Coming from an immigrant family, Michelle was taught to watch, save, be careful with money, and not to be frivolous. But a combination of credit card debt and legal fees from her divorce put her in the exact situation she had always worked so hard to avoid.
As Michelle explains, “I tried to pay off my credit cards while making the minimum payments on my other cards. But it was too overwhelming. I was living on a single income with two kids. While I was making all the minimum payments consistently, I wasn’t making a dent in the balance. I tried to read up on how to pay it all down, but I felt helpless.”
Finding the help she needs
This single mom wanted to pay off her debt so that she could focus on what mattered most: her two boys. She considered bankruptcy and other options. But when she learned about National Debt Relief, she knew she had found the solution she was looking for.
She described her experience this way, “National Debt Relief set out a plan that I could follow and payments, most importantly, that I could afford. They were gracious enough to answer all my questions. They were patient enough to make sure I felt good with what the objectives were. They set a budget and attainable goals for me. And they were also able to negotiate with my creditors, a skillset that I definitely don’t have.”
Michelle couldn’t believe how quickly her debt decreased. But during the process, she was hit with another hurdle: a surprise transmission bill. When Michelle called to inform her team, they updated her monthly payments to tackle this additional debt.
Her hard work paid off
Living on a budget entailed that Michelle cut back on just about everything because she knew the small stuff could add up to a big deal. As she says, “I needed to cut back on small, everyday purchases— we stopped going out to dinner, downgraded our cable to remove any premium channels and canceled our DVR.” All her hard work and sacrifice paid off because less than 4 years later, Michelle was debt free.
Some lifestyle changes stuck after she became debt free. As Michelle exclaims, “The silver lining here is that I became a thrift shopper to find great deals and ended up falling in love with it. It’s great for the environment and my wallet.”
Support for the future
Michelle’s team at National Debt Relief focused on more than her debt. They helped her establish new financial habits and strategies for moving forward. It obviously worked as she describes her new life.
“If I can live with this budget of money that originally went to National Debt Relief, then that means I can still continue to live with that money going into savings. And that right there was a new concept for me. I don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck, and I can grow my savings account.”
She didn’t want her boys’ lives to change from when she was married. Now that she is credit card debt free, she feels more in control of her money and her life. As Michelle continues to practice healthy spending, she pays for the essentials first before putting money away or spending it on something she needs.
Living her good life
According to Michelle, “The best decision I made was to call National Debt Relief. Without the help and assistance they provided, I would have been more of an emotional wreck after the divorce and where I was in my life.”
Her life today includes feeling liberated and enjoying stress-free time with family. She no longer has credit card debt and finished paying off her car. As for saving and budgeting Michelle explains, “I divide my paycheck in three: taxes, savings, and spending. I got rid of all my credit cards and only pay via cash and check. If there’s something I want but I don’t have the cash, I don’t buy it. And we are planning vacations!”
A grateful Michelle ended the conversation this way. “Tell the National Debt Relief staff, thank you for being candid. Thank you for being transparent and teaching me stuff I didn’t know. And thank you for working with me, especially in the situation that I was in and letting me know that I was doing a great job.”
Let the people at National Debt Relief help you write your success story. We have supported over 500,000 people every step of the way to help them pay off their debt, regain financial independence and adjust spending habits to remain debt free.
