The beginning
I lost my job:
In October 2007 I was a young mom. I was about 24 years old and my son was around 4. I moved into my first apartment. Although it wasn't what I really wanted, it was the best feeling and experience ever until two weeks later, November 10, I lost my job. I was devastated! I didn't know what I was going to do. Except something I never wanted to do, apply for state assistance. I was awarded $270 per month in cash, $300 per month in food stamps, and Purchase of care. Purchase of care is Delaware's child care assistance. They paid for day care while I looked for a job. My son's father and I were constantly fighting with each other. So the only help he wanted to give me was $250 per month. And majority of the time he skipped months. When he skipped months he doubled up when he paid. But where your already a month behind it didn't seem like much help.
Two years of struggle:
The first eight months of unemployment were the most horrible months of my life. Naturally every month of was behind in my rent. I used the money from the state to pay bills like electric and cellphone. I needed a phone so that employers could get in contact with me.
Tax time I spent my money wisely. I paid two months of my rent. January I ran to the state service center in New Castle, DE to pay my rent. Current month was past due, and I paid the following month. So that covered February and March. The surrounding months the rent was paid with help from several local, county and government agencies. Until I was awarded child support June 2008. Thank God I was blessed with enough to cover my rent.
Once I started receiving child support the cash assistance stopped. I was fine with that. I have always been an independent person. When I had to get government help I was embarrassed. Loosing one assistance program to me felt like a step forward. I step towards progress. However, I was grateful it was available when I needed it.
I was still out of a job. Working hard every day to find a job. In October I applied for to a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program. As soon I was accepted into the program my car was repossessed. I felt like that was the end. I fell into a deep depression. Thank God I had a mom and, at that time boyfriend, that cared and loved me and son unconditionally and helped me with my son. For two weeks I wasn't able to get out of bed. I wasn't eating, I wasn't cleaning my house, I wasn't talking to anyone. I felt like every time I saw a door opening something got in the way of my financial drought. I was hurting.
Until one day something told me to get my butt out of the bed and pull it together. This is not the end of the road. You need to take care of yourself so you can properly take care of your child. That is what I did.
By December 2008 I completed the CNA program and I passed the license exam. By March 2009 I got my first job as a CNA/Caregiver. Although it was a position where I worked a couple hours here and there and traveled to my clients homes to provide home care I was happy! It worked around my son's school schedule. I worked as much as I could.
November 2009 I got my first full time job at a retirement community. I worked both jobs for three months trying catch up. I worked so much I wore myself out. Once my last client with my first job passed away. I let it go.
The Middle
I wanted to move:
My first apartment wasn't a great apartment. It wasn't even a nice apartment. It was infested with roaches. Yes roaches. And my mom and boyfriend rigged it so that mice would stay away. I HATED IT!!! Once I purchased my car I was determined to move by next year. But I had one problem. When the date I planed to move came around I hadn't saved one penny. But I forced the move anyway. I relied on agencies and the state to help me pay my first and last month rent and I paid the security deposit. Oh, and I was behind in my rent in my old apartment.
Fell back into the same trend. Poor money management. But I wanted to move.
So, I moved into my new apartment. Paying $200 more in my rent and barely paying my utility bills and other bills. Every month I was behind.
I became fed up...
So I called a credit repair company to get help. They were charging me a monthly rate of at least $300 per month. I made the first payment, automatic withdraw, I was thinking "What the @#&! am I doing." I don't have enough to pay my bills. So I cancelled my membership. Decided to start catching up on my house hold bills. Then I will work on my credit.
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| Being behind in bills are stressful because every month I received disconnection notices. |
Attempt one: The wrong way
I tried paying all my bills at one time, past due and current due. I felt okay about it. But something didn't feel right. One day I was hungry, and I looked in the refrigerator there wasn't much there. I said to myself, "Oh shoot! I didn't buy any food." So I pinched pennies until my next pay check and bought some food.
I did that for a month.
Attempt 2: The worst way
I paid for everything that I cellphone bill, cable, personal needs, then paid rent and electric bills. Naturally that didn't work because I didn't have the money to pay the bills.
I tried this for about three months until I realized this wasn't the solution to my problem either.
Attempt 3: God's Way
After trying to do it my way twice and failed twice I became frustrated and tired. So my final resort was asking God to help. WOW! Why didn't I think of this sooner. Why because I was in a stage in my life where I thought I could do it on my own. I was in a stage in my life where I thought I was in charge. I was in rebellion. I wasn't following anything that had to do with spirituality. Not because I didn't think I needed to, but because I just didn't want to. Once I realized I couldn't do anything on my own. The reason I even made it as far as I did was ONLY because of His Grace and His mercy.
What he did first was show me where I needed to start. I needed to start with what was important, create a spread sheet where I would track my incoming and outgoing money, and begin to catch up on my bills. Within six months I was caught up and ahead of my bills. I was even able to save money and I didn't have to use child support to pay my bills.
Once I was able to do that, and be successful it was time to take it to the public and teach them and educate them on how to be stress and debt free. That is the goal and mission of Financial Bondage Broken.
I tried this for about three months until I realized this wasn't the solution to my problem either.
Attempt 3: God's Way
After trying to do it my way twice and failed twice I became frustrated and tired. So my final resort was asking God to help. WOW! Why didn't I think of this sooner. Why because I was in a stage in my life where I thought I could do it on my own. I was in a stage in my life where I thought I was in charge. I was in rebellion. I wasn't following anything that had to do with spirituality. Not because I didn't think I needed to, but because I just didn't want to. Once I realized I couldn't do anything on my own. The reason I even made it as far as I did was ONLY because of His Grace and His mercy.
What he did first was show me where I needed to start. I needed to start with what was important, create a spread sheet where I would track my incoming and outgoing money, and begin to catch up on my bills. Within six months I was caught up and ahead of my bills. I was even able to save money and I didn't have to use child support to pay my bills.
Once I was able to do that, and be successful it was time to take it to the public and teach them and educate them on how to be stress and debt free. That is the goal and mission of Financial Bondage Broken.
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