffee with my friend the other day and she asked me an interesting question that is pretty relevant to what we’ve been talking about the last couple of months.

Her question was this: “Is a consolidation plan the same as a consolidation loan?”

The answer: Not at all.

If you signup for a consolidation plan with Full Circle, you are not loaned any money. You are not switching one creditor for another. Full Circle provides a service. They contact your creditors and explain your situation. They make arrangements for you to pay them back on terms that are more reasonable. This is the service they provide.

They also make it easy for you. Instead of three or more outstretched hands, asking for money, there is only one bill. With only one bill, your interest payments are greatly reduced. This can save you thousands of dollars.

Sounds almost too good to be true! Trust me. You’ll never look back. Well, until it’s all paid off and then you’ll be raving to all your friends just like I am.

So visit their site and fill out the quick-and-easy form.

http://www.debtgone.ca

In high school you planned your whole adult life out in one week of career planning. You intended to go to University for four years, get your Bachelor of Science Degree and then move on to a specialized field in bioengineering with a specialty in immunology. After a year abroad in Africa, you planned to get a job at a Canadian University to continue your work. By twenty-eight you wanted to own your first home and by thirty-three, start a family.

Turns out not everything goes according to plan.

After two years in Science, you switched to Arts. You graduated with a degree in creative writing and then spent the next three years trying to find a job in your field. After teaching English in Korea for two years, you returned to Canada and went back to school for a trade. Now working as a metal fabricator, you are just starting to pay off your huge student loan along with your three maxed credit cards. You’re thirty-four and a house seems at least a few years away.

Plan B got you a job that challenges you every day. It let you experience life in other countries. It let you experiment with your desire to write. And it helped you realize you were skilled in a field you never even considered ten years earlier.

But it also left you with a huge debt.

When it comes time to pay, there are institutions that can help. Full Circle Debt Solutions will sign on to be in your corner. They can talk to your creditors to help devise a repayment plan. Visit their website today.

Boys. We’ve talked about this before, but I think it’s worth another refresher. If you are over twenty-five and looking to find that right someone, you can’t expect to land the women of your dreams when you have a massive debt tugging at your back pocket. It’s not attractive. Trust me. I don’t like mine and I definitely don’t want to marry another person who is in deep as debt as I was a year ago.

But unlike a poor gene physical attribute, your debt can be worked off. You spend all those hours in the gym working off the beer from the weekend before; why not spend some months seriously paying off your creditors?

Don’t know where to start? Look at your bills and find the one with the highest interest rate. Start there. Still confused. Hire Full Circle Debt Consolidation to help you manage your debt. They did wonders for me and look how confident I am now. All it takes is a visit to their site. Fill out the quick form and a debt counselor will call you back. It is that easy.

Now please, try it.  And lose the facial hair. We’re not big fans of that either.

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.

Things that you would never want your girlfriend to find:

1. Your Grade 10 high school Yearbook (those photos from your Musical Theatre class are terrible for your cred)

2. Your signed Nelly Furtado CD

3. Your ex-girlfriends love letters (Why do you still have those!!!)

4. Your Pilates DVD series

5. The novel you started writing just out of University

6. That text from Jennifer last Saturday night

7. Your collection of Spiderman comics

8. Your nightly face creme.

9. Your worn copy of Twilight

10. Your drawer full of credit statements

One through nine you can take care of yourself. Number ten is a little trickier. Sure you can throw out the paper statements, but that won’t stop the creditors from sending more. The only way to scuttle your debt is to tackle it head on. Confused about how to start this process? Consider a debt consolidation plan with the credit experts at Full Circle Debt Solutions. Their counselors will guide you on your path to repayment.

Trust me boys. Girls are always on the hunt for incriminating evidence. Lose yours with the help of Full Circle.

With only a few days in the Premier’s office under her belt, Christy Clark has announced plans to make good on her campaign promise to raise the minimum wage in British Columbia from $8 an hour to $10.25. Clark claims that the $10.25 wage will be in effect no later than May 1st of 2012.

