Debt settlement...

Don't do it.

Well, unless you can front the money they are talking about to settle. I did some number crunching today and realized that the package they sell is just not worth it, because no matter what the creditors make A LOT of money off you. As if we didn't know that already.

36 months without making any payments to the creditors?...even if someone else IS acting as mediator? Come on. You're racking up interest and late fees because honestly do they really care that you plan to settle in 36 months (no they care about the bottom line and that bottom line is $$$ cha-ching), and on top of that you're killing your credit score if it wasn't dead to begin with. Ok so you make payments while you save up your settlement.... saving while making payments to the creditors? You're living a harder life than you were before, AND the creditors are making their money over again. Did you know that credit card companies design their policies so that they make their money roughly every 24 months? Think about it.

Of course, I didn't think about all of this BEFORE signing a contract... so I have to come up with a lot of money, fast.

But you know what? I'd rather owe my money to a person than a stupid creditor anyways. So I'm okay with it.

Bottom line? Lesson learned here a thousand times over?

Don't make mistakes with credit companies to begin with, and you won't get into the predicament I'm in.

Although I WILL say that I was never frivolous. I was just not making enough money to support myself completely. My current status is the result of a few years of charging the little bit of extra I needed every month for normal things like food, gas, etc.

(And an honest admission... hindsight is 20/20. I probably would NOT be in this predicament at all if I'd never dated you know who. He really was a dead weight in my life who I put too much of my faith in... oh, and did I ever tell you on top of helping myself to groceries for two, plane tickets, and whatever else I paid for all in good faith... did I ever tell you that he took it upon himself to max out one of my credit cards on his own? Yup. Not all MY mistakes, here. Fucking lowlife asshole.)

But you know what? I'm going to win. Someday soon I'm going to be able to BUY MY OWN HOUSE and SUPPORT MY OWN FAMILY without fear of the unknown... and hell, isn't that what life is about in America?