When you finish your debt consolidation plan you will be financially ahead, your credit rating will be improved and your heart will have received less anxiety than if you went at it alone.
At the completion of your plan, tally the interest you paid. Compare it to the potential interest you could have paid if you continued with a handful of creditors. Those numbers don’t lie. That is a huge savings.
When you cross the financial finish line, your borrowing potential will have greatly increased. You will have proved to your previous and future creditors that you are able to payoff your debts. An increased credit rating will help you buy your first home, invest in a small business or purchase a vehicle on credit.
Your heart will also thank you for completing the consolidation journey. Without a consolidation plan, debtors are forced to deal with collectors and phone-calls from each of their separate creditors. With a plan, debtors only receive one bill – the one from Full Circle. With less agitation comes less anxiety. Less anxiety equals a healthier lifestyle.
Credit counsellors at Full Circle spend their days talking to individuals like you and me who are currently going through difficult financial times. Apart from giving advice on how to move forward with a debt consolidation plan, many of the Full Circle counsellors find their roles include offering personal advice on how to properly inform the debtor’s family about the nature of their financial circumstance.
Because debt is often hidden from other family members, Full Circle counsellors always suggest that new clients disclose their situation to their spouse or significant other. A debt consolidation plan is a new beginning and new beginnings should always start with full disclosure.
Sometimes, this conversation can be harder than making the monthly payments. But it’s always best to explain your debt when you have a plan in place to pay it off. Stuck on the right words? Full Circle’s counsellors will be glad to talk it over with you.
Interest is money that you will never see again. It’s money that goes straight to your creditors pockets without ever reducing your principal. If you can lower the monthly amount you pay towards interest, you can put more money towards erasing your debt.
This is basic finance. Why pay more, when you could pay less.
There are no strings, there is no fine-print to read, only a guarantee that your interest will be reduced.
That should be enough to get you interested. But it’s only the beginning of the advantages offered by a debt consolidation plan. Not only will your interest payments be reduced, you will also see an immediate change from your creditors. With a debt plan in place, you will never receive a bill directly from your credit companies. They will not call and they will not send you written warnings. The only piece of mail you will receive will be for the one payment you owe.
I know… You’re thinking the same thing I was; “Why didn’t I signup for this earlier?”
Sitting in my warm apartment, with the rain falling against the window, I wonder if the Occupiers are regretting their course of action. I know there are many who sympathize with their cause, but after working so hard to pay my own debts off, I find it hard to support a cause that wants their own debt erased with a magic flip of a wand.
The protests in New York City may have seemed like a romantic movement, inspiring our own Art Gallery encampment, but now with the rain and the cold weather, is it really that smart to voluntarily deny yourself one of the five basic needs? Wouldn’t it be more productive to come up with a plan on how to pay back your debt, rather than blaming others for their financial success?
The 1% got to the top tax bracket by working tirelessly. Sure some were handed family money, but they used that cash to build their own empire. It’s hardly fair to demand that they share with others who haven’t put in the time.
But this is a democracy and if people want to show their displeasure towards the current financial system by squatting on the Art Gallery lawn, I guess that is their prerogative.
Me, I’ll stay warm and continue to work towards my own goal of financial freedom.
The young lady on the other end of the phone identified herself as Rebecca. She was operating the switchboard. She said she had a few questions for me to help with her recommendation for the right counsellor for my case.
I answered her questions concerning my financial status and we talked a little bit about the burden of credit card anxiety. Then she directed my phone call to Morgan, a veteran debt management professional.
Morgan didn’t have the conversational skills that Rebecca had, but she immediately impressed me with her professionalism. She explained that Full Circle was going to do three things for me: they were going to give me one payment instead of six, they were going to reduce the interest that I paid each month and they were going to assist me in my financial decisions. In return, I would have to be committed to finishing the repayment program.
I explained to Morgan that I had recently pulled myself out a ‘life trench’ and was now looking to improve my status as a working professional. I knew the time was right for a plan and Full Circle was willing to provide that opportunity.
Sometimes debt is a scary subject. Sometimes it fills us with such extreme anxiety, that we can’t even talk about it. This is natural and it happens to everyone from time-to-time.
But debt can also be as funny as it is scary. To add to the funny side, I would like to pass along this little story. I hope you enjoy it.
It is a slow day in a damp little Irish town. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit. On this particular day a rich German tourist is driving through the town, stops at the local hotel and lays a €100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.
The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the €100 note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.
The butcher takes the €100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer.
The pig farmer takes the €100 note and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel.
The guy at the Farmers’ Co-op takes the €100 note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the pub.
The publican slips the money along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him “services” on credit.
The lady-of-the-night then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the €100 note.
The hotel proprietor then places the €100 note back on the counter so the rich traveler will not suspect anything.
At that moment the traveler comes down the stairs, picks up the €100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money, and leaves town.
No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.
The blogs were a nice introduction to the debt consolidation process. The variety of entries and the personal accounts helped me put together a clearer picture of the services Full Circle offered.
One interesting point I learned was that the service was not in the business to offer a consolidation loan. I would be paying my creditors, through the Full Circle Company. This was reassuring. I already had enough creditors; I didn’t need one more.
It was also nice to know, that once in the program, my creditors would not be permitted to contact me. No more voice messages, angry letters or threatening emails.
The best news was that my credit score would enter a different category. The new rating would be R7, a rating reserved for individuals who ‘voluntarily’ enter a debt consolidation process. As I continued to work on my debt, my rating would improve towards the goal: an R1 rating.
The blog was actually a really interesting read.
And now look at me. I’m writing on the very same blog that inspired me to start a repayment program.
So, if you have been enjoying my story, make sure to scroll down and read the personal debt tales from the other four writers who have produced for this blog.
Thank you Scarlett, Ben, Eve and Julia. Your work has shed light on a service that many Canadians should learn about.
When I saw Julia next, it had been three days since she slipped me the Full Circle website. I was back at the diner, unfortunately not in her section. But she saw me and wandered over with a smile.
“So, did it help?”
“It looks promising,” I said, trying not to give away my skepticism. “Where did you hear about it? Do you work for them on the side?”
“Not really,” she replied, “but I have been writing a little blog on the topic of debt consolidation. See I was like you. A little lost, treading water in the deep end of the pool. But these guys saved me. And as a little favour to them, I write a weekly blog about my experiences with debt. You should check out the blog.”
“Wow! And it’s been working? Lower interest and all that?”
“Of course,” she said. “But the best part is I don’t have to deal with a mountain of bills, just one payment to Full Circle. It’s so incredibly easy, you’ll wonder why more people don’t use the service.”
“Huh…” I mumbled. “And you have no problem making the payments?”
“Nope! I worked out a manageable rate with Rob, my credit counsellor. It still hurts each month, but the money is being split between all my creditors. Full Circle handles all of that. It’s brilliant.
Give them a call. They can explain all the details and put you in contact with your own counsellor. You won’t regret it. I promise.”