The increase will come in stages, with the first jump occurring in May of this year. The first bump will take the wage to $8.75. In November it will rise again to $9.50 and then by May of next year it will finally climb to $10.25.

Clark also plans to eliminate the training wage, which is currently set at $6 per hour.

B.C. currently holds the lowest minimum wage in the country.

The increase is an integral part of Clark’s plan to put families first.

The wage was last changed when Gordon Campbell first came to power, nearly a decade ago.

Though many small business owners are wary of the increase, Clark is confident that the new increase will not affect the economy in a negative fashion. Others believe that potentially, numerous jobs could be cut and replaced with atomization practices.

Only will time will tell.

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.

Getting your credit under control is the first step towards owning a home. Without a decent credit rating you will never be accepted for a mortgage.

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.

Some people refuse to go into debt. They see it as a sign of weakness.

The reality: these people probably lead a boring life or have crazy assistance from some family benefactor.

The ‘D’ word should not be an evil phrase. It is a natural part of living in a monetary world. All of the perceived power nations run with a debt. Even China’s industrial boom is the result of the country going into massive debt. But what do these investments yield, stronger, more competitive nations.

Without debt, you would never afford to live in a house, pay for a new car, go on vacation or graduate from the school of your choice. It is a necessary element for achieving the lifestyle you deserve.

Paying off your debt can be hard. But as your income increases over time, it becomes easier and more manageable.

For those of us in our late twenties and early thirties, debt can sometimes seem like a dark cloud of oppression. Fear not. As I said, it gets better.

But for now, seeking out a debt counselor is often a proactive means of controlling your financial situation. The staff at Full Circle is an excellent resource for creating a plan to manage your debt. If you are having trouble meeting your payments, Full Circle will contact your creditors and create a repayment plan that is practical for your current income level.

Debt is not to be feared. We need it to lead progressive, full lives.

If you are struggling with your monthly payments contact Full Circle today.

Julia here. Surfing the net this week (FOR FREE!) I came across an interesting article published in the Globe and Mail.

The article was entitled, “Five Common Mistakes When Paying Off Debt.”

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.

Let’s keep those bills down.

Stay tuned for more details.

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.

It’s confession time. You already know most of the details of the past two years of my life. You also know I smoke. And I love to shop.

But I bet you didn’t know that I am a huge fan of historical fiction. I love combat scenes, heroes, knights, cavalry charges and battle strategy. I sometimes fantasize about running an infantry unit at work, as I supervise the junior waitresses beneath me. When I’m hiking, I find myself daydreaming about how a mounted unit would move across the terrain. When I fill my purse in the morning, I think about how much else I would need to carry if I was a soldier marching off to war.

But I’m not. I’m Julia – A waitress with huge amounts of debt.

I’m not a Roman soldier or a knight of Camelot or even a Canadian foot soldier. None of these heroes would have thrown themselves at the foot of their enemy and begged for mercy. But that is how I perceived my move to contact Full Circle Debt Solutions. I surrendered, just before ruin.

But then it hit me one day: ‘Julia, you’re not surrendering. You are choosing the best option possible. You are admitting defeat, sure, but only in battle, not in the war.’

My white flag was raised to save the rest of my soldiers, to help secure a life for the ones who lied wounded. My actions were for mercy, but I would return. I only needed time and the resources to compete, both of which Full Circle provided.

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 applied and received a credit card to pay for my bills and rent.

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…

August 2009 – Hope Can Only Be Reached By Car

August held pretty much the same as the previous month; lots of work, little time for rest and bills, bills, bills.

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.

Eliminating needless expenditures

Part One – The Mermaids Mug

Addictions are a tough subject to bring up. I’m not to fond of talking about my brother’s illness and I’m sure addicts aren’t too keen on discussing their own slides. But some addictions carry a little less severity than others.

This week I want to talk about this city’s addiction to java.

It’s rampant. I thought it was bad back east with the Tim Hortons craze, but they have nothing on Vancouverites.

