“You Have to Buckle Up”: How Michelle Turned $34,113 of Debt Into a Fresh Start

At one point, Michelle and her husband were doing everything they could just to stay afloat. 

They had downsized into a tiny efficiency apartment. They moved back in with family. They drained their savings to cover groceries, gas, and electricity. And still, the debt kept growing. 

“As a married couple, you never think you would have to do that,” Michelle recalls. “But debt kept piling up. We had no income coming in… and every now and then, we’d get stuck, and we used our credit cards.” 

Their finances started shifting during a big career change. Michelle left her corporate job to work with her husband at his family’s company, but the pay was lower than what they were used to. She later went back to corporate work, then lost her job a few years later, right before COVID. 

At the same time, her husband was training to become a firefighter. When the pandemic hit, his start date got pushed back. Michelle remembers that stretch clearly: “There was a timing gap where we both weren’t working.” 

With no income coming in, they burned through their savings. They moved in with Michelle’s mom and worked to renovate a family property so it was livable. To cover costs, they leaned on credit cards. Then came another expense that added pressure fast. “We bought timeshares. Why did we need timeshares? I don’t know.” 

Over time, their balances spread across seven creditors grew to $34,113. “It’s not a lot in the spectrum of things,” she said. “But for us, it was hard because I’m like, we’re never gonna own a home at this point.” 

It also made other goals feel out of reach. After years of infertility, Michelle shared, “The thought of being even to afford IVF was just out of the question.” They felt stuck. 

Asking for Help 

Michelle and her husband had always tried to be careful with money. They budgeted and looked for ways to stay on track. But after months of trying to juggle payments and keep up with bills, Michelle knew they needed another option.  

“I told my husband, ‘Look. Let’s just have a call. Let’s just see, because we’re up to our eyeballs like we’re never gonna get to the point that we are.’” 

She found National Debt Relief through an online search and scheduled a call. “The rep was amazing, so kind, so nice.” As the program was explained, it felt like there was finally a clear path. 

The Power of Consistency 

Michelle says the program only worked because they stayed steady. “It was one payment that fit,” she says. And when they could, they added extra money to move faster. 

Her biggest takeaway was simple. “You have to be consistent. That was, I think, the number one thing.” 

When the first settlement came through, it felt like proof they were moving forward. “Oh, my gosh! I remember thinking it’s already happening!” Each settled account felt like progress she could see.  

The toughest part was still ahead: the two timeshare accounts. “When I spoke to our rep, they’re like, that one’s gonna be your toughest one to get out of.” After about a year, they chose a Reach Loan to help resolve the remaining accounts. 

Michelle admits they were cautious about taking on interest. “We’re interested, but we’re also kind of skeptical about it, because we’re about to go into something with interest.” What made it feel worth it was having a clear finish line. “There was an end in sight. There’s a goal. There’s a date.” They tracked the payoff and ended up finishing early. 

By April 2022, Michelle completed the program and resolved the full $34,113 she enrolled. 

From the 500s to 758 

Michelle remembers how far their credit score fell during their hardest stretch. “I think it got to 515.” She tried to keep the big picture in mind. “It is what it is. Sometimes you’re gonna have to take the hit in order to get even further up top later on.” 

Over time, their score started climbing again. When she saw it break into the 600s, she celebrated. “When I got to the 600s, I think I celebrated.” 

After graduation, they took a cautious approach with spending. “What we have in the bank is what we pay for.” Later, once their score reached 700, they opened one credit card. “Let’s just open up one card.” They kept it simple: “Charge. Pay off. Charge. Pay off.” 

That steady approach helped. Today, Michelle reports a 758 credit score. 

A House on the Water 

About a year after graduating from the National Debt Relief program, Michelle and her husband started IVF. “The very first round of IVF we paid out of our own pockets, and we’re talking like $30,000.” Her mom helped with $18,000, and they covered the rest with savings. 

They focused on paying her back quickly. “Let me tell you, we paid my mom off within the year, because we knew what it was to be consistent.” 

Then came a moment Michelle once thought might never happen. “We closed on February 21st of this year, and it was a miracle.” They bought their first home in South Florida, right on the water. “We got the dream that we wanted.”  

“You can’t be ashamed of that” 

Today, Michelle says their mindset has changed. “We’re big savers now.” She’s careful about lifestyle creep too. “You get that extra money, don’t go running and spending it.” 

She also talks openly about debt, because she knows how common it is. “A lot more people are in debt, and they don’t want to talk about it. You can’t be ashamed of that.” 

As a graduate, she rated her likelihood to recommend National Debt Relief a 10 out of 10. She describes her financial situation today as “significantly better.” She went from $34,113 in debt to homeownership, from a credit score in the 500s to 758, and from constant money stress to financial peace.