Letters to the Editor
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Thank you...
....for sharing your experience. I know some posters are going to slag you because they think you're "spoiled" or that your debt load is too puny to warrant discussion, but I was almost in the same situation as you have described, and I kept my mouth shut and didn't reach out for help precisely because I was afraid people would think I was spoiled, and because I figured that as long as my debt was under the national average, I was doing ok. I'm a single white woman, no kids, grew up middle class, and educated to the teeth. I had NO excuse to rack up the credit card debt I did - every step of the way, I knew better and I did it any way. And when the piper came calling (the CONSTANT phone calls, which I, too, never answered), I buried my head in the sand for months and refused to check my online accounts or open my mail. I was so ashamed and afraid to acknowledge the pit I had dug myself into.
Long story short, I, too, ended up receiving some help from my family, and cutting waaaay back on expenses - and a year and a half later, I am credit card debt-free. Now I make one (small!) purchase on each of my two credit cards per month so I can pay them off to help my credit score. All other purchases are cash or debit card. I am finally living within my means. So far, so good. Good luck to you, too.