MY DEBT FREE JOURNEY - WHERE I AM AND WHERE I HAVE COME FROM

Graduating from high school I knew that I wanted to go to college. I was not sure what I even wanted to take in college I just felt that my dreams required a degree. I never regret the decision to go to college, getting a college education has been very helpful in so many ways. What I do regret is all of the debt and all of the costly mistakes. I have chosen to learn from these financial mistakes that I made going into and working my way through college.

My College Years

When I made the decision to attend college, I had very little guidance and absolutely no financial help. My education was not good growing up and I had no one who helped me to prepare for college and the financial burdens that come with college life.

College is expensive and even if you do obtain grants, scholarships and loans it can still be very costly. I qualified for nothing, I did not even qualify for loans when I started college. I wanted this dream to attend college so bad that I chose to attend college funding it on credit cards and cash. This has been one of the costliest mistakes of my life and one I am still working to pay off today. Throughout college I racked up credit card debt and eventually student loans once I did qualify for them.

My warning to college students and anyone funding their lifestyle. using credit cards and loans is this.... It may seem like the best option now but you will pay dearly later. Trust me when I say avoid unnecessary credit card usage, loans, pay day loans and title loans whenever possible.

If you are hoping to fund college for yourself, and if you are like me and must fund it alone, do not make the same mistakes I did. Try for scholarships and grants and even if you do not qualify there are other options. Many jobs offer to pay for tuition or reimbursement of tuition costs for employees. If you have to work to fund college, look for jobs that offer this sort of benefit to their employees.

Life After College & Dealing With Debt

There were many days that as my debt accumulated that I found it more and more difficult to manage it all and that I began to feel hopeless. I couldn’t even afford to eat most days. my bills were often late, my phone was nearly shut off multiple times and overdraft and late fees became more and more common. If this is you also just remember that there is hope and you can change your situation starting now. It may hurt a lot and it will take a lot of work, but trust me when I say the future will be brighter when you become more frugal and mindful with your money.

I hope that my story can help someone prevent these same costly mistakes in their own life. If you have already made some of these same mistakes that I have made just know that you are not alone and you can turn your finances around.

I hope that my story can help someone prevent these same costly mistakes in their own life. If you have already made some of these same mistakes that I have made just know that you are not alone and you can turn your finances around.

My best tips for getting back on track if you are in this situation

1. Be careful with credit. Never pay for college tuition or textbooks on credit cards unless you pay them off immediately. If you commit yourself to this strategy when using a credit card you may actually benefit from using a credit card. When you leave a balance month by month,it can be hard to ever pay the credit card off.

2. Make a budget and learn to stick to it

3. Save money and do not spend everything you make

4. Keep track of the money going in and out of your account. Do not use a credit card or debit card without paying close attention to this.

5. Pay your bills on time even if it is just minimum payments at first

6. The amount of money you make is important, but it is more important how you manage what you make.

7. Learn to live within your means. You do not need everything everyone owns. You can do without the luxuries of eating out, newer electronics, phone upgrades, cable T.V. etc. If you stop to think about it thee may just be some things that you can eliminate from you budget today.

8. Accept yourself for who you are and do not compare yourself to others. Do not get down on yourself for the mistakes that you made. Instead choose to learn from them and strive to do better in the future.

What Continues To Inspire Me

You can start today using great websites like lemonblessings.com to create a budget and get your finances in order. Sarah from Lemonblessings and so many others have inspired me everyday to keep working towards a better future and pay off my remaining debt. Many great bloggers like Sarah from lemon blessings & Jimmy and Jenny from Livinglifelovingus.com & Deanna from msfiology.com show us with their personal stories that paying your debt off is possible and that you can live a great life on a budget.

I know that you can make a huge difference in your debt if you start today. There are many things that I have learned through all of my difficult experiences and many lessons that I have been able to share with others as a result. Three years ago I began a savings plan called the 52 week money challenge and it was one of the best ways that I have found to jump start my savings and emergency fund. I also suggest some similar savings challenges in another post that might assist you in doing the same.

My Most Recent Financial Win

Last weekend I also had the pleasure of paying off a high interest debt that I have been working on for a while. This debt has been holding me back for far too long and through consistent larger payments made on this debt I finally made my final payment this past weekend. I have to say it was such a good feeling to see that paid in full $0 owed on my account and I know I will never put another dime on this card. I will be honest I am still not where I want to be but I am doing a great job consistently working to get there which is what really matters most.

Over the years since college I have successfully paid off in full 7 credit cards and not used these cards again. I am successfully on my way to financial freedom and I know I will reach it one day. How have I done it? Hard work many hours of overtime and at times working multiple jobs, perseverance and consistency. Someday I will be able to share my debt payoff story but until then I hope to inspire you as someone just like you, someone who is daily making a difference in my own financial situation.