Hi, I am new here and am hoping someone has some great advice and I am also hoping to be able to help others. Here is my problem. I have about 35000.00 in credit card debt. I know...WHAT!!! Let me jus tell you how we got to this point. My hubby was a teacher for many years and we had no cards. He got sick with a neuromuscular disease about 9 years ago. He has been home ever since. For the first year of his illness we had NO income. I homeschooled, so I didn't work. We sold a car, cashed in his annuity through school and got some credit cards. We lived on that for almost a year. Then his disability checks starting coming or only 1000.00 a month. I went back to school and got my phlebotomy certicate, got a job part time and then went back to school again and got my medical assisting in another year. I have been working full time for the past 5 years. I only make 13.00 an hour. About 4 years ago STRS terminated hubbys disability. Again, we went back to struggling. He is still not working, but working on trying to sell his guitar collection to pay off some cards. Also during this long time we took out a business credit card and bought art supplies, tables, etc in hopes that he could do private lessons and make some money. He just always felt too bad to do it. I think he got through 2 weeks of lessons. So, after all this time we have wracked up 35000.00 in credit cards. Thats how we bought food, gifts, boys college stuff, tuition, etc. Not to say though we didn't use them sometimes for fun. We did. Just not that much. Our kids were so involved with music and sports so there was a lot of suits, shoes, fees, trips on them too. Of course their college came after that. Anyway. We are in such a mess. I make 13.00 an hour and can't pay for the anymore. I am in a hardship plan with one card (9000.00) at 208.00 per month. Our really big card (13,000.00) is the biggest problem. It is 388.00 per monht. I have been on time every month. This month came and we just didn't have the money. I called them and asked to be put in a hardship program. they said no. I asked for a smaller payment and they said no. I told them I would send 100.00 but that was it. They said I would get late fees and bad credit. I think I already have bad credit by now. Our other cards are about 2000.00 each. All full of course. I thought about getting involved in one of those companies that settle your debt for 50% of what you owe, though it really screws up your credit. Debt management companies tell me I don't make enough to be in the program. The next step is bankrubpsy. Do any of you have any ideas? I about to lose it here. Thanks a bunch!
Melissa
Melissa
