Sticky mess I am in

[stellar]

It sounds like you're young and learning.  

I feel like ppl are giving good advice but a little harsh in the delivery. 

Adult skills take time and practice and maturity.  It's ok to make mistakes and try again.  That's how you learn.  

So it seems like you need to:

1. Take accountability for your spending, no excuses

2. Be disciplined and frugal in your spending (what are necessities, what are luxuries? what can you actually afford on your income?)

3. Learn more about budgeting and debt payoff strategies

4. Never allow others to use your credit

I think you should check out some websites on making a budget and paying off debt.  Gather more knowledge about being financially responsible and building wealth rather than debt.  You may need to bring in more income with a 2nd job or something.

Good luck, it takes time and knowledge but you can get to a better place.

[Anonymous]

Credit is not free money to spend willy nilly. You are borrowing with the intent to repay.  You have a minimum amount you must repay each month, and a ceiling (limit) on what you can spend.  There is also a soft ceiling at about 1/3 of your limit that you can SAFELY spend in the eyes of those who grant credit.  If you go over that, other lenders (and even your current lenders) will view you as a higher risk, you score will lower, and its even possible that your existing limits can be reduced as a result. 

Say you have a 1000 limit and you spend 750 of it, youre going to take a massive hit on your scores as that is risky behavior.  No one else is likely to lend to you as long as you owe that much versus what you have available.  Additionally, whoever lent you that, if its not paid down pretty quickly, may very well lower your spending limit to 800 or something, just to prevent you from spending even more youre not paying back timely enough.

Therefore

Your goal, at this time, is to return your balances to that state, under 30 percent.

There is literally nothing else to be done.  Start paying bills.  No more excuses.  Pay it off. Double or Triple your minimum payment for the next 3-6 months.

If you do not, welcome to the under600 club, if you miss a single payment, welcome to sub550 or even sub500.  And you will remain there for many years to come.

The onus is on you.

I am not trying to be mean or harsh, but reality is here to check in with you.  You sound EXACTLY like me 15 years ago when I first got a credit card.  If I knew then what I know today (in the middle of a rebuild myself after student loan and debt hell has finally dropped off) id be 800 club easily, with potentially hundreds of thousands available if I needed or wanted to use it.

The people here KNOW what they are talking about, listen to them man.  (I did, and ive gone from 520 to 650+ in six months)

Or, you can live like I did for 7-10 years and pay cash for everything because no one will lend you a dime.  Your choice.

[Gramz]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I am not quitting my gym membership. That is way too important for me. I am between 2k to 3k in what my overall balances are.

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I read everyone respond before I give my suggestion, don't want to repeat the same advice you already read.

To be frank I 2nd everyone advice here, if 2k-3K is overwhelming you then you need to cut back a lot.  I too myself had over 15K in credit card debt, that's just credit card and I make the necessary sacrifice to pay it all off.  I help my mother as well that's why it was so high.  I am only got 4K left on my car loan 35K(2012), which I will eliminate by the end of March.

I'm paying school loans, rent and mortgage, these are just a few things that I am doing paying and yes I am doing this all alone and on one paycheck.  I am saying this to say that with discipline and determination you too can tackle your debt.  I know a lot of people that is in this forums going through a lot more than the both of us.  So I read and take their advice, I learn from their mistake so I do not do it myself.  Yes I learn the hard way, but if I didn't had too I would appreciate that a lot more.

If you do not want to cut the gym because it's important to you, then just fine time to budget and cut somewhere else.  You can prep your meals for the entire week and take them with you. 

Good Luck!!! 

[HeavenOhio]

Nobody's said it, so I will. Keep the gym membership. But do look for other ways to cut costs. And look for ways to bring in more money. $2–3K is obtainable, even for those who don't bring in a lot of money. We see people here with tens of thousands in debt.

People here can probably give you more specific advice if you:

1. List your cards, their balances, their limits, and their APRs
2. Provide an outline of your monthly expenses
3. Give us an idea of your monthly income

The bottom line is that there's no way to get out of paying without clobbering your credit scores. Your choices would be to default or declare bankruptcy. You don't want to do that over your relatively small debt.

Also, consider seeking trustworthy credit counseling (that's free of charge). Maybe your school can point you in the right direction.

[elim]

Use this dilemma as a reason to increase your income. Find a higher paying job or add another. Do whatever it takes to pay these cards OFF.

[Anonymous]

Do you use any supplements? Protein powder, vitamins, pre workout, etc. I know from personal experience that stuff can add up quickly. I personally spend over $250 a month on gym related expenses. If you are in a situation where money is tight you need to cut back. As others have said figure out all your expenses each month  food, gas, cell phone, etc dont forget to include your credit card payments. (obviously if your interest rate is high you want to pay more than the minimum monthly payment or you will get killed with interest).  Is it more than your income? If so you need to figure out where to cut your spending. Only you can decide what you need vs. what you want. 

Also cut up your credit cards. Do not apply for any more. Student loans are different, but make sure the student loans go to your schooling  Sounds like if you don't have the money and you have the urge to buy something you just fall back on the card Sometimes you have to resist the urge to buy.

Good Luck !

[Gramz]

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@HeavenOhio wrote:

Nobody's said it, so I will. Keep the gym membership. But do look for other ways to cut costs. And look for ways to bring in more money. $2–3K is obtainable, even for those who don't bring in a lot of money. We see people here with tens of thousands in debt.

People here can probably give you more specific advice if you:

1. List your cards, their balances, their limits, and their APRs
2. Provide an outline of your monthly expenses
3. Give us an idea of your monthly income

The bottom line is that there's no way to get out of paying without clobbering your credit scores. Your choices would be to default or declare bankruptcy. You don't want to do that over your relatively small debt.

Also, consider seeking trustworthy credit counseling (that's free of charge). Maybe your school can point you in the right direction.

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Haha I said it, I told the OP if it's important to you then just budget into your expense and cut some where else.

[Kree]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

I am not quitting my gym membership. That is way too important for me. I am between 2k to 3k in what my overall balances are.

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And therein lies your problem.You're not willing to sacrifice.

Your gym is not important. NOBODY needs a gym membership. You can do pushups at home. Sit-ups. go for a jog. Buy a bike. Hell you blame part of your debt on car insurance? Sell the car, pay off your debt. 

If 2-3K in debt is overwhelming you, you really don't need credit.

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I used to bench press a filing cabinet while lying on a coffee table. Both free on craigslist.

[Shooting-For-800]

Get a part time job at the gym.

Cut up all your cards but one VISA or MC for REAL emergencies.

I am sure you owe your mother more than she will ever owe you.

Don't look for credit to fix your credit.

Stay away from "credit repair" services.

$2-$3k is nothing if you throw $500 a month at it.