Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 14:42     Subject: How to get out of debt!
Anonymous wrote:I have about $55K of credit card debt and $27K of auto loan. Overall, my minimum monthly payments are about $2700-2800 when my take home per month is about $4500 as a nurse making $60-65K/year. On top of debt, I still have to pay rent, utilities, groceries, gas, etc. I stay very depressed that I would never be able to get out of this. I want to go back to school to get advance nursing degree(paid by hospital) but have to adjust on my hours.

I am 42F and single.


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Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 11:34     Subject: How to get out of debt!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Ditto for always working two jobs. I waitress a few night every week after teaching all day. I also tutor and I’ve worked as a summer nanny for years. My kid is in college now and most of what I’ve earned over the years in these jobs is what is now paying for his college. Single moms don’t have a lot of choices so you do what you have to do. I have a rare day off today and it feels luxurious.

I’ve been in the OP’s shoes and paid off upwards of $30k in debt. Not easy but doable. I transferred everything to zero interest cards which helped a lot. I negotiated the medical debt down as much as possible.


How old are you and how long you have been doing two jobs? Kuddos to you for sending your kid to college through your second job, It is not easy but we know what we do for our kids.



I’ve been tutoring from home since my kids were old enough to occupy themselves for an hour at a time. They were probably 7 and 9 at the time. Maybe 6 and 8. The waitress job started when I could leave them home alone so maybe when they were both in MS. I’m 50 now. I’ll keep waitressing for a few more years to help them get on their feet after college. By now my teaching salary isn’t as low so I’ll be able to afford not working other jobs (although I always work in the summer).
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 11:27     Subject: How to get out of debt!
Anonymous wrote:Ditto for always working two jobs. I waitress a few night every week after teaching all day. I also tutor and I’ve worked as a summer nanny for years. My kid is in college now and most of what I’ve earned over the years in these jobs is what is now paying for his college. Single moms don’t have a lot of choices so you do what you have to do. I have a rare day off today and it feels luxurious.

I’ve been in the OP’s shoes and paid off upwards of $30k in debt. Not easy but doable. I transferred everything to zero interest cards which helped a lot. I negotiated the medical debt down as much as possible.


How old are you and how long you have been doing two jobs? Kuddos to you for sending your kid to college through your second job, It is not easy but we know what we do for our kids.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 08:27     Subject: How to get out of debt!
Ditto for always working two jobs. I waitress a few night every week after teaching all day. I also tutor and I’ve worked as a summer nanny for years. My kid is in college now and most of what I’ve earned over the years in these jobs is what is now paying for his college. Single moms don’t have a lot of choices so you do what you have to do. I have a rare day off today and it feels luxurious.

I’ve been in the OP’s shoes and paid off upwards of $30k in debt. Not easy but doable. I transferred everything to zero interest cards which helped a lot. I negotiated the medical debt down as much as possible.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 23:54     Subject: Re:How to get out of debt!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Yes, really. Why this is so hard to believe is silly. My health is great. I sit at a computer when I work. I had 3 jobs 22-31. I taught college English at night as the third job then. My second job in early 20s was teaching ballet.


You do realize that your two jobs mentioned (that you are still doing) are both intellectual jobs, easy on the body?

You sit at a computer all day, and teach college English at night. Those aren't physically demanding jobs (even if you do pace around while teaching English!)


She can get a less physically demanding part time job!
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 19:57     Subject: Re:How to get out of debt!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Really PP?

You have two kids who will both be in college in 8 more years? So they are like 10 and 12 or so now?

And you are 48 years old now, so you had your kids when you were 38 and 36ish?

And since you were in your 20s you always had at least 2 jobs?

What were the 2 jobs? Standing on your feet jobs or sitting down at a desk jobs?

And how is your health?


Yes, really. Why this is so hard to believe is silly. My health is great. I sit at a computer when I work. I had 3 jobs 22-31. I taught college English at night as the third job then. My second job in early 20s was teaching ballet.

3 jobs til 31.

2 jobs since 31.

I am 48.

I will probably scale down to one job at 55 when kids are in college.

I don’t have any kind of social life. I am an introvert and completely fine with that. I like having a lot of savings. I only have it because I work more than other people.

OP is early 40s and her kids are launched! She could easily work a second part time less demanding job for the next 10 years. Her kids are adults!


I think you are an outlier is all.
I'm an elementary school teacher who walks all day long (I'm an interventionist so I have to walk and get my students every 20-30 minutes) up and down stairs, and by the end of the day I am quite tired.
I could tutor a little on the weekend or do something else to earn some extra money, but I could not work a second job for decades! Any my kids are also adults so it has nothing to do with them.

OP is an LPN which means she is walking a lot, lifting patients, rolling them over etc. It's a labor intensive job.
I'm sure she can work some extra hours, and she says she is doing so. But working many hours overtime for a decade is what is going to need to happen to pay off this $80K debt. I don't think it is realistic.

I think her situation is exactly what bankruptcy is for.


