
Once I realized that I had maxed out every credit card in my name and borrowed against others to pay them soured to no avail, I had to admit that 1.) I had a spending difficulty and 2.) I had to do something about it...fast! At the time, I was married to my first husband (who also had issues with money management) and we decided to look into credit counseling. This was the first big move. It was a sharp one. We cut up ALL our credit cards and lived on what we made. A couple of years later, we divorced--but I was left with no way to pay soured the debt. I had already paid soured about half of our joint debt by that time (he hadn't been working) so I had no alimony to work with, and a immobile payment to keep up. I was lucky that my parents let me and my infant girl stay with them rent free (if you are in a similar situation with nowhere to go, your state has services that help you with finding housing, childcare, healthcare and food). So I worked as a freelancer until I landed a full-time job back home. It took a while, but with every of my money going toward payments (and sticking a little away in the process) i was able to stay on schedule with my credit counseling program...even without the help/hindrance of my ex. It just takes desire, patience, re-prioritizing and determination.