Living while your between jobs

Despite what your creditors may think, you really can't live on unemployment. I start with this because, despite my best efforts, I wasn't able to keep up with the bills. Fortunately, in November, I joined a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class. Remember, I lost my job in August so I've had virtually no income since then.

Still I was scrambling to pay all my bills.

The FPU course taught me a lot of things. I was still homing in on the all-important FICO score. If I didn't pay, my credit rating will be ruined. The reality is if I kept paying I would have lost my house and my car. Then what? I move into a homeless shelter and learn to take the bus?

So for the first time in my life, I quit paying my creditors. I called them all and told them what was going on (no job since Aug. 7 and bad divorce to a 400-pound hulk who ran up $89,000 on my credit cards — that's a whole 'nother blog). I told them I fully intended to pay but I couldn't do it now. I knew they would call me often and I promised I would keep them updated.

I received multiple phone calls every week from them. Sometimes I'd take them. Sometimes I saw that it was a creditor and I didn't feel like talking to them at that time. I knew they'd call back.

About the creditors, some were wonderful, others were awful, mean spirited and made threats that were lies. Kudos go to Citibank and Bank of America which were also the companies I owed the most money. Kicks in the pants go to Discover and Wells Fargo. Both of the last two harangued, harassed and threatened. On numerous occasions, I would try to explain something and the person on the line would just keep talking over me. At that point, I would say, "I'm going to hang up now" and then I would.

Not paying my creditors did not allow me to sit and examine my belly button. Not only did I have to actively work at trying to find that next job but I needed income that would allow me to pay for other expenses and keep food on the table and clothes on my back.

I sold belongings. I never thought about how much stuff I had (also a topic for another blog). I rented out two of my bedrooms. I signed up to substitute and luckily landed a long-term job for two-and-one-half months. I took a Tobacco and Alcohol Bureau Agency test that allows me to serve alcohol and get a couple of gigs a month. I wrote an article for a magazine. I created a yearbook critiquing form for Ohio's scholastic journalism group and reworked journalism curriculum guides for Texas. I judged high school yearbooks. I started a business with Mary Kay and Ambit Energy.

I believe I left few stones unturned.

None of them were big bucks but it did allow me to put back money for the summer when sub jobs would be nonexistent. It allowed me to not run through all my unemployment and to have it available to me over the summer. I would be OK and my creditors could wait.