She looked sincere, but I still wasn’t ready to call.
“What about this blog?” I asked. “Where can I find it?”
“Just type in ‘Debt Consolidation Vancouver’ into Google, it should be in the top three search items. Give it a read and let me know what you think.”
That night, I went home and read every post on the site. I called Full Circle the next day. I haven’t looked back since.
The Vancouver rain poured down in sheets. It was a dreary day in December, the day I met Julia.
I was on lunch break, sitting in a diner down the street from the car lot. I stirred the soup that was in front of me and waited for it to cool. As I waited, I took out my pen and wrote the list of my creditors on the white restaurant napkin – six in total.
There were two credit card companies, the Bay, a phone company, The Brick and a credit union. With the list written and my soup still cooling, I stared out at the falling rain outside.
I started to imagine all the cars I would have to sell to pay off each creditor. I pictured them piled on top of each other like bundled commodities.
“Quite the list,” a voice broke in. I turned and saw the waitress refreshing my coffee. “What’s your plan?” she asked.
“Well, I don’t really have one. I guess pay it off slowly,” I replied.
My folks let me move back home, but like my girlfriend, they too began to tire of my self-pity and lack of motivation to find work.
Desperate to get her son back in the workforce, my mother talked to one of her friends whose family ran a used car dealership. She convinced the husband of her friend to give me an interview for a sales position.
The lot was in Burnaby and I had to bus to the site for my interview. I shared a seat with an older gentleman who asked a zillion questions. I avoided most of the personal ones, embarrassed of my current financial state.
The elderly man explained that he had just retired, at 68. He had worked for over a dozen companies since he was twenty; some of them good and some of them poor.
He must have sensed my situation because he seemed to constantly return to the theme of perseverance; ‘Yes, life was hard, but hard working people find ways to succeed.’
I thought about this as I stepped off the bus and into the dealership.
When you’re at the top of your game, everyone is your friend.
At work, emails are returned promptly, the boss invites you over for dinner, the secretary gives you a smile that she only reserves for her boyfriend and your clients swear their allegiance to your services.
At the bar, girls come up and start chatting without even an introduction. They can somehow sense your success and economic potential.
At the gym, the pounds are removed and your muscle definition becomes clear and ripped.
Compliments are thrown upon you, discounts are offered and your Facebook page is full of humourous banter between friends.
Everyone wants to bask in your successful glow.
This is when the credit card companies seek you out and feed on your already inflated ego. They convince you that your income will only increase and that a $30,000 limit on your card is a good idea. ‘You’ll need a whole new wardrobe and a fancy car to keep up with your new, powerful colleagues.’
Then ‘poof,’ like magic, they are gone when your finances turn sour.
It’s bad enough living without the smiles, idle chat and social favours that you enjoyed, but without credit your life becomes a day-to-day struggle.
The only evidence of your creditors existence is the monthly bills they send.
It’s true what they say about fair-weather friends…
With the bill in front of me, I started another tally sheet. I put together a ten-year budget. It included a minimum sum that I could reasonably afford to pay each month. This money would be split between my creditors.
But in my desire to eliminate my financial problems, I forget about one of the biggest potential threats facing my limited capital: interest payments.
With more than a handful of creditors, I tried in vain to calculate the interest I would owe each credit company. After more than an hour I gave up. Interest is a bitch!
I was in over my head. I wanted to organize a schedule of payments, but without an accurate understanding of the interest I would be charged, my budget was useless.
All I knew was that while I struggled to stay above the poverty line, my creditors would be living the good life with all the interest I was paying.
My conclusion was this: I needed a financial advisor and I needed some sort of debt relief to lower my interest payments.
I went for a walk later that night and thought more about my options.
My thoughts kept returning to bankruptcy. Sure it was a coward’s way out, but it worked and my debts would magically disappear. I could improve my credit rating when I finally found a field of work I was happy in. I had survived my first nineteen years on this planet without credit; surely I could survive another ten or so.
The rebuttle to the last statement was made by my uncle the following day. I called him because he owned his own business and had gone through similar financial problems when his business faltered a few years back. ]
His response to my idea was quick and to the point. He asked me if I ever wanted to own a house? If I ever wanted to take a trip again? If I ever saw myself returning to the lifestyle I led when I sold insurance?
I answered ‘yes’ to all three and he responded with raised eyebrows and a smile.
“You can’t run from this,” he said. “You didn’t think about this predicament before you quit – did you? Well, now you’re in it and it’s your responsibility to dig your way out. If you want the life you lead before, you’ll need credit eventually. Bankruptcy is not an option.”
I went back home and pulled out the paper again. How was I ever going to pay this down?
You know that scene from Pulp Fiction when Marsellus Wallace gives Butch a lecture on ‘pride’? It’s before all the shenanigans with the gimp. It takes place in that bar with all that red lighting.
Butch is being paid off by Wallace to take a dive in a fight he will partake in. After Wallace pays Butch, he has a few words on the topic of ‘pride’:
Wallace: The night of the fight, you may feel a slight sting – that’s pride (beep)ing with you. (Beep) pride! Pride only hurts. It never helps. You fight through that (beep). Cause a year from now, when you kicking it in the Caribbean, you going to say to yourself: ‘Marsellus Wallace was right.’
Now the speech is intended to keep Butch on track. It is supposed to remind him of his role and keep him from straying from the plan. Taking a dive is obviously not a noble path, but it is the one Butch has chosen.
The nugget of truth in Wallace’s speech is the notion of ‘pride’ interfering with our decisions. I thought of this speech the other day, when I looking back on my debt troubles.
At the time, pride was keeping me from progressing forward. It was stalling my desire to seek financial help. I knew I was in trouble, but pride had a firm grip on me. Maybe it was a macho thing, but I wanted to somehow suffer through my situation alone.
Anxiety is a killer and it comes hand-in-hand with debt. When your bank account is less than the sum of your monthly bills, it’s hard to concentrate on anything else. Relationships suffer, your heath declines and your sour mood is evident to all.
I know.
Let’s talk about relationships. I had an amazing girl for three years when I was working in the liability field. She moved in after a year and shared my Yaletown apartment with me. Things were good.
Then I quit. She supported me and said that if I wasn’t happy, then it was the right decision to move on.
During my extended sabbatical, she put up with my many days on the couch. She knew I needed a break.
But then the money started to run dry and I started to panic. I let my anxiety get to me and I took it out on one of the only people who supported my decision to leave insurance.
After months of quarrelling, she left. Packed her bags one day while I was out and vanished.
I didn’t talk to her for half a year.
We have since made-up. But it took a cold hard look in the mirror, a substantial break and a credit counsellor to see that my debt was the source of my troubles.
Looking for a cheap date this summer? Have you taken your loved one to the movies lately? Fresh Air Cinema is offering free outdoor movies at different venues around the Lower Mainland. All you need is a blanket to sit on and a friend / partner to sit beside.
