logo

Debtconsolidationcare.com - the USA consumer forum

Forums
  • Latest topic

My RollerCoaster Story

Date: Wed, 02/01/2006 - 06:39

Submitted by Brooklyn Girl Fl Trnsplnt
on Wed, 02/01/2006 - 06:39

Posts: 64 Credits: [Donate]

Total Replies: 10


I will try to make this as shoprt and simple as possible. My grandparents were poor. My Grandfather wanted more out of life and so he set a small amount that he and my granmother would put away every week no matter what. PS: When he passed away he was worth over $1 million. Unfortunately my Mother never picked up on their money management skills and perserverance so in turn, neither did I. I was in debt when I got married and still in debt after my seperation in 2000 and subsequent divorce in 2002. Finally I woke up, two kids in an apartment now, in one bedroom together instead of in their own bedrooms in their own house on 1.4 acres of land (My ex had the house put in his name on the mortgage - my name was only on the title and he would not quit claim it over to me). I decided I wanted to get them another house. This was not only to provide the best for them I must admit. I wanted to prove to myself that I could break the cycle my Mother had started, and prove that a woman could do it just as well on her own. I wanted my boys to respect and admire their Mother, not make excuses for her (We don't have a house because my Mom is alone and can't do it by herself...etc.,). For five years I struggled to pay my accounts on time, over pay each month (which really doesn't make a difference no one knows I paid more than the minimum) My original Beacon scores were hovering around 400 when I started. After one year I was able to get a credit card which initially charged me a fortune to open it (and a yearly $48 fee) and somehow a few months later I acquired a Sears Charge card (someone was apparently asleep at the wheel because I know their card is reserved for those with great credit) I got a couple of increases, kept making my payments and now I am up to 5 credit cards. I started working at a local roofing company in August of 2002. On March 13, 2003 my ex husband died. The boys were then 10 and 7 and, to say the least, it was very upsetting to all of us. Now all they had was me. As for my job, they let me go in April of 2004 then rehired me in August of 2004. Still struggling and still living in the same apartment we moved into after the seperation, I kept paying my bills on time and in September of 2004 I purchased a new vehicle. The interest rate was still high but it was literally about 10% lower than I had gotten just a year before for a used car. My Beacon was at this point up to around 547 - 575 or so depending on which credit agency you were looking at. My boys were proud of me when I got it. They are now 13 and 9 and are starting to realize the importance of the almighty dollar. (My 13 year old wears all the "cool" clothes - FUBU, PHAT FARM, etc., which are all very expensive)They watch their money when they go out shopping and will head right to the clearance rack before going anywhere else. It's something I am very proud of. This past year on November 1 after the hurricanes here in Florida my company let me go --again. I was late with some of my payments as I had over extended myself for the upcoming holidays (I do it every year at Christmas time...sigh) So, my payments were late and I got slammed. I checked my credit report a couple of weeks ago and found one to be around 397! I wanted to cry (and I don't cry except at funerals) Five years of work down the drain in one month. Of course there are several points of misinformation and multiple reports for the same account as well, but it is still a mess. This is where I find myself now. I have decided to start my own at home business and have built a shpping website. This keeps me at home with my boys and, as always they need to come first. So I will continue to work here at home, go on field trips etc and in the meantime, continue to pay my credit cards on time to start the restoration process all over again. I am not going to "Play" the credit game, I want to master it. And I will.


Brooklyn Girl,

I appreciate your determination. I am sure that you will succeed some day because you have that will in you and where there is will, there is way. So set your goal and try hard to achieve it. You can share your problems with community members as well.

Brooklyn Girl, money management is a skill that one should develop and good spending habit is an important element of money management. Everybody should set a clear boundary while spending and should maintain it anyway. I know, that Christmas comes once in a year, but that does not mean you can let your efforts of months go into trash just due to unplanned holiday shopping.

If you cannot buy FUBU or PHAT FARM for your kids, that does not mean you do not love them. And they are also getting matured now, so you should impart the money management skill into them also.

Anyway, I believe that your score will definitely rise once you start working on it. Best of luck with this :D


lrhall41

Submitted by 4u.bryan on Wed, 02/01/2006 - 11:53

( Posts: 819 | Credits: )


Brooklyn Girl, this is one single life that we life and it is a mixture of good and bad, happiness and sorrow, struggling and easy times and we all have to go through each of these phases.

