Credit Tards

D

DJ Warp Shadow

New member
Last week, being the stealthy smooth operator that I am, I convinced my credit card company to give me an extension on my due date. This is because I'm $200 over the limit and I honestly have no money. They told me that it was fine, they would give me the extension. Supposedly, I didn't have to have money in the bank until March 16th. I kept asking, "Are you sure?", and they kept telling me it's OK.

So, today I call my credit card's toll free number to find out if I can get a credit limit increase, and I find out I'm still $200 some dollars over the limit, plus they charged me a late payment fee. There's nobody to talk to because it's Sunday. I sent an e-mail, but they probably won't even respond for about 5 days.

Needless to say, I'm extremely pissed off.

I'm going to need to open new credit cards, just to afford bills and stuff. Also, other stuff is happening kinda fast, and it kinda has to be that way. I'm going to need to buy all new music equipment soon (I need it by June), and so I pretty much need to open more credit cards for that.

Yes, I know, credit cards are a dumb move. Believe me, I've learned the hard way. I have about $5000 dollars in bills to pay, $3000 being credit card debt. When you used to be a pothead and your credit limit increases and you can take money out of your card, you buy a lot of weed over time. Anyway, I know how credit cards work for the most part and I can pay them off eventually. I'm just pretty stressed out right now.

Any advice would be appreciated. If there's any other way to get some sort of financial support without credit cards, I would gladly take it. It's just that I need money ASAP. Realize that I'm trying to make music my life, and I need to start my potential career in June. I turn 21 and it's perfect timing to make a push. Any time after I turn 21 is crucial for the business I'm going to be in. I'm looking at an 18-24 year old market. So yes, I need to get this stuff going by June 5th.
 
I've heard dumber things, actually. First of all, I didn't spend all of the money on weed. At the time, I was trying to afford college. I couldn't get loans so I had to pay for some of it with my credit card. I also needed certain things. I could also blame it on bipolar disorder, but I tend not to make excuses.

Yes, I was an idiot. I was stupid. There's nothing I can really do about that now. I just do my best not to be stupid anymore. It can be really hard sometimes when you've grown accustomed to being stupid for such a long period in your life. I feel stupid every day for things that normal people would just shrug off.

I had a problem. I don't know why I smoked so much. Sometimes I wish I didn't, but at the same time it made me who I am today. I'm extremely happy with the person I am, regardless of memory problems and how stupid I feel in general.

When it comes down to it, I'm sort of glad I got into so much debt over time. I've never had anything bad happen in my life. Nobody close to me has ever died. A lot of times, I wish something bad would happen to me so I could be like everyone else, someone with a tough life that has a reason to be proud of what they've accomplished. So at least I have some kind of adversity to overcome, even if it's stupid in the first place.
 
Sorry to hear about your loss. Pot is awesome.



Why the fuck would you want to be like everyone else? The majority of the population is just filled with backstabbing egotistical morons who brown nose their way up through the system. I would rather have an easy happy life and become successful someday.
 
Welcome to your Chapter 7. The gift that keeps on giving for the next 10 years.

Seriously dood, you want some good advice? Stop buying shit on credit and pay your bills on time. I fucked up my credit years ago and filed a chapter 7 in '99. That mistake has effect my life in ways I can not even begin to describe.
These days, "they" look at your credit for everything. It has no become an indicator of what kind of person you are. Simply put, if you have shitty credit you are an incompetent dirtbag in the eyes of a lot of people.
 
This is the height of idiocy for an adult.

Seriously, do you not understand credit and how it effects nearly every facet of your life? Deal with some debt or a charge off, but don't create more debt to get out of another.

I'd be looking for a second job if I were you, at least until you get on your feet.
 
If you really want to start your career, as it were, then you need to get your shit together. You cannot just say, "This is going to happen," and expect it to come true. Shane, I generally enjoy your posts, and I think you are probably a really cool guy, but for fuck's sake: you are going to have to work that shit off in some field other than your dream career.

I know what it's like to want to make some sort of mark, and I think you should pursue what makes you happy, but you have to take care of yourself first.

So my advice: Bob Dylan did his best work on a single acoustic guitar and the equivalent of a microcassette recorder. If you have it, you have it. No huge studio or a bajillion dollars will make a difference. Don't pay your credit cards with other credit cards, EVER. Get some sort of job, or keep the one you already have to pay off most of you debt. Stop, slow down and think about what you are doing. Get some feedback from others (like now) before you make any more decisions, as you have grossly overestimated your ability to make good calls.