The venues range from parks, to Robson Square, to the Athletes Village. Our personal favourite is the Stanley Park viewing area; a beautiful backdrop, minutes away from downtown and a fairly mature crowd.
The films range from 80s classic popcorn flics to family animation.
Here is a sampling of the films that will be showing this August:
Thursday, August 11th – “Casablanca”
-Athletes Village (Vancouver)
Friday, August 12th – “Grease”
-Harbour Green Park (Vancouver)
Saturday, August 13th – “Ghostbusters”
-Cloverdale Amphitheatre (Surrey)
Monday August 15th – “Toy Story”
-Robson Square (Vancouver)
Thursday, August 18th – “Aladdin”
-Delbrook Park (North Vancouver)
Thursday August 25th – “Citizen Kane”
-Athletes Village (Vancouver)
And the cherry in the summer line-up:
Tuesday, August 30th – “Stand By Me”
-Second Beach (Vancouver)
“If I could only have one food for the rest of my life? That’s easy – Pez,
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.
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.
Is your small business suffering from budgeting issues? Full Circle Debt Solutions would like to pass along a few helpful tips for steering your enterprise in the right direction.
1. Always establish a company goal. Where does your focus lie? Does your major concern involve increasing your profit margins? Are you looking to expand? Maybe your focus is creating a diverse marketing campaign to spread the word about your unique enterprise.
Answering these questions will help you evaluate your company’s success. Sharing this focus with your employees will unite your team.
2. Knowing your focus is an important first step forward, but knowing where your company historically spends money can be just as valuable for advancement. Make a table of your financial data and organize it into three categories: revenue, direct costs and overhead costs. Are your costs growing at a faster rate than your revenue? Knowing where you spend your money will help you trim the budget. Keep your company goal in mind and adjust your spending accordingly.
3. Consider variables that may affect your business before the year-end. Have you properly budgeted for them?
4. Evaluate your company by comparing your data to industry benchmarks. How does your company stack-up.
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.
I think it’s important to focus on success stories. Stories that offer hope. Recovery stories.
Well, this week offered one of the biggest recovery stories in professional sports, as Manitoba was finally able to bring a hockey team back to Winnipeg.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, May 31st, with a somewhat sombre Gary Bettman in attendance.
Why will it work this time around? Strong management.
The Atlanta Spirit Group did nothing to market the team in Atlanta. The Thrashers were always an afterthought to the cities NBA franchise, the Atlanta Hawks.
In Winnipeg, the team will most definitely be the biggest card. They still have the Blue Bombers of course, but a NHL team is another sporting identity altogether. The True North Management Group will have no problem selling tickets. The Winnipeg fans are well aware of what will happen if they don’t manage to fill their arena.
Here’s to second chances!
Full Circle is 100% committed to reducing your debt and getting you back on track. They want to see you return to a life of opportunity, a separate routine from the shackled existence you now command. Reduce your debt, save money along the way and get back to enjoying the game.
As a society, who do we look up to? There are our friends and family, the few politicians who remain honest, local business tycoons like Jim Patterson and then there are the celebrities, the people who, through their looks, talent or birthright demand attention.
This latter group may seem like excellent role models, but often they struggle with the same issues we do.
Financial problems plague the rich and powerful. They may make millions, but they can be equally suited to burning millions.
Mike Tyson is a great example of this. Here is a young boy who fought his way out of the ghetto to become one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. He may have lost all credibility with his rape charges and his later antics in the Holyfield fight, but at one time Tyson was earning close to $400 million.
By 2003, after a fall from grace, Tyson owed $27 million in debts, $9 million for a divorce case and $13 million in back taxes.
Then there is the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. At the time of his death, Michael owed $400 million dollars to various large lending agencies and private financiers. His album “Thriller” is still the second largest selling album of all time, but still Jackson’s spending outdid his income. After his death, one forensic accountant estimated that Jackson was spending over $20 million per year more than he was actually earning. Yikes.
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.
This Monday, May 30th, commuters from around the Lower Mainland will leave their car keys at home and ride to the office in support of Vancouver’s Bike to Work Week.
The Vancouver Area Cycling Association is promoting the weeklong event by offering prizes for businesses that signup to participate. The Grand Prize is a draw, with the winning team awarded two tickets for a Kettle Valley Trail Trip from Great Explorations. How you decide which two employees will go is your job.
There are celebration stations around the Lower Mainland where cyclists can stop and get a free refreshment. Mechanics will also be available at each of these sites, offering free tune-ups and advice.
Ride with a friend, or ask the cute boy from accounting if he wants to join you on your commute. That definitely counts as a date!
Start a friendly competition with other staff by logging your total number of km’s.
Hello readers. This week I would like to pass on a few interesting tidbits I picked up from an article in the Globe and Mail. The column was titled “10 PR Tips for Small Businesses.” It offered cheap and easy ways to promote your business using public relation techniques.
Obviously my first thought was: “My online friends could really benefit from this material.” So here is my summarized version of their 10 tips.
1. What’s Your Story?
-What does your company offer? Why are you different from the rest? You need to figure out what makes you unique.
2. It’s Not All About You.
-The article stresses that PR is separate from advertising. It’s about offering something to the public – a service. Something they need, not you need to sell.
3. Find the Emotion
-You know those NHL Playoff commercials that are all over YouTube right now? Those History is Made spots. The reason why those are so effective is because they remind us of the emotions we felt when we saw that goal scored or witnessed that huge save. Your customer’s emotional attachment doesn’t need to be that extreme, but they need to connect with your product.
4. Know Your Target Audience.
-This is essential. Who are you trying to reach?
5. Write Concisely.
-Remove all the information from your press releases that isn’t important. In other words, edit your work. Send it to a friend or colleague to proofread. Read it again. Then read it again.
6. Adhere to Deadlines.
-The business world is a momentum machine. If you can’t keep up with it, you’ll be run over. Always submit your work on time.
7. Know the Media.
-Where are you submitting your work? Who subscribes to their publication? Why is your story important to their audience?
8. Press Release Versus Pitch.
A press release is a formulated article that follows strict guidelines. This works for news items that relate to your company. A pitch if less formal and can be written to attract a journalist’s attention for a follow up interview.
9. Develop a Relationship With the Editor.
-Social Media tools are great for this. Follow them on twitter and respond to their tweets. Befriend them on Facebook. Just don’t smother them.
10. Timelines.
-How often does your intended media outlet publicize? When will they need the information to produce an article that will be relevant with their readers?
Figures have just been released that show a dangerous trend among Canadian borrowers. The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy reported last Wednesday that bankruptcies in Canada were up 10.2 per cent in February.
The total number of Canadians that applied for bankruptcy status in the second month of the year: 6,774.
Ouch!
Trust me guys, this is not a road you want to travel down. Once you declare bankruptcy your credit record is ruined. You may be asked to surrender many of your valuable possessions such as your car. It also requires you to meticulously track your future income and expenses.
