Today, I’m grateful for my mishandling of debt in college and in my 20s.
It was a painful lesson but it was a lesson that I needed.
See I grew up around people that never really understood debt and how to manage it. So I was ignorant when I received my first of many credit cards.
When I graduated from college in 1999 as a single mom, I had over $80K in debt between student loans, dept store credit, credit cards, and car loan with no JOB. See I kept digging myself deeper in debt because everyone around me did the same thing.
By 2001 I was hiding my car from the repo man and borrowing money from the payday loan just to make it as federal government employee.
I remember crying in Phoenix many nights not knowing how I would pay my bills, feed my daughter, pay for her daycare so I can work.
In September 2002 I went a NACA homebuyer mtg in Jacksonville Florida and was told I could not purchase a home because of my credit and lack of savings. See by then I was making almost $50K but I had no savings and had over $100K in debt. I left that meeting in tears and 😤, it was then I decided that I would be come a homeowner one day.
From 2002-2005 I sacrificed and paid my debt, stopped shopping, stopped traveling as much, started cooking meals instead of eating out. Where ever I could cut cost I did. In 2005 I purchased my first home.
I became the first in my family to purchase before 30. And I did it as a single mom all by my damn self. Not one person helped me.
Ever since then I vowed never to be told no by no one that I couldn’t have anything because of my debt and credit score.
I share my story to inspire you to not give up on your dream whatever it may be. As long as you are willing to put in the work it’s achievable. If that dream is to be a homeowner, please contact me and I’ll be happy to help you.
For those that see my blessings I have now know I did not always have them and I bust my ass to get them and still is.