This is my online journal documenting my attempted escape from debt hell. If you think that applying the term "hell" to being in debt is too extreme, you've probably never come close to the point of no return.Please feel free to follow me on this escape mission, maybe all of us will learn a thing or two along the way.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

They Make You Feel Like a Death Row Inmate

Some days are like this. I'm a month behind on two credit cards, and a month behind on my cellphone, and a month behind on my landline (Only one month now since i made a payment yesterday) I will have enough money coming in before the end of the month to cover these bills, trouble is my creditors don't want to wait to be paid out over a couple of weeks. They want the money N-O-W!!!!!

There is no worse feeling in the world than the fear that goes down your spine every time the phone rings at a time such as this. 90 % of the calls are legitimate business calls, but that one call from a creditor will always come in, and ruin my day. (Just had another one as I was typing this. Little do they know that in April, their card is targetted for total payoff and they can no longer extort from me, nor call me ever again!) As I stated in my story, come April, I will not only be up to date on all bills, but I will have been able to start an emergency fund, AND pay off one, maybe even two credit card balances in full. The trouble is, will I be able to get from here, March 12th until April without being cut off by someone or charged off by another?

Debt is serfdom. Serfdom is defined as indentured labour. All the money we bring in is claimed, down to the last penny by bills and credit card companies. I can live with the power, gas and phone bills... they are an unfortunate neccessity. But the credit card bills I resent. I HATE (yes, it is a strong word) that industry. I am so looking forward to paying out and cutting up that first card. (I gave myself a bit of a foretaste the other night by cutting up a card I had that has a zero balance)
Essentially I am no longer working for myself and my family's betterment so much as to protect them from creditors. I can't take any more of these phone calls! They start phoning when you're even a week late!
I am so depressed about this, made worse by the fact that There's little I can do to start paying things off until April. All I can do is cling to the knowledge that I will have the wherewithall to do it then... the hard part is having to fend off creditors until then, an keep food on the table.

If there's any advice that I'm qualified to give, that you can take to the bank, it is this....If you don't have one, never, ever ever EVER get a credit card. You don't need one. Looking back on my life, the biggest mistake i ever made was getting a credit card. the second biggest was not learning from my experience the first time.
Once I have paid these suckers off, if I find I ever "need" a credit card to book a flight, rent a car etc, I will either get a prepaid master card or an American Express green charge card. That's if I can even qualify for one after the mauling my credit rating has taken over the last 5-6 months. (FICO Score: 576).
Why am I telling you this? I just needed somewhere to vent, and if my venting helps someone put the brakes on living on credit, because they don't want to be where I am, then I've done my job.
I feel like the criminal on death row who is brought in to tell high school students to change their ways or end up like them. These collectors from the credit card companies have a way of making you feel like you're Ted Bundy.

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