For those of us buried in debt, there are other options.
Applying for a debt consolidation plan informs your creditors that you are making a serious attempt to repay your debt. It will stop the phone calls, the angry letters and most importantly, it will put your credit history into a category that, with steady payments, you can come back from.
Alright readers, this week we are going to get a little personal. We’re going to talk about relationships and financial compatibility.
Before you jump into a serious relationship, it may be worth your while to have a long talk with your partner about their financial goals and current status.
You may have been working for years to improve your credit rating, but your new partner could be concealing thousands in debt. Financial conversations are just as important as discussions on childbearing. In an alarming statistic, 35 per cent of couples don’t talk about money before marriage. This is not healthy. You need to have the talk.
If you don’t ask you will never know. And sure it’s not very romantic, but neither is taking out the garbage. They both have to be done.
You don’t want to be carrying someone’s unpaid debt for the next twenty years. If your partner’s financial history is drastically different than your own, you may want to reconsider your compatibility.
If not. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Love conquers most things, but it doesn’t pay the bills at the end of the month.
Why are more and more Canadians finding themselves in debt trouble?
Perhaps it is connected with the ease at which we are able to pay with our credit cards. Scan, swipe or enter our digits, and bam, the purchase is completed. The speed at which we can buy products and services using a credit option is driving us into unthinkable debt.
Now Visa Inc. is making that process even easier. This fall, Visa will launch a new payment program called “digital wallet.” Designed for the online purchaser, the Visa wallet app will allow customers to simply enter their email address and password to pay for their purchases. No need to get out your card, and type in the 16-digit number plus an expiration date. That takes up to much time and god forbid you cannot find your card. Now, all you will need to remember is your email and password
Scary.
What’s next?
In the future will we just have to say the words ‘charge it‘ into a voice detector and we can walk away with an X-Box 1080?
Who knows?
All I know is the harder it is to use my credit options, the less likely I am to run up a huge bill.
So if Visa comes calling, maybe tell them you’re happy with the old ways.
This Sunday, May 8th, is Mother’s Day. It’s the one day set aside to remind our mothers how much they mean to our lives.
But how do we go about communicating this? Through gifts?
If I buy my Mom a huge basket of flowers, with every known blossom known to humankind, she would reply with a huge lecture on how I had wasted my money on a gift that will wilt by next week.
If I make my mother a card, she’ll love the effort, but the crayons and sparkle glue will only remind her of the fact her daughter is still struggling to make ends meet on the West Coast.
No, I think the best gift I can give my mother is the knowledge that with the help of my friends at Full Circle, I have finally got my life in order. Bills are getting paid, my credit level is improving and for the first time in years my head is firmly above the water line.
If you want put your mother’s mind at rest, sign up with Full Circle and give the gift of security. No more calls for financial bailouts. No more co-signs. No more teary phone calls complaining about your aggressive creditors.
It’s the gift she has been waiting for the past ten years.
Organization – It’s what separates the achievers from the dreamers.
Unfortunately, not all of us come by it naturally. Some of us need a little coaching on how to manage our time, work and money.
Many of us who lack critical organization skills are helped by our significant others. Our partners are always the first ones to notice our deficiencies (and I don’t mean that in a bad way), so when they can step up and help, it means a lot.
Sometimes it’s a friend who steps in and helps us organize our schedules and demands. Making timelines and helping with our financial records goes beyond the duties of a friend, but this kind of help is often received by the organizationally challenged.
For the rest of us, there is Full Circle Debt Solutions. Full Circle can help you make a financial plan and stick with it. They will outline exactly how long it will take for you to pay off your debt by giving you a fixed, manageable, monthly payment amount. Their counselors will provide tips and instruction so you can manage your credit back towards a positive standing.
A debt consolidation plan is your first major step towards organizing your life. Let Full Circle help you start yours today.
Sesame Street is now incorporating money management skills into its educational package. Familiar characters like Oscar the Grouch, Elmo and Cookie Monster are being used by the popular kids program to educate children on financial subjects.
The project is titled “For Me, for You, for Later.” In the series, the Sesame characters use three jars to divide their money; one is labeled ‘spend’, one ‘save’, and the other ‘share’. The children learn the value of putting money away for each of these causes.
While the lessons are directed at children, the shows’ producers hope that the lessons will also inspire adult viewers to consider the values being presented to the younger audience. Saving and sharing are two traits that some grownups seem to neglect.
For a more adult take on financial stability, talk to a Vancouver credit counselor at Full Circle Debt Solutions. They might not use hand puppets and funny voices, but they will present you with sound advice for managing your income and your debt.
This one sounds really simple, but it could save you more than thirty dollars a month on bills.
The lesson is this: the rate you pay for your cable package is too high. How do I know this? Because all of the providers operating in Canada use rates that are not set!
What cable companies like Telus, Shaw and Bell do is try and project a firm list of prices that offer customers service packages in pre-described bundles. The prices for these bundles are advertised and shown in their literature as being firmly set. This is completely false.
If a cable company is scared you will leave their service for a competitor, they will immediately offer you a lower price for the same service you received the previous month. Nothing changes but the price.
Try it! All you need to do is call your service provider and threaten to leave. Mention a competitor’s rate and wait for a response. If they don’t drop the price, tell them you have another call and hang up.
I guarantee a customer service rep will call you back in the next 24 hours and offer you a reduction.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This week I have another tip to pass along on how to make our hard-earned dollar go a little further. It concerns the price of gas in the Lower Mainland and for that matter the price of gas across the country. It’s skyrocketing! But that’s probably not news to anyone. With the unrest in the Middle East and the fate of nations being held at the hands of revolutionaries, the price of oil is reaching never before highs. Just last week, a station in Richmond posted their regular gas at a price pennies away from $1.40 a litre. I know, crazy talk. But that is the world we are currently living in.
So my tip, check out the GasBuddy app for your smart phone. Last week it was the 18th most downloaded app at the iTunes store. What GasBuddy does is track the daily prices of fuel around the city of your choosing. With this information they are able to post the best deals of the day, so you don’t have to spend time looking for them.
A noticeable trend in price spikes shows that Thursday night is a good night to purchase your fuel. Gas stations tend to raise their prices Friday morning, as many individuals load up their cars for the weekend.
So buy your gas during the week and download the free app to find the cheapest station in your neighbourhood.
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
Hope She Doesn't Go Searching For A Pen
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.
Folks, for those of us trying to rid ourselves of debt, there are a few institutions and practices we really should avoid.
At the top of this list is ‘gambling.’ Playing the lottery is fun and it’s nice to dream about all the millions that could be ours, but the math is obviously not in our favour. The lottery should not be seen as a viable option for ridding our self of debt.
Neither should weekly or daily visits to the Casino.
There are plans in place to expand the operations at Edgewater to include a monolith casino that would be attached to the newly refurbished BC Place. The B.C. Pavilion Corporation hopes to bring a massive casino and hotel venture to the property directly adjacent to the BC Lions new home.
