Eric's Credit Community

It?s hard to actually put down all the reasons I find myself in debt now. I suppose it starts where most people?s debt begins, with school. I started college in 2002 and took out my first and only bank loan. Soon after I was married and my former husband, being even less financially savvy than I was, used my credit cards as a bank account, as if the money available on the cards was money sitting in the bank. After the divorce he took everything tangible with him (and a few intangible things) except the debt we?d accumulated. So here I am, in 2004, in debt, still in school and about to be kicked out of the ?family housing? we were living in on campus. I had no other choice but to move back in with my step-father, a man who abused me as a child and took birthday/holiday money from me for a ?savings account? till the day I moved out, the money of which I have never seen. While I lived there I attempted to pay off my debts. It was going well until a move I made within 3 hours notice.

My mother, a disabled veteran, needed my help and believed no one else was fit to take care of her, nor did she want someone else to do so. I packed all I could fit in my Bronco and drove from Tampa, Florida to Port Angeles Washington in about 3 days. I even took the semester off of school so she would have my undivided attention. While there I put every dime (besides gas money and minimum credit card payments) to helping my mother get better. She decided she was well enough and I moved out, needing to go back to school before I lost my motivation.

This brings us up to 2005. I loaned money from a friend to make my first move by myself, as well as used credit card money again to buy groceries and bus tickets. I moved 3 times in 2005, all within the same area, each of them being unhealthy, unstable living situations. On top of it all I had an unreliable job for most of the year.

So, now I find myself in a stable living situation (finally!), with a stable job and looking for a second to supplement my income and seeking to finally pay off all my debts, credit cards as well as people. I make no car payments (though I do own a car and I commute so I do pay those rising gas prices). The only bills I pay besides my cards are rent, phone, gas and internet, all of which but one are split evenly with my roommate. I just finished paying off my insurance for the next 5 months or so. I often pay more than the minimum on my cards (and would do the same for any loan I receive) and would like to just pay them all off, including the people I owe money to and be able to make one monthly payment, to one place so I can finally get out from underneath this debt that has had me weighted down for the past 4 years. I may have had a late payment or two due to all the moving I've done but I've always paid my bills and have made as many payments as I could to the people I owe money to as well. I'm simply tired of being weighted down and want the chance to get my foot in the door and on my way to building better credit and, hey, maybe even a savings account! I can dream right? Hopefully I won't have to dream anymore.

Thank you for your consideration!