You guys are hooked on the Mermaids brew. She has her three pronged triton deeply imbedded in your psyche. You need her elixir to start your day. You make plans to meet at her lair with potential partners. And you sneak in just before closing to get your last cup for the long night of work ahead.

These visits add up. It’s almost five dollars for every non-fat, extra shot, caramel latte you order. Plus, one out of every three visits you add a munchie. On an average week your bills could total over sixty dollars. That’s ludicrous. And we’re not talking about the rapper.

Want to save money? Buy a thirty-dollar coffee maker, some filters and a generic tub of fine grind. Bring your tub to work and brew your own blend at the job. It might seem weird at first, but you will soon see the difference in your pocket book at the end of the week.

Small things like these can have you saving money instantly.

Try it.

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.

Now go for a walk.

Back already?

Feel better?

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.

Apply for a Full Circle consultation right now and feel the weight lifted within days.

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.

But that was before the government heavies sent me my first student loan bill…

Flash Forward… to the future. Isn’t it scary?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

The bad habit starts when you’re a little kid, when you put off going to the bathroom until…an accident happens. Then it’s when you’re a big kid, and you put off cleaning your room until…your mom yells at you. Then it’s when you’re in high school and you put off studying for your physics exam until…the night before the exam. And now? Well, you avoid paying the bills, or in severe cases, you avoid opening them altogether until…your pile of bills takes over every square millimeter of writing surface on your desk.

The difference, though, between you now and you then is that you’re supposed to be all grown up and mature. Which means, that when it comes time to pay the bills, you gotta pay ‘em! And in a timely matter. So if you’re sick of waiting until… “stuff” hits the fan, then give us a call, consolidate your debt, and say good bye to last-minute stress.

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.

Last week, my friend Vicky asked me for advice. She had just gotten laid off at work, and was freaking out because she was receiving all of her monthly bills, and had no clue how she was going to pay them off. I could tell she was real upset, right when I picked up the phone and heard her voice. And boy, did I know how she was feeling. After all, when Mark and I first fell into financial trouble, we even considered skipping town. But I knew Vicky, and I knew she would never even think about defaulting on her debt – after all, she has a little one to consider.
At first, I guess I was surprised that she would think of me to reach out to, of all people. But then I remembered that nobody really knew about what Mark and I had gone through in our younger days, except for my family. I realized, at that moment, that I had to be there for Vicky, 100 percent of the way, just like my sister was there for me, in my time of need.
The first thing I suggested to her was to call my debt management consultant at Full Circle and get his advice on how she could consolidate her debt. All I can hope for is that she’ll be able to get all her bills and debt under control, just like Mark and I did, and be able to live stress-free again.

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.

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.

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.

At Full Circle Debt Solutions, we’ve got lots to be proud of. We’re proud to be Canadian, we’re proud to call Vancouver home, and we’re proud of our clients, all of whom have taken control of their debt. But what we’re most proud of is our team of debt management consultants.

As Canada’s largest independent group of licensed debt management professionals, they will walk you through every step of debt consolidation, even tailoring consumer credit counseling programs to your needs. By contacting your creditors to negotiate debt payment plans that are more manageable for you, our debt management experts help you get rid of those annoying calls from debt collection agencies.

So if you find yourself knee-deep in bills, give us a call. We’ll set you up with an expert from our team right away. We will help you reduce your interest rates, and cut down your monthly payments so that you can, once again, take control of your debt.

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.

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.

The only consolation I have is that I’ve got Full Circle Debt on my side. Thanks to my debt consolidation consultant, life doesn’t feel like all work, no play.

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.

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.

10 years ago, I would have never guessed how dependent I’d be on the internet, or on my email, and on Facebook, and on Twitter. I do everything on the world wide web now, from reading the daily news, whether it be about BP’s oil spill or Lindsay Lohan’s lock up, to shopping for a new blender. But one of the internet utilities I’m most attached to is online banking. I log-in and poof! My account balance, recent transactions, transfer totals, bill payment plans – all at my fingertips and all at a moment’s notice. Never has instant gratification made me feel so responsible.

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.

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!

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?