This casino, if it was to be built, would be a huge draw for those looking to quickly pay off creditors.
But let me tell you, the risk is far greater than the reward.
The only solution to dealing with your debt issue is a well thought out debt repayment plan. Full Circle Debt Solutions offers this service to it’s many Canadian clients across our country.
If you have debt problems and are looking for a way out, avoid the distractions of the bright lights and chance games. Talk to the experts at Full Circle about a consolidation plan. It will take less time than you think to pay off your creditors, with zero risk.
Leave the gaming to your idle hours in front of your XBox.
My friends! I have a little entertainment saving tip for you.
Concerts can be an expensive luxury, especially if you want to check out some of the bigger acts that come to our fair city. Rihanna tickets went on sale last week and the majority of the seats were over $100. Ouch. The same applied for the Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj tour. Honestly, who was $140 dollars to spend on a one-night ticket? Not this young lady.
But don’t turn your back on the music. There are plenty of small shows playing around the city that are more affordable and way more intimate.
Hey Rosetta is playing the Rio Theatre on Friday night and tickets are only $25. This is an awesome venue to check out a show. And for all the hipsters, the Rio serves Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Saturday you have The Dears, an amazing indie band out of Montreal, playing Venue. Tickets, again, are only $25. And you can get as close to the band as the bouncers will permit.
So don’t let your limited finances hold you back from enjoying what the city has to offer. Just pick your events a little more carefully.
Stay tuned for more affordable entertainment options.
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.
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.
With all the work I’m doing to pay off my debt, it is sometimes hard to find time to keep my body in the shape I like it to be.
(Ladies, we’re talking about the backside. Boys, we’re talking about your gut. And that joke about having a keg instead of a six-pack stopped being funny years ago.)
This week I considered joining a private gym. I confess my new infatuation with Vancouver’s adopted leader, Trevor Linden, lead me to ponder a membership to Club 16. Yes it’s in Coquitlam, but the chance to work out beside Linden had me looking past the drive.
Trevor Linden on the Treadmill
So I started doing some research and looked into the price. It cost $14.99 a month, but I would have to lock into a 12 month plan. I looked at my budget and even though I was spending almost right to the cap (Gillis style), I could just afford it.
But then a few days went by and I started to think about my idea with a little more clarity. How much would I honestly spend on gas? Would I use the gym for the five months of the year when Vancouver is truly amazing outside? What if I joined and decided three months down the road that it wasn’t for me?
Then I looked into Community Centre plans or lack thereof. The monthly price was a little higher, but there was no contract. The location was less than four blocks from my house. And the equipment was a little older, but the basics were all there.
Then I thought, what if I just used my home as a gym. I had stairs in my apartment for climbing, a park near by for running, a yoga mat for crunches and a old workout ball from an ex who thought he could tone his tummy by sitting in front of the TV.
Eureka! Julia’s private workout club was born.
I had enough bills already. A gym membership was silly, private or public.
And the best part. No gym monkeys posing in the mirror.
Try it. It’ll save you money.
-Worried about motivation. Find a friend and create a daily schedule. Push each other to increase your difficulty.
I had an interesting conversation with one of my girlfriends this weekend. We were talking about whether or not girls should pay for their half on the first date.
I’ve been paying my way for years, because that’s just who I am, but she had an enlightening story to share.
It involved her great aunt Jane. My friend had been talking to Jane about a date she had gone on over the holidays, when her aunt suddenly cut her off with a simple question: “What, you paid for dinner?”
This shocked her aunt Jane beyond belief. Her aunt proceeded to enlighten her about the unspoken social contract between a man and a woman. Apparently ladies, if you go on a date, the man should pay for the privilege of your company by picking up the tab. Jane proceeded to tell my friend that in her time, you ordered as much as you could at the restaurant and what you didn’t eat, you brought home to your sister.
Funny, but it sort of makes sense. Even today, times are tough and with bills adding up, a free meal is a free meal. So put the equality speech in your back pocket, order the lobster and enjoy the little perks that come with being a female. The money you save can go towards paying for that prestigious University you went to. If I’m not mistaken, I think your date went to Community College.
Being that I had a massive debt problem just under a year ago, I thought I should probably read up on what the paper’s expert had to offer; You know, just in case I could share it with you guys. After reading the article though, it occurred to me that every tip offered I had heard before. Don’t get me wrong! It was great advice, but it was like they had interviewed my debt counselor at Full Circle and stolen all of his wisdom.
Whatever the case, I thought I would pass on his pearls to my readership.
1. Work with a repayment plan
-This is exactly what Full Circle provides. Your personal credit counselor will devise a plan that works for your current income. If that rate changes, they can readjust the numbers to suit your needs. The focus of payment should always be on the debt with the largest interest rate.
2. Don’t Pay More Than You Have To
-Lose the balance protection insurance on all your credit cards. This is a scam! The article also puts forth a disturbing example of how paying the minimum payment hardly affects your overall balance. In most cases it only just covers your interest. Full Circle’s advice: When you have the funds, pay as much off on your high interest debt as you can.
3. Create a Spending Plan
-This is a where you can pinpoint just how and what you are spending your money on. It’s great for cutting needless expenditures. The Globe suggests using a site to create your plan. They endorse MoneyStrands. See how it works for you.
4. Don’t Shred Your Cards When You Finally Pay Them Off
-Credit cards do have their perks. Rental insurance, extended warranties and lost or damaged items are just a few reasons to hold on to your plastic. Ironically, they could end up saving YOU money.
5. Don’t Go Down That Road Alone
-This is exactly the service that Full Circle provides.
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.
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 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…
Fellas, I know times are tough and we all are a little bit strapped for cash after Christmas, but trust me, you need to take advantage of the Dine Out program running now in the many restaurants around Vancouver. This may be the only time you can take your girl to that restaurant she has been talking about for weeks. With a fixed menu at incredibly reasonable prices, you can afford to play the high roller for one night.
If you really want to impress her, find your own gem using the Dine Out map at the Tourism Vancouver website. You can search under cuisine type, which really helps.
A little tip though, stay away from the wine list. Last year I went with a friend to a a little French bistro on Broadway. The three-course dinner was billed at $38 a piece, but somehow the waiter convinced us to buy a bottle of red. He neglected to mention the price. The bill came and we owed close to two hundred dollars once we had factored in a tip. A student loan payment up in smoke.
The Dine Out program began on the 24th and will run until the 6th of February.
This article is for all those ladies out there. Girls, it’s a fact we love to shop. If I had unlimited funds and no job demands, I could spend the rest of my days visiting every boutique on the planet in search of the perfect outfit.
I don’t what it is… the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction received when you come across that amazing accessory or maybe it’s just we like to look good for our boys. Well, you can throw out the latter option, because I don’t have a boy and I’d rather look good for my own self-image than the affection of a hockey obsessed superfan.
