One Woman's Struggle and Triumph Over Debt

Her story is a familiar one; a mother of two who found herself in a marriage that was crumbling. By the time the divorce papers were signed, she discovered she was $17,000 in debt and her house was in foreclosure. Scared and alone, Nola Shaw of Medford, Oregon, found herself making an appointment with Consumer Credit Counseling Services. The first advice they gave her was bleak. Go get another part time job and come back in six months, they said. This was her lowest point.

"When a counseling service turns you away, you know things are messed up." Though it was a struggle to be away from her kids, she quickly put her life in order and six months later she returned and a counselor set up a plan to pay off her debt. That was four years ago and last month Nola completed the program and is now living debt free.

"It is such a great sense of relief," she says. "Just getting rid of the phone calls and the letters. Getting a couple of things paid off and then a few more. That feels great! And I can answer the phone without fear."

Along the way she learned how to strategize and prioritize. She held down a part time office job and started a bookkeeping business out of her home. As the years passed, she began to see that one of the benefits of paying off debt was the stability she gained and the self confidence that followed.

Nola learned the difference between "needs" versus "wants". "Cable would be nice, but I actually like channel 12," she jokes. She learned that living a simple life has its own rewards. "Just baking cookies with my kids, instead of taking them to Dairy Queen or out for dessert. My kids know that I love them and it is far more rewarding in the long run. We are spending time together. And it has shown me that as an individual, that I can persevere." She also learned a lot about self discipline and gained self respect in the process.

"I find value in myself now rather than finding value in things like a big fancy car with huge payments." Her way of life changed, but so did her understanding of what is really important. "I don't have a cell phone, but I don't need one. I'm still surprised at how many things I took for granted before. I think my rewards are yet to come."

Her goal now is to buy a home. She is taking steps to achieve that goal and now that her debts are paid off, she can put money aside for a down payment and also work on a retirement plan for her future.

"Some women stay in marriages that are negative or even abusive because they think they can't get out financially, but they can! We can do it, but it takes a lot of perseverance, a long time and even a lot of tears. I hope that other women know that they can get a sense of self worth and accomplishment and they can overcome the tragedies in their lives."

One of the benefits of using a credit counseling service is that it gave her a support system. "I am so thankful for Linda K (her counselor at CCCS). She helps me every time. Even though I have completed the program, I can still go back to them as a resource if I need it." Knowing that she has that support is a comfort.

"It is such a struggle to have more debt than income because you feel like you can't do anything about it. And it's scary. You can though. Be sure to monitor your credit."

Knowing what is on your credit report will ensure there are no mistakes. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call to get credit mistakes cleared up, but you have to be aware of problems so they can be dealt with promptly.

Nola hopes that other women will not be scared to ask for help.

"It's okay to take a risk. Take the risk."