Winner's Circle

June 2009

What made you realize that you needed to commit to getting out of debt?

The Winning Entry

	"All of my adult life I have been living a "tomorrow" existence. I'll pay it tomorrow, I’ll do it tomorrow, and I'll fix it tomorrow. I made my commitment to become debt-free when I realized that my tomorrows no longer belong to me--they belong to my kids. I needed to get my finances in order to teach them not to make the same mistakes, and so that I can be a better, less-stressed parent. " Nicole C., Warren, MI

Other Favorites

Notable Mention

"I want to start living my life. I used to work 70 hours per week to pay my bills and I never had any time for my family or me. My life was paying bills and work. And that’s about it. I needed freedom and joined CareOne."

Alem G., Saint Paul, MN

"What really was the eye opener for us was when we realized that we could not allow our children to participate in activities that they always were used to being able to participate in the past because of the large amount of debt that we had accumulated. When our children were feeling the effects of our poor decisions, we knew that it was time. "

Brad H., Oshkosh, WI

"I had creditors calling me all day long. I can do a lot of voices that normally would make them believe it wasn't me or that I didn't speak English. I knew it was them because their number would come up as a restricted number. My mother also has a restricted number and she had no clue about the debt that I had accrued while in college. One day, I answered the phone in a different voice and I said I didn't speak English. She was so confused she hung up. At that point I realized my debt was not only alienating me, but also my relationship with my mother."

Lori C., Watertown, MA

"When we weren't able to have food in the house or feed our two dogs. We were borrowing money to put gas in the car to get work. We pawned my wedding ring to bring our checking account to the positive side. After months of stress, no sleep and crying, I finally asked a co-worker what he did. He had mentioned CareOne a couple of times. He gave me the number. I called and spoke with a very helpful representative and she helped me set up our account. Now I am able to go grocery shopping, feed our dogs and I haven't had to borrow gas money for four months. Thank you CareOne. You have made our life so much easier. We will be debt-free in three years and nine months. I can't wait. Thanks again CareOne."

Katie R., Reno, NV

"I have a calendar where I write what bills I need to pay each week. I started to realize that I kept scratching bills off and pushing them back until one week I couldn't push the bills back any farther and our whole paycheck was gone before we got it. That’s when I knew that we needed to get a handle on our bills, spending, and get out of debt."

Jen H., Middletown, PA

"My moment of clarity came when the minimum payment on my credit card was as much as my mortgage payment. The thought that I could actually have a second home somewhere for what I was paying for my credit card was a real eye-opener!"

Tammy D., Jasper, GA

"While I was putting together a package for my family in case of my death, I was listing where everything was who to call I was at the point where I was listing my credit cards. I listed the card number the 800 number how much I owed on the card(s) and my monthly payments. I wasn't behind in any of my payments. But when I totaled up the debt I owed I almost fainted. I got scared then I did some research and found you. You were my life saving net that kept me from drowning in debt. I must admit that I am presently going through credit card withdrawal but I'm getting stronger. I now know I can live without things that I'd love to have. So now when everything is paid off that will be one thing that my family won't have to worry about or have to do for me. I want them to think of me as being strong and that when I make up my mind to do something I do it. I'm not debt free yet but one day I will be and in the end I will be stronger."

Dorothy G., Middlesex, NJ

"The moment I realized that I needed to do something to control my debt happened as a three-way tie and at a pivotal crossroad moment in my life: 1) I was obviously trying to get a better handle on my mounting debt and stop being in denial about it. 2) My FICO score was in the dumps and I desperately needed to change that to improve my living situation. (Living with my ex-boyfriend was not working for me and I needed a new place....Quick!) 3) It took a major toll on my physical health and I found myself either sick all the time or way too stressed out that I lost countless nights of sleep over my worries. Now I am happier and relieved to say that I have my debts under a manageable amount of control. My physical health is so much better and I have my own place. I know that I am on the right path towards a much more worry-free and relaxing life."

Shaunda P., Honolulu, HI

"When the overtime at my job stopped it was a very rude awakening for me. I had been working overtime for so long and had become accustomed to the money even though I knew that you should never base your bills on overtime and to budget your expenses on a regular 40 hour work week. I learned that lesson the hard way. I bought a home thinking that the overtime would always be there and now I am committed to living on a regular paycheck which means getting my expenses in line."

Dennis V., Casper, WY

"My "Ah ha!" moment came when I realized that no matter how determined I was to do the right thing and how hard I worked and planned I could not do it by myself. After two years of trying by myself, (I am a very private and stubborn person.) a CareOne ad came on the TV and I started to cry. I called and a sweet lady that I spoke with had to listen to me between sobs and gulps. By the end of the conversation, of which she did not hurry me, I felt like 1,000 pounds had been lifted from my shoulders and my mind. I was not alone anymore. "

Charlene H., Kingman, AZ

"I'm currently working for the government and a moment of realization came when the collection agencies were calling me so frequent that I went over my minutes on my phone plan. One day, as I was finishing up some paperwork at work, a collection agency called me and told me that he was going to call my supervisor’s office and he was going to report what he called an "urgent delinquent account" which could have caused me to lose my job. That same day, I heard a television broadcast of this company and so I joined. Now I'm on my way to becoming debt-free."

Adrian M., Las Cruces, NM

"I was always lying to my husband about what we owed. Hiding it just got to be too much. We had no savings left and I was making myself sick by not telling him the truth."

Laurie P., Iron Station, NC

"What made me realize I needed to do something about my debt was when my cell phone would ring off the hook! My co-workers used to complain about the constant vibration coming from my purse! Finally I had to turn off my cell phone until nine o'clock at night! Talk about a "wake-up" call!"

Jennifer R., Midland, TX

"I woke up the day I had to get my daughters heart medicine filled and was unable to pay for it. We had been living off credit cards for so long that I wasn't prepared when we exhausted that avenue. At that point, we had no money for medicine or food. CareOne has been the best thing for my family and marriage. We are looking forward to being debt-free in three years."

Michelle E., Bryan, OH