But with very little expendable cash, it’s hard to pursue my passion.
That is until I discovered the wonderful world of consignment. Girls, I know it sounds like a dirty word, but consignment stores are a dream come true.
This is how it works. First, you go through your closet and pick out those twenty or thirty outfits you don’t plan on wearing again. Then you bring them down to your nearest consignment store. My favourite is Modern Upbeat on West Broadway.
Hopefully, in the next few months, your items will sell. The store will then give you 40% of the sale price. It’s that easy.
In the meantime, you can buy other brand name items at ridiculously low prices. If you see an article you like, but it still costs too much, wait a week or two and watch the price come down. It’s amazing. It’s like a sale everyday and with your own clothes in the mix, it’s almost like you are getting paid to shop.
Try it. Tell them Julia sent you.
And now with my debt under control with the help of Full Circle’s debt management program, I can shop even more!!!
Then, on the 23rd I got a phone call from a friend working in the Surrey school system. He told me that the school he worked at had drastically cut back the hours of the teacher librarian. They were looking for potential teachers to volunteer their time in the library. He asked me if I would be interested.
Of course I said yes. But as I hung up the phone, my one thought was: “How am I going to get to Surrey three days a week.”
Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘the Skytrain runs right out there Julia.’ And yes, I am aware of this mysterious people transporter, but realistically it wasn’t an option. My job in Vancouver and the school in Surrey were both more than 5 km’s from a station. That meant a bus on each end.
By the end of the month, I signed myself up for yet another expense: a 1999 VW Golf. Yes, I could have bought a cheaper model, but I figured if I was buying a car I should probably buy one that was going to last me. And when I use the term ‘buy,’ I use it in its loosest form. Clarkdale provided me with a decent finance package but the monthly payment still eclipsed my monthly student loan bill.
So just when I was getting a grip on my debt, I dug the hole a little deeper. If only I heard about debt consolidation sooner.
But, on the positive side, I was in a school. Working for free. Thumbs up for volunteering! Yayyy….
July 2009 – The Heavy Hand of the Federal Government
Opening up the bill, I slowly scanned the statement provided by the National Student Loan Bureau; $357 a month was to be my minimum payment. Wow. That was half my rent!
Well my friends were at the beach, I spent July working like an animal and worrying about how I could pay my credit cards and my loan payments. I felt alone, left to meek out a meager existence in a forest of debt.
Then a co-worker told me that I could apply for debt relief. By filling out a form and providing details on my current income, I could become available for a short term, reduced payment plan. I applied and two weeks later was accepted.
My new payment was $187. Steep, but manageable.
I paid the minimum on all my bills at the end of the month. Again, I was just barely surviving. The credit card interest was killing me. I needed a way to pay them off and focus solely on reducing my debt to the government.
I also needed out of the waitressing gig and into my field of study.
We all have that moment when we are pulled from the gutter and given hope that tomorrow will be the return to better days.
Without being too sappy, my moment was when I contacted Full Circle Debt Solutions. I called to ask about a plan to consolidate the huge mess of unpaid debt I found myself drowning in. It was 2009 and I had borrowed from every available source I knew. One year later, I am working towards paying off every creditor I owed. I have renewed hope, I am more confident in my decision-making and my attitude on life has done a full 180.
The same sort of inspiring event happened to a homeless man named Ted Williams this week. Williams was begging for money at the side of the highway in Columbus, when a media personal recognized his talent. He returned with a video camera team to film Williams speak and record his story.
Williams, in the video that went viral in a matter of minutes, holds a sign that claims he has the ‘God given gift of voice.’ Watching the tape, you realize that the homeless man is far from exaggerating. Williams, who once worked as a radio host until he lost his way with drugs and alcohol, has a voice that belongs on Monday Night Football.
The Columbus Dispatch posted the video and asked if anyone could hire the out-of-luck announcer. Well, within a week Williams had a job with Kraft Foods. The Kraft Food Company is currently running a campaign to Feed America through 20 million meals. Hiring Williams, the Kraft Company latched themselves on to the viral news story. With a commercial already in the can, Williams voice will soon be heard, again, all across America. And this time he’ll be paid.
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.
All right my followers, it’s a new year, a new beginning, time to get your life in order. Trust me, once you do these few simple things, you will feel so much better about your daily routine.
The first thing you need to do is organize. Forget the money issues for a sec and take the time to clean up your living area. Clean the bathroom, the kitchen, the closet; especially the closet. Throw out any old clothes you don’t think you will wear again. Next, do your car. Get rid of all that junk you’ve been lugging around.
All right, now back in the house.
Next is your purse/backpack/wallet. If you are one of those people who likes to collect receipts (which is great!), find a shoebox and store them away. You don’t need those little paper reminders in your back pocket. Then take your key ring and remove any key that you don’t use on a regular basis. Do the same with your cards, pens, and cell phone adapters; anything that you might be carrying with you that is of little or no use discard.
Do you know what you just did? You consolidated. Now, it is a little trickier with your finances. That’s where Full Circle Debt Consolidation can help. Their expert credit team can help you minimize the bills that reach you. Your only concern will be one simple sum that will arrive once a month.
So, that night when I got home I followed Alexis’s advice.
Google Search: Debt Consolidation Vancouver
• Debt Consolidation in Canada – Full Circle Debt Solutions
Debt consolidation and debt management options that can reduce your debt payments … -Crystal, Vancouver. Thank you for again taking the time to talk to me …
www.debtgone.ca/ – Cached – Similar
6935 120 Street, Delta
(604) 724-3242
Amongst the top three results was the entry above. After looking over their site, I gathered that this must be the company Alexis was referring to. They offered a complete package of debt consolidation and credit counseling.
After calling their toll free number, 1-877-220-3328, I got hold of a young man named Robert. Rob explained my rights as a debtor and laid out my options to move forward.
He promised me a dramatic drop in interest payments, a convenient single payment and my own credit counselor. It sounded to good to be true.
But I told him I would have to think about it.
The next day, before work, I called back and signed up for a consolidation program. I haven’t looked back since, well besides recalling the events for you, my dear readers.
Next week I’ll get into a little more detail about how I wound up, in what I thought, was financial ruin.
Till then, sleep well. And remember, there is help out there. I found it at Full Circle.
Well, I should probably tell you how I found my financial saviours.
It all started with a text conversation, with my good friend Alexis:
Alexis: OMG! Have you heard the Arcade Fire’s new album? Frking amazing!
Me: Yeah, I downloaded it last nite. The Sprawl 2 gave me goosebumps.
Alexis: You know theyre coming in Sept?!?! Lets get tix!
Me: Love to, but honestly, I have 0 funds. Can’t even afford to pay Rogers bill. This time next week I may be sending this msg by carrier pigeon. LOL
Alexis: Seriously, is it that bad? ☹
Me: You have no idea!
Alexis: You know my brother signed up for this debt program online.
Me: Oh yeah. You know what it was called?