Lastly, keep us posted.
 
I'm doing the best I can to pay off the debt. I know I shouldn't take out more credit cards, I just need to figure out what else I can do. I could work a 2nd job, but I don't think I could handle it. I would go crazy. I need as much free time as I can get.

I guess I could at least ask my family for help. It's just that, I've asked them for so much. I don't want to be carried anymore. I'll at least ask. My Uncle is an accountant and he helped me with my credit before. I'll call him up tomorrow or something.

I record on my laptop using Sony Acid Pro. My friend Joe is a record producer and he's really good at what he does. Since we're friends, the recording is totally free. My other friend, Jeff, let me borrow about 3 guitars and his guitar amp head. I have my own drum set and I borrowed a bass for the recording. The only good equipment we're using is the laptop, the mixer, the guitar, and the bass. The drums are kinda banged up, but it sounds good in the mix.

I'm taking my time as much as I can with a potential music career. When summer starts, I'm going to start playing shows. I'll still be in PA and I'll still have time to work, so I'll be paying off my bills as my music career progresses.

Note: $2000 of my debt was made up of hospital bills. I got a power drill through the webbing between my right index and pinkie finger... it went through the other side of my hand. I was holding something for my boss and the drill slipped. I was in shock so I went to the hospital. I didn't know whether I needed stitches or not. I had no insurance. Instead of just telling me I could just bandage it up, the hospital decided to give me a shot, give me an x-ray, put stuff on the puncture wound, and wrap it up. Yeah, they sorta fucked me over.

Another thing: around the time of my initial credit card debt, I developed Bipolar Disorder. I went through a severe episode of mania. Some of the characteristics of that are carelessly spending money, doing drugs, and bad judgment. It didn't help that they locked me in a mental hospital for a week, unable to work. Then my boss stopped giving me as many hours, so I was basically jobless for a month. I applied all over the place, but it took forever to get a job.

Long story, maybe I'll tell it one day.

Don't worry, I'm gonna do the best I can to get out of debt without fucking myself over in the process. I'm OK now, emotionally, mentally, socially, etc. I'm just trying to figure a lot of stuff out right now.
 
Look, you're really good at providing excuses, and yes they are probably true--I am not one to judge. The problem lies, however, in the fact that you are still making bad choices. Stop and think. A second job does not sound like an inconvenience to me, it sounds like a necessity. You seem to have your priorities all fucked up.

FYI: Your boss could be liable for your injury. Workman's compensation anyone?

P.S. Free time? What the fuck is that?
 
Yeah, I meant to say "I'm not trying to blame my life on those 'excuses'", but I just sorta forgot. I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm making excuses. I'm actually the last person who would make excuses for anything. I was just trying to explain the situation a little more in depth.

My priorities may seem messed up, but I weigh in all possibilities for the most part. The problem is, I want to become famous by the time I'm 24. This is because the age gap for the "young" generation is 18-24. I turn 21 June 5th. That gives me 3 years to achieve my goal, which actually isn't a lot of time. I need time right now to write music, record, get stuff together, etc. Also, I can't really handle working too much. That's another reason why I set my goals so high. I don't want to stress myself out too much, and music doesn't really stress me out. If anything, it does the opposite.

I was paid under the table for that construction job, so he wasn't liable at all. It was his own business and he paid me cash. He was also the definition of a tool. A liquor store job is sooooo much better.
 
Part of becoming an adult is realizing that free time comes at a premium. Almost everything you do in your adult life will be an endeavor to secure your free time, and the quality of that time. Working a second job might suck in the short term, but it's far better in the long run than being financially unstable and being forced into spending your free time worrying about money.

Credit rating is so important these days you can't afford to mess it up early. Without a decent credit score you can't get a car, apartment, house - you can't even get basic utilities like lights and water these days with bad credit.

Talk to the companies you have debt with and set up payment plans. Most of these companies won't mind accepting ~$50 a month until it's paid off, since it's cheaper for them to do this than to sue you or deal with a charge off. What you want to avoid here is getting a lot of charge offs on your credit report. One or two isn't the end of the world, and is fixable with a year or two of good history, but a lot of them will leave you incredible for years. You obviously don't want to be sued or have your wages garnished either.

Also, you could always put your music career on hold until you can get straight financially.
 
Vic: TRY READING ALL THE POSTS IN MY THREADS! I have a job.

Thank you everyone else for giving me constructive criticism. I really do appreciate it. :happysad:
 
Back
Top