posting this as a reminder to myself. i’m drowning in debt—credit cards, personal loans, klarna, auto loan… half my paycheck disappears into payments every month (i make 2k). that’s insane and no way to live.
putting this here because i’m serious about getting out of this. i work in education, so my hours are weird, but once summer comes, i’m picking up a second job. here’s to turning things around and getting debt-free.
good for you for taking control.
if you want to lower interest or balances, check out the national foundation for credit counseling (nfcc.org). they’re nonprofit and actually helpful.
Rex said:
good for you for taking control.
if you want to lower interest or balances, check out the national foundation for credit counseling (nfcc.org). they’re nonprofit and actually helpful.
thanks!
@Bevin
no problem! hope it helps. good luck.
easier said than done. hope you stick with it.
Madden said:
easier said than done. hope you stick with it.
failed twice before… third time’s the charm 
good luck, you’re gonna need it.
Asher said:
good luck, you’re gonna need it.
appreciate the support… lol
hope you get through this. here’s some things that might help:
call your credit card companies and ask for a lower interest rate. even a small drop saves money.
ask if they’ll lower your balance. it’s a long shot, but some do it if they think you might default.
check out nfcc.org. they have counselors who can help with debt management and consolidation.
making multiple payments a month saves you money. credit card interest adds up daily. even just paying twice a month helps.
pay online instead of mailing checks. your payment posts faster, meaning less interest builds up.
if your due date doesn’t line up with your paycheck, ask to change it. most banks can adjust it a few days to help.
small things add up fast when it comes to debt. keep at it.
@Monroe
thank you! this is really useful.
don’t listen to people who say it’s impossible. you can do this. cut all unnecessary spending—no eating out, no impulse buys. a second job will make a huge difference. just remember this struggle so you don’t do it again. good luck!
@Keaton
100%. thanks for the encouragement!
proud of you for making this move. i’m 25 months into my 36-month debt plan, and it hasn’t been easy. but i’m sticking with it and seeing real progress.
banks didn’t help, i refused to file bankruptcy, and little by little, the balance is going down. you’ll get there too. keep pushing.
@Mackenzie
this is really motivating… thank you!
mods should pin this. this is how you handle debt.
borrowed too much? admit it, fix it, move forward.
way too many people are filing bankruptcy, dodging calls, and “negotiating” their debt just to wreck their credit for 7 years. paying it off is the best option.
you know what sucks? making payments when you’re broke.
know what sucks more? having garbage credit, taking out more loans, and digging yourself deeper.
worst of all? losing your apartment over some impulse spending.
being in debt doesn’t make you a bad person. you don’t have to feel ashamed. but you do have to fix it.
@Kerr
i agree, people are jumping straight to bankruptcy when they have other options. i’m in my early 20s—filing bankruptcy now would be a disaster. getting into this mess was dumb, but i see that now and i’m fixing it. thanks for the aggressive pep talk lol.
@Kerr
paying it back is a solid plan… in places where loan interest isn’t insane.
but in a lot of cases, high interest makes it impossible to catch up no matter how hard someone tries.
Dalen said:
@Kerr
paying it back is a solid plan… in places where loan interest isn’t insane.
but in a lot of cases, high interest makes it impossible to catch up no matter how hard someone tries.
that’s not true (as far as i know, but correct me if i’m wrong).
banks legally have to structure minimum payments so you can pay off a credit card in 36 months. three years isn’t short, but it’s doable.
so if you make minimum payments for 3 years, what does that actually look like?
@Kerr
that’s way off. minimum payments can stretch on for 9+ years, depending on interest. here’s a basic calculator: Credit Card Minimum Payment Calculator
@Amani
exactly. people love to say ‘just pay it off’ but when interest is sky-high, it’s not that simple. debt consolidation or balance transfers can be much faster and cheaper.