Confessions of The Debt Diva, Clarky Davis
Before I slipped into the title The Debt Diva, I was the poster child for poor financial decisions. In my 20s, I learned the hard way that you have to stay in control of your finances.
I grew up in a fiscally conservative household in Louisburg, N.C., a small town outside Raleigh, N.C. My father was a banker and taught me at an early age the differences between right and wrong, cash and credit, checking and savings. My parents and our small town provided a sanctuary from labels, brands and frequent shopping escapades. Shopping excursions for clothes were carefully coordinated three times a year (once in the spring, during July and after Christmas) by my loving and thrifty mother. But once I left home for college, I dropped my family’s fiscal wisdom like last year’s styles.
As a freshman at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C., I was introduced to a new and unfamiliar world. My college friends were draped in designer clothes and for them, shopping was a leisure activity. College was like peering through a boutique store window for the very first time, and I knew I wanted to go inside and start buying. So I did.
Fresh out of college, I had a good job and was living on my own, but I was living beyond my means. I was social spender and my mission in life was simple: Keep up with everyone else. I was known as a social diva. I went out every weekend and spent money on clothes, food and drinks. I was always game for a shopping trip, even when no one else would go.
A few closets of clothes and a couple of car accidents later (I put the repairs on my credit card because I didn’t have any money saved), I had more than $8,000 in credit card debt! I reached my lowest point when I was paying $500 a month in credit card payments. I knew I could be doing other things with the money and decided to do something about my situation.
I did something drastic: I relocated to another state. I had to isolate myself from the social temptation to spend. At a time when “Sex and the City” represented the ideal lifestyle for young professional women, I completed changed my way of life. I cut back on dining out, evenings with girlfriends, Cosmos and shoes. In other words, I became thrifty.
But I also found ways to have fun with friends without breaking my bank account. It took me almost three years, but I paid off my entire credit card debt. I had truly become, The Debt Diva. CareOne Services, began to sponsor my adventures in debt relief and helped to start sharing my spending and saving strategies with others.
I’m in my 30s and still have battles from time to time with money. But, I no longer let clothing and impulse purchases sabotage my finances. If I really want it, I know it’ll go on sale. It took a few years and some hard-won lessons, but I found my style for less, and I’ve dedicated my professional career as The Debt Diva to helping others discover how they can, too.
Visit The Debt Diva website today for great tips on how to manage your debt and finances!
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