No matter how things turn, you will never yourself down because of the courage and the strong determination you have in you. Keep the fire burning inside you and spread its light into your children. Your children will always admire you for the struggles you have faced for them.

Remember, do not get trapped in the credit card game. It is very easy to fall into the trap and every time the biggies will try to hound you and me by swaying these flashy cards. But, till you improve your financial management completely and regain your credit worth, you are not going to give yourself so easily.


lrhall41

Submitted by john on Wed, 02/01/2006 - 14:16

( Posts: 1231 | Credits: )


Being positive and determined is a sure key to success. I appreciate the fact that you are trying to start a business at home because you are putting your children first. Your children are learning early that nothing comes cheap these days and if looking for a bargain is the way they get the "cool stuff" then so be it. I implemented the same habits and ideals about money with my daughter and she always hits the clearance racks first (she's 25 now) She is a serious coupon clipper and a very smart shopper.


lrhall41

Submitted by Lorri on Tue, 05/23/2006 - 19:50

( Posts: 1721 | Credits: )


I LOVE the clearance rack. :) I bought 3 shirts a while back for $2.50 cents each, originally $10 each because the seams were mis-stiched. Took about 10 mins to fix, and no one knows they were messed up. I also stock up on summer clothes in the winter, and winter clothes in the summer. I don't care if their from "Last year" i have clothes I've had since high school, and i still wear them..lol


lrhall41

Submitted by Jessi on Wed, 05/24/2006 - 05:12

( Posts: 3361 | Credits: )


Yes it is gratifying to see that they are learning how to stretch a dollar. I have had to take my oldest out of school now and home school him. Now that he is here all day, he sees what goes on and knows more about bills and things than he did before. He is very perceptive and even commented that we should cancel cable because we don't need it lol. (We have basic cable which here in Florida is pretty much a necessity if you want another more than two snowy channels lol) He stretches his allowance and always makes the most of it. He even brings back his old Playstation games, turns them in for cash and then buys a new one that he wants now instead of trying to get me to pay for it. Last week he got over $100 credit! He had a ball needless to say and even bought a game that he could play with his brother lol. Of course he yells at me - quite literally too :shock: when I go to buy a pair of shoes for myself at Ross or Payless, he says I should spend as much on my shoes as I do on his sneakers ( minimum of $60 he is in a man's size already! lol) Oh well, got lucky I guess, he is becoming penny wise AND considerate. Have a great day all!


lrhall41

Submitted by Brooklyn Girl Fl Trnsplnt on Wed, 05/24/2006 - 07:02

( Posts: 64 | Credits: )


Hey I like Payless shoes. :) I have a big problem with spending more than $15 on something that my feet are going to sweat in. lol But they have to be cute though. :)

When I went to prom, I bought my shoes at payless for $12.99 and glued rhinestones to them to match my dress.


lrhall41

Submitted by Jessi on Wed, 05/24/2006 - 11:00

( Posts: 3361 | Credits: )


I like some of the stuff at Payless but I have been having a really BIG problem with all the icky flowers and stuff they have been plastering on the shoes lol. The last time we went I turned to my son and said "Ok what I want to know is who hired the blind designer this year?" LOL I get my stuff on clearance at Burdines and Macys then I also go to Ross and TJMaxx. I never pay more than like $15 for shoes and I usually pay under $10.


lrhall41

Submitted by Brooklyn Girl Fl Trnsplnt on Wed, 05/24/2006 - 12:03

( Posts: 64 | Credits: )


I have a funny story about buying Payless Shoes---when my daughter was in middle school (1995) all of the kids were wearing those shoes that looked like combat boots (Doc Martens) anyway she naturally wanted some. Of course, at $200 a pair I couldn't afford them nor would I have bought them if I could. So we went to Payless and they had the "knockoff" ones for about $20 (looked pretty much the same). So I told my daughter yeah you've got the cool shoes they're just called "Spock Martens"!!!


lrhall41

Submitted by Lorri on Wed, 05/24/2006 - 19:00

( Posts: 1721 | Credits: )