If my debt were monsters, my credit card is Bigfoot riding bareback atop the Loch Ness Monster waving Chupacabra like a lasso.
I'm going to get a scanner so I can draw that image and post it up. Apparently, the web is not saturated with Chupacabra-weilding-Bigfeet-ridin'-plesiosaur pictures. I thought everything was here!
If I can calm myself down for five minutes, maybe I can get into my credit card. Developments have been made!
I owe about $7,000 on my card. Paying it off as I do month by month is going to seriously keep me from buying luxuries like food and clothes.
However, I have a plan that's been in the running and it looks as though it's actually going to happen... so hear me out! Maybe it can generate ideas for you to get around debt. Being inventive is being a smarty!
My girlfriend is coming into a chunk of money as a result of her grandfather's passing. She came up with the idea to lend me $3,000 to cut into my credit card. I was very hesitant about this at first. Because I have a fear of being on Judge Judy. I cannot handle having her scold me for being a deadbeat and pissing on her leg and telling her it's raining and such.
This would be me.
But after some discussion and private thought, I came around. What clinched it is that I've been paying my credit card bills consistently for years... so why not do the same thing for a person? The idea is that my card will be paid off first, and afterwards, I will pay her back the money I owe plus a little bit of interest (the interest was my idea -- I want her to benefit somewhat).
From there, we thought... maybe I could get someone else in on this action and cut my credit card payments even more. The only person I felt somewhat comfortable about being in debt to was my mom. I've never really asked her for much and only in the past couple years have we patched things up (family issues -- maybe I'll write about them sometime... hmmm. A blog expansion pack?).
I was pretty nervous about this. Calling the credit card and student loan companies is one thing. But a relative? I don't like telling my family and friends about my money troubles. But that's the change I'm trying to make. I want to be open and honest about how shitty my debt is. Because I'm sick of dealing with it alone in a half-assed manner.
So last Saturday I called her and gave her the Ole ask n' ask. I requested $1,500 which I would pay her back at interest after my remaining credit card debt was cleared. She seemed open to the idea and volunteered $2,000 which I would not have to pay back. I said I would accept the $2,000, but I really wanted to pay her back as I felt it was the honorable thing to do. She said that perhaps I should give the $2,000 to charity instead. I was intrigued by that notion! So in the end we agreed that she would lend me $2,000 which I would return to charity... in addition to the $3,000 my girlfriend will lend me. That leaves me with $2,000 in credit card debt to knock out.
That's pretty cool! And it's NOT a cop-out because I'm paying back all the money! I'm just not doing it in the traditional high-interest manner with which we are accustomed.
Here is another instance in which I was nervous and unsettled about involving others in my financial crisis, but worked through the fear and embarrassment to allow them to help me come up with a solution.
So I feel I can give an official rule regarding debt management: Let others in on your troubles. People that you trust. Human beings are community-oriented. Expand your community -- even if it's only by one or two, you have allies to rely on. If you don't have a significant other or talking dog, call a friend once in a while. Or better yet, schedule a routine session with a buddy and just talk your shit out and brainstorm ideas and encourage each other. Knowing you don't have to go it completely alone is a huge load off.
