I’ll rebuild it by paying my mortgage and utilities on time every month for a couple of years without owing anything else. Those are actually being paid on time every month now so far.

But my unsecured debt situation has my credit score probably as low as it can go. If it could go negative, I’m sure it would. I haven’t even checked to see what it is because I’m sure it’s too low to even bother. I check the credit reports for fraud, but to heck with the scores.

When I get my new career going, I’ll be in a position to come up with some lump sums to settle some of the high balance debts for pennies on the dollar. But until I can get that going I don’t have the money to settle anything. As time goes on I know they’ll be willing to settle for less and less.

I know it can be scary not being able to pay your bills, but in this case I think it might be a good that you are behind…the companies will be a lot more likely to take a settlement. You would probably be able to get rid of a $20,000 debt for only $5k for example. Of course this is going to completely trash your credit, but it sounds like it already is.

I will continue to take business clients very part-time and only as needed. It will bring in a few hundred extra dollars each time I work with a client. The business never took off, and it doesn’t make enough to support us.

In the meantime, I’m researching different career paths, and I’ve picked up as many tutoring hours as I can schedule between the time school lets out and the libraries close. That’s 4-6 hours per day, Sunday – Thursday at $19/hr. Sometimes I can get more than that, sometimes it’s less, but that’s what I average.

I’m using the irregular income budget right now, and I start with food, gas for the car, utilities, then house payment, medical expenses, personal expenses, including what I still have to pay on the business that isn’t debt, and then debt payments if I have enough money.

When I have a more regular income again I’ll post my income and budget along with the debts. Right now we’re back in survival mode and I can’t do much about my debts.

As soon as I get on a career path and get some reliable income flowing, I’m going to work by phone and online with one of DR’s financial counselors. We don’t have one locally that is qualified to deal with my situation. I have a business, law suits and too many variables for a pastoral counselor to handle.

I know my problem is mostly an income problem, but it’s not all on the income side.

Thanks for your encouragement. I can use a lot of it right now.

Sherri