Alexis: No, but Ben said it made his life way easier.
Me: How???
Alexis: Well for 1, he got in touch with a credit counselor. They explained his rights and then worked out a plan for repayment.
Me: Was this 2 different org.s?
Alexis: No, the debt program and the counselor were from the same company. I think the term Ben used was debt consolidation.
Me: Sounds like a disease.
Alexis: Hey! Don’t you knock it. Ben is way better off now. You should try it. Just google debt-consolidation-Vancouver.
Me: Alright, I’ll try it. But if I develop a thirst for kool-aid…
Alexis: LMAO!!! Don’t worry babe. It works.
Hello out there in cyberland. (Echoooo….)
My name is Julia and I have financial problems. Yes, I am one of the many who can’t seem to manage their finances. Too many bills, not enough steady income.
A few years ago I thought I had it all under control. I was just about to finish my Post-Bac Education Program and head straight into a teaching job. Oh, naive Julia of two years ago, if only I could warn you…
Now, in December of 2010, I have still not found my way on to the TOC list of any district in the Lower Mainland. I am working as a waitress four nights a week and volunteering at a local elementary school three days a week. I also work sporadically at an English school in North Vancouver.
Still Waiting For My Own Classroom
Most days, my schedule is pretty tight, but sadly I am not making nearly enough to cover all of bills that seem to fill my mailbox.
I’ve asked my parents for help and they have provided me with a small amount of money to keep me afloat, but that too is running out.
I came out West to make it on my own and I am determined to succeed.
But determination doesn’t pay my student loans.
Thankfully, a friend tipped me off to a company that specializes in getting lost souls like myself back on track.
And that my friends, is why I am writing this blog. To share with you my story. And to offer hope to those floundering in financial woes.
Well, if your blood could be exchanged for hundred dollar bills. But I’m pretty sure you just get a cookie for plasma these days.
And no, I will not be going as a vampire for Halloween this year. No money for a costume. Still trying to save.
For the third year in a row I will be going as a hippie. My old tie-dye, the tinfoil peace necklace and the John Lennon glasses I bought from that crazy old woman at the garage sale down the street. Nothing scary about a Hippie, apart from the odd acid trip.
If I really wanted to scare some partygoers I could enlarge a few of the collection notices I’ve received.
I am the fear inspiring student loan reclamation document. Tremble before me.
I don’t know if everyone would get it though. It would be lost on all those kids who went through University with a financial plan. Guess I missed that lecture. Now I’m stuck in debt purgatory. Seriously considering getting some help. Can’t live in the 60′s forever.
Vancouver is surprisingly a pretty nice place to live when you’re close to the poverty line. Gregor must have a soft spot for those of us living in debt, because some of his green initiatives are actually working to keep more of my money in my own pocket.
Take the Dunsmuir bike lane as an example. With a safer route across town, I can ride my bike from one side of the city, easily over to Stanley Park for some cheap, outdoor entertainment. (I won’t give away all my secrets, but the seawall is a dynamite first date)
And, in a few months, the Hornby lane will be open for a quick route down to the False Creek seawall.
No need to spend money on gas or waste time idling in traffic. I can save my loonies for paying off some of my bills, while the extra time can be spent planning my new firm.
It’s my second week of chronicling my journey here, and I’ve been playing around the blog a bit. I did some reading up on my predecessor Scarlett and even checked out Full Circle’s site, to see what they’re all about.
I know Scarlett had great results working with FC and everything, but I don’t know if I’m ready to take that leap yet. After all, I’m just getting comfortable with admitting the serious $H!# I’m in… You might think that it’s bull-headed stubbornness or even delusions that make me want to go it alone, but a guy’s got to try right?
I will say, though, I was glad to see that the process is pretty painless if I decide to get some professional help to manage my debt. It doesn’t leave the lazy-guy-in-me with any excuse to not sign up when all I have to do is fill out my name and contact info.
I was out having beers with my buddy Mac from university last week, catching up on what was new in our lives. He was regaling me with stories of how sick his trip to Cabo was, and I was getting him up to speed on how my business venture was going.
Somehow the conversation moved onto Twitter, and personal techniques on Twit-flirting, and he mentioned one of the Tweets that he had received that day. It was basically a casting call from a debt solution company for someone who would be interested in sharing their debt story.
First, let me note that Mac has always been the type of guy who did homework assignments a week before they were due, and who painstakingly took the most detailed notes in class. He was obviously pretty concerned with my current financial state and my seeming lack of initiative to get it under control. So he suggested that I volunteer myself to document my story for their blog.
“Hey man, just think of it as your financial journal. If you write this stuff down, you won’t be able to avoid the problem anymore,” he said, trying to convince me.
My hesitation must have been apparent because he quickly added, “Comon, it’ll help you start your business. Once your own debt’s taken care of…”
And long story short, ladies and gentlemen, here I am – revealing all the blood, guts, and gore that I experience on my way to financial freedom. End goal? Starting my own business.
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.
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.
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.
As you probably already know, I’m somewhat of the black sheep of my financially responsible family. My mother and my sister both, are constantly aware of how much money they are spending and how much money they can afford to spend. I, on the other hand, seem to have been born with an awful predisposition to overspend.
But after my debt management consultant helped me wrangle my debt down to a low, manageable monthly payment, I was finally able to call my mom and just chat. Before, I avoided talking to her on the phone, and when I did, I would have to skirt around any issues that had to do with money, for fear of getting another earful of nagging. And it wasn’t that I was trying to be a bad daughter, you know, never calling my own mother. It’s just that I didn’t want to disappoint her and have her worrying about my money situation.
You can imagine her surprise when she received my call that night. I came clean about all the money trouble I had been in for the past couple of years, and how much stress I had been under. I rambled on and on, not wanting to interrupt before she understood that I had it all under control now, and that I had finally consolidated my debt, with the help of my debt management consultant at Full Circle. When I was done and a little out of breath, there was a moment of silence from my mom’s end. When she spoke, it was very quietly. “I’m proud of you,” she said.
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.
When you’re in debt, it’s really hard to think about anything else. Sure, you can avoid looking at the growing pile of bills on your desk – say, by avoiding the desk, or by avoiding the room that houses the desk altogether. But deep inside, you know full well how much money you owe and the extent of your debt. And on the outside, the new clothes hanging in your closet and the brand-new mohair rug on your living room floor are constant reminders. In fact, falling into debt is not unlike stepping on dog sh#!. The smell follows you around and lingers no matter how many times you try to get rid of it.
So if you’re sick and tired of worrying about your debt, and want to do something about it, give us a call. At Full Circle, our team of licensed debt management professionals will help you minimize your debt and your monthly payments. We know everything there is to know about debt consolidation and we’ll even help you get rid of those annoying calls from creditors.
