Carla Ravanes is a young professional passionately booming in her career. But just like a good chunk of young professionals, she also got into credit card debt at a relatively young age. This article is a quick snapshot of her story and want she went through while in debt. I do I hope that her story encourages you to stay away from debt and if you are in debt that you find ways to get out of it. I beleive no matter where you are in life there is always hope for you to bounce back if you are in debt.
As of this writing, Carla is in the process of finishing off all her debts by December 2014. If she can do it, so can you! God bless you and may this article serve as a turning point how how you move from debt to life!
(Carla Ravanes – Center with Jacque Isais and Carl Ravanes)
My parents, to say at the very least, were not spoilers. I recognized this early on when we went to a toy store with our other family friends and I witnessed my friends getting a basketful of toys while I was left with a life changing decision at four years old: the grocery set or the doctor’s kit. My parents often explained to me that in life you have to choose, especially when it came to using your resources well.
Fast forward to the year 2012, I was about to turn 23 years old when I was presented with my first ever credit card. For someone who has been working since she was nineteen, having my first credit card was a right of passage. My dad kept my credit card under lock until a former officemate of mine suggested to take part in the six month, zero interest promo of a retail store. Thinking I needed new clothes, I went for it and the rest is my credit card history. Once I started raking up my credit card bill, offers from other credit card companies came in, and soon I found myself raking up the credit in those too. I wish I could tell you that I bought significant things but I didn’t, I couldn’t even recall half of what I bought. I maxed out three credit cards in a year and found myself in a pit of paying the minimum and working in an hourly paid job.
That, along with my other bills, left me stressful at a young age. I kept wondering the best way to get out of it, but it was as if the hole got deeper and deeper. But God is faithful, through prayers, He blessed me with a new job and have been providing for me, however, the process wasn’t easy.
First, I needed to face the fact that I had a problem with debt. The second was to not run away from my problems but look for options with the help of well-meaning family members and friends. Third was to pursue the solution out of faith. At 25, with the help of my parents, I took out a loan that cleared out all of my debt. Now, I’m paying for the loan instead of paying the minimum of each and by God’s grace, I’m learning to fix my finances and prioritize what’s important.
And while I have learned, albeit through a long process about finances, I’ve learned a greater lesson: no matter how many things I purchase, or many diets I’ve tried (all of which reflected my purchases), it wasn’t going to make me happy, but instead caused a domino effect of problems. In the end, I have come to realize that the joy felt with every swipe was temporary, once that truth settled in, I have become better with my finances and by God’s grace, smarter with my future investments.
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My 2nd book Stock Smarts: Winning Strategies is now out! Click the Link to Register and Order.
If you’d like to learn more how to invest in the stock market and learn how to make your money work hard for you. I’d like to invite you to our upcoming events
- October 24th Stock VS Forex Reloaded
- October 25th How to Compute for the Target Price of A Stock? (Special Session)
- October 25th Stock Smarts: Basics Manila (Afternoon Session)
- November 5th Retire 2014 Reloaded (Manila)
- November 13th How to Find The Perfect Timing in Buying and Selling Stocks
- November 22nd Winning Strategies for Investing Singapore
- November 22nd Associate Financial Planner Singapore 2014
- November 27th Modern Technical Analysis: Chart Patterns and Oscillators
- November 28th Stock Smarts Davao – Basics, Fundamentals, and Technicals
- December 5th Stock Smarts Singapore 2014 (Basic) – Day 1
- December 6th Stock Smarts Singapore 2014 (Technical Analysis) – Day 2
- December 13th Market Outlook and the Top 10 Stocks for 2015!
For inquiries, registration, and payments email: stocksmartsconsulting@gmail.com
It’s nice to be back in Manila after 2 weeks of Financial Talks in Dubai and Doha! Thank you so much to everyone who suppored and attended all our sessions! It’s an honor to be part of your journey towards financial freedom!
*pictures via google search
