Hello,
I am a young female, who is currently in nursing school to better my life some day. However, I fell in a very deep financial hole that I feel I cannot get out of. Before the COVID pandemic, I never had an issue financially. I had a steady full time job, and as a young freshly high school graduate, college freshman, making $800-$900 paychecks every 2 weeks, I was dying to have a brand new car. I had no other bills, or responsibilities. I lived with my parents, I didn’t pay rent, utilities, groceries, children to tend to/pay/care for, a phone bill, etc. Instead of making a smart decision, and saving the money I was making, I wanted to feel like I was “working for something”. So, I begged my parents to co-sign for a car for me. At the time I could afford to pay the note, the insurance, gas, and maintenance as needed. As well as having extra money to take spontaneous beach trips, go out to eat with friends, go shopping, etc. However, before getting the car, I did think about possible scenarios that could happen where I could potentially put myself in a bind and not be able to afford to pay my bills. The scenarios I thought of didn’t seem realistic or if something was to happen it would be no one’s fault but my own (example: quitting my job without having another job lined up). But a pandemic was not something I considered, and I’m sure others as well wouldn’t have either. Where I was working, my hours got cut significantly. Mainly due to the fact, I was a single, young lady, in a school, didn’t have kids; in other words I didn’t seem to have the responsibilities and “financial needs” as others, so I was lucky enough to get 8-12 hours in 1 week. I went from getting $800-$900 paychecks once every 2 weeks, to getting no more than $200 paychecks every 2 weeks. With that being said, I no longer could afford to pay my car note and my car insurance, let alone gas, maintenance, and anything else. So being a young and dumb pre 20 year old, I wanted my family (parents in particular) to not look at me as anything less than independent. So, I took out a loan to help me pay bills. Not thinking about what I’m going to do next month, and now how am I going to pay for this loan I have now taken out. You get the point.. Ever since then, (2 years now) I have been in this debt spiraling hole before the age of 25 years old. Between catching covid and pneumonia myself, three times now, being affected by natural disasters that put me out of of work, and the inflation that is going on, it is hard to be positive and expect my situation to get any better. As you can imagine, my income did start picking up, however, I now have so many more bills to pay due to all of the loans, pay day loans, cash advance apps, credit cards, etc. that I have tried using to help me get by for the month. Which leaves me to not being able to afford the bills I added to myself. And every month I’m stuck in this situation where I’m having to pick and choose what bill is more important to pay, I guess you could say. Since my income a month is way less than debt I have to pay each month, (Grant it, it is no one’s fault besides my own.) If I could go back in time to 18 year old me that was dying to have a new car like all of my friends had gotten as a “high school graduation gift” I definitely would have made different choices.. So fast forward to present time, I’m in my young 20s, I work a full time job, I am in nursing school year round Monday-Friday 8am-4pm (not including clinical rotations and study time), and I have a credit score that is terrible because of payment history, delinquent closed accounts, etc. I have completely gotten rid of all unnecessary monthly things I was paying for (gym membership, subscriptions, manicures, shopping, etc) The only things I pay for is a car note, car insurance, phone bill, gas, and the loans/cash advance apps that automatically get withdrawn from my account. I have $0 in savings. I have no idea who to speak to. Collection agency people that I have spoken to basically tell me “I’m sorry about your situation however you need to pay x amount.” Being so young, and having future plans to buy a house one day, and all the things you do and use your credit for once you get your education and what not, I feel like this path I’m going down, I will never reach that goal. I feel like my credit is at an irreversible point. I feel like being “caught up” on bills is wishful thinking. It’s embarrassing to talk to people about my situation. I’m just at a point where I just don’t know what to do anymore. I’m not a person that feels comfortable asking friends or family to borrow money from them, considering I don’t have the money as it is to pay for the bills I do have, much less to pay someone back for the money I have borrowed from them. I’ve never felt so hopeless. I’m trying to push through, and remind myself I’m in nursing school, and I’m trying to do the best I can. I feel like I’m at a dead end road. I am appreciative of any and all help you can provide me during this struggle I am facing. I just wish I could focus more on nursing school and studying rather than stressing about bills and how am I going to pay for this, that, and the other each month. I blink after paying bills and feel like all of those same bills are due yet again. And I’m left wondering how am I going to scrounge up the extra money to pay my phone bill so my service doesn’t get suspended this month. Or how am I going to afford my car note this month so my parents don’t get penalized for me missing a payment.. Except that is my problem I face every month… Please help. Any financial help as well as financial advice is more than welcome. Thank you for your time.
paypal.me/jbnursingstudent23