Bills are one thing, late fees are another. At least when it comes to paying bills, I know I’m paying for something that I used or received. Paying late fees, on the other hand, is almost like you’re giving money away. Although I know that late fees are supposed to be more of a deterrent than anything else, so that these companies don’t fall behind on their own accounting and so that you don’t fall into the habit of paying late – it doesn’t stop me from channeling my inner petulant child whenever I get fined with one.
But with all the bills I have to pay, it’s easy to fall behind. For example, there was this one time when Mark and I first moved into our new apartment in Vancouver. I got so caught up in the unpacking, furniture shopping, and setting up of our new apartment, that I had forgotten to tie up our loose ends in Calgary – and we ended up getting late fees on our cable and electric bills. And this other time, in my college days, when I let the credit card bills pile up, for fear of dealing with what was inside.
Ever since we got in touch with Full Circle though, we’ve been pretty good about keeping on top of our monthly bills. By helping us consolidate our debt, the process of paying the bills has become a lot less daunting. So if you find yourself paying late fees all time, consider giving Full Circlea 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.
My mom is the thriftiest woman I know. My dad worked all the time, and since my mom was a stay-at-home mom, she took it upon herself to manage our family’s finances. Every purchase, payment, and deposit was balanced in her checkbook, which seemed to be a permanent fixture in her handbag. All receipts – even those from buying a pack of gum – were stored in a tiny drawer in the kitchen desk and dutifully checked whenever the credit card bills came at the end of each month.
When my sister and I were growing up, mom tried to instill in us a sense of financial responsibility. The earliest lesson I can remember was when she gifted us with piggy banks when we started getting our allowance. While my sister would carefully deposit half of her weekly $5 into her pig, I would be at Seven Eleven on Monday shoving my hand into the 5-cent candy jars. Needless to say, her pig got fat while my stayed painfully thin.
In retrospect, that was a pretty good predictor that my sister would be the one to guide me out of my financial rut. Which is exactly what she did 2 years ago when Mark and I found ourselves close to bankruptcy and ready to skip town. She told us to call Full Circle immediately, assuring us that their debt management consultants would help us reduce our debt. We called, and surely enough, our consultant helped us consolidate our debt to one manageable monthly payment.
Our oldest, Griffin, is on summer break, much to the delight of his younger sister Silvia who considers herself his sidekick. All summer long, they’ve been taking advantage of the sunny days and warm weather, and have developed quite the skill at convincing our nanny to take them to the beach. When I get home from work, I always know if they’ve been successful, not only by the sandy trails I find in the foyer but by the stories that the kids enthusiastically tell me about their seaside escapades.
Now that Mark and I have our finances under control, thanks to our Full Circle debt consultant who helped us consolidate our debt, we’ve decided that we should take our first family vacation abroad. Since the kids love the waves so much, we’re definitely thinking somewhere tropical with white sandy beaches, but we’re not sure where. Any suggestions?
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.
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.
We hope you are enjoying Scarlett’s story so far. It is certainly told with a lot of heart.
We at Full Circle Debt Solutions thought that we would interject here for a moment to offer a bit of a reality check. As we don’t want you to get worried that debt is just doom and gloom (sorry, Scarlett).
SPOILER ALERT:
In the end, Scarlett was able to make her payments a manageable $150/month (from $300/month) – and in the end, she paid her entire debt off within a year.
Scarlett and Mark now live in a beautiful three-bedroom apartment with a sunny North-western view. They have two beautiful children – Griffin and Silvia.
Life all worked out in the end, and to her credit, Scarlett did it all on her own. After picking up the phone that day in the bath, she called us up at Full Circle Debt Solutions and were able to consolidate her debt, talk to her creditors, and negotiate payments that suited her lifestyle. In the end, we saved her thousands of dollars in bills and months of headaches.
She did write this blog, years ago, and would like to share it with you for inspiration. If you would like to follow along from the beginning, click here.
For whatever reason, she documented her struggle, the trepidation and ups and downs, and eventually, her goal to break free.
We were fortunate enough that she chose Full Circle Debt Solutionsas the company to help her consolidate her debt – because her story is a fantastic one. An avid writer, she blogged the entire process in order to keep some kind of daily focus to her task.
She came to us with over $20,000 in debt. Today, she is debt-free. In only four years she turned her life around, and she documented every second. She is very proud of her story. So are we.
We asked if we could reprint it here, as a weekly column of sorts, on this blog.
She agreed, as long as we changed a few names and details. Her biggest worry, strangely enough, was that her story would appear as a rather good, if not long, testimonial to our capabilities and services.
Please note, that none of these posts have been fact-checked by Full Circle Debt Solutions, and any data cannot be verified without talking to one of our staff.
However, in the name of artistic exploration, we present to you: Scarlett.
I wasn’t sure where to start with my story, so I settled on my first phone call. The moment I decided to take action.
To give you a bit of background – I have compiled all of the blog posts that I kept over the last few years, and now I am trying to arrange them in some kind of sensical fashion so that you get an idea of my story from the very beginning.
Let’s start here.
So, I summoned up the nerve and decided to contact Full Circle Debt Solutions about my financial situation. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.
I was sitting in the bath with a glass of wine, playing with the suds in my bellybutton, and eventually decided that if I was ever going to do something about this stupid debt, there was no time like the present. I’d just to leave a message and talk to them tomorrow. The idea of calling a business and waiting on hold usually gives me enough butterflies to second-guess my decision and give up anyway.
I figured if I left a message, at least they would be the ones calling me – and then, I’m in full intervention mode – I’d have no choice but to address my debt problem in the bright lights of morning and change my ways. I’m one of those people, I really am. I’m kind of like an ostrich that sticks its head in the sand hoping that all the bad things in my life aren’t really there.
I’m not really working at this legal office, day in and day out, I tell myself. I am doing research for my next art piece.
I am not really in debt, I tell myself, I am merely investing in my own career.
I looked at myself in the mirror tonight, and I thought, no, Scarlett, you really are in debt. You may be an artist at a legal office, and yes, you may be doing research, but the reality remains, that you are in debt, your monthly payments are killing you and it’s time to get help.
So that’s my night. Soul searching with a glass of wine and facing hard facts, like how my teeth are going purple with age, and that working for lawyers kind of sucks.
So I called the number about an hour ago. (I know, it’s like 9 p.m. here!?) And what the hell!? Someone answered. Who works at 9 pm? Poor guy.
“What are you doing open so late?” I stammered.
“There’s always one of us who takes calls late at night.” The cheerful voice responded.
“Amazing.”
“How can I help you?”
Now I won’t bore you with details but suffice to say, he was very friendly and I ended up talking to him about such lovely things as debt consolidation and re-negotiating rates with creditors, and cutting my monthly debt payments by as much as 50%. It put my mind at ease and I can actually say I lay back in the tub, and closed my eyes and fantasized for just one, beautiful moment that I was back to where I was six years ago – free as a butterfly and without a worry in the world. And for a moment, my mind let me slip back to my debt-free world of freedom.
Either way, I’m getting a bit tired now. I will continue with this blog tomorrow.
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