A lot of people think it so as well but OP needs to bring herself to do it. I think the stress of money would be too much on other physical demanding job and school. It would take her a while to do it anyway and then re-start so why not just file bankruptcy and re-start soon? How much it cost for lawyers and filing fee for bankruptcy chapter 7 in OP's case? Like $2K maybe?
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 19:33     Subject: Re:How to get out of debt!
Anonymous wrote:
Yes, really. Why this is so hard to believe is silly. My health is great. I sit at a computer when I work. I had 3 jobs 22-31. I taught college English at night as the third job then. My second job in early 20s was teaching ballet.


You do realize that your two jobs mentioned (that you are still doing) are both intellectual jobs, easy on the body?

You sit at a computer all day, and teach college English at night. Those aren't physically demanding jobs (even if you do pace around while teaching English!)
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 19:31     Subject: How to get out of debt!
Anonymous wrote:I still think bankruptcy is the way to go and she can start fresh and start building quickly than she can by paying these off.


Yes, I agree.

The reason OP's credit card rates are so high is that she is at risk of not being able to pay them off.

Credit card companies are businesses, and don't worry, they have made plenty of money off of OP and they will continue to make plenty of money. Her $55,000 is enormouns to her, but it is a pittance to Visa or BOA or whoever owns her debt.

No one will help OP pay for retirement except OP (and her Social Security benefit)
No one will help OP if she becomes disabled except OP (and a tiny amount of SSDI).
No one will help OP pay her rent, if she is sick for a month and can't work, except OP.

OP needs to start fresh and start saving for emergencies, disability and her own retirement.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 19:27     Subject: Re:How to get out of debt!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Really PP?

You have two kids who will both be in college in 8 more years? So they are like 10 and 12 or so now?

And you are 48 years old now, so you had your kids when you were 38 and 36ish?

And since you were in your 20s you always had at least 2 jobs?

What were the 2 jobs? Standing on your feet jobs or sitting down at a desk jobs?

And how is your health?


Yes, really. Why this is so hard to believe is silly. My health is great. I sit at a computer when I work. I had 3 jobs 22-31. I taught college English at night as the third job then. My second job in early 20s was teaching ballet.

3 jobs til 31.

2 jobs since 31.

I am 48.

I will probably scale down to one job at 55 when kids are in college.

I don’t have any kind of social life. I am an introvert and completely fine with that. I like having a lot of savings. I only have it because I work more than other people.

OP is early 40s and her kids are launched! She could easily work a second part time less demanding job for the next 10 years. Her kids are adults!


I think you are an outlier is all.
I'm an elementary school teacher who walks all day long (I'm an interventionist so I have to walk and get my students every 20-30 minutes) up and down stairs, and by the end of the day I am quite tired.
I could tutor a little on the weekend or do something else to earn some extra money, but I could not work a second job for decades! Any my kids are also adults so it has nothing to do with them.

OP is an LPN which means she is walking a lot, lifting patients, rolling them over etc. It's a labor intensive job.
I'm sure she can work some extra hours, and she says she is doing so. But working many hours overtime for a decade is what is going to need to happen to pay off this $80K debt. I don't think it is realistic.

I think her situation is exactly what bankruptcy is for.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 15:05     Subject: How to get out of debt!
I still think bankruptcy is the way to go and she can start fresh and start building quickly than she can by paying these off.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 12:08     Subject: How to get out of debt!
Anonymous wrote:why not work as a traveling nurse and make much more? what kind of nurse are you? seems like very low pay. if at a hospital pick up extra shifts and get the OT.


because she is also going to school. why would she be a travel nurse?
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 11:53     Subject: How to get out of debt!
Op is having some serious health problem, plus she is also going to school because hospital is paying for it. Looks like she can pick extra shifts over the weekend or so and that's what she is doing. Op also has literally no retirement saving so it is going to be tough and with her education I am guessing she is an LPN.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 10:12     Subject: Re:How to get out of debt!
Anonymous wrote:Really PP?

You have two kids who will both be in college in 8 more years? So they are like 10 and 12 or so now?

And you are 48 years old now, so you had your kids when you were 38 and 36ish?

And since you were in your 20s you always had at least 2 jobs?

What were the 2 jobs? Standing on your feet jobs or sitting down at a desk jobs?

And how is your health?


Yes, really. Why this is so hard to believe is silly. My health is great. I sit at a computer when I work. I had 3 jobs 22-31. I taught college English at night as the third job then. My second job in early 20s was teaching ballet.

3 jobs til 31.

2 jobs since 31.

I am 48.

I will probably scale down to one job at 55 when kids are in college.

I don’t have any kind of social life. I am an introvert and completely fine with that. I like having a lot of savings. I only have it because I work more than other people.

OP is early 40s and her kids are launched! She could easily work a second part time less demanding job for the next 10 years. Her kids are adults!
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 04:56     Subject: How to get out of debt!
why not work as a traveling nurse and make much more? what kind of nurse are you? seems like very low pay. if at a hospital pick up extra shifts and get the OT.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2026 20:49     Subject: Re:How to get out of debt!
Really PP?

You have two kids who will both be in college in 8 more years? So they are like 10 and 12 or so now?

And you are 48 years old now, so you had your kids when you were 38 and 36ish?

And since you were in your 20s you always had at least 2 jobs?

What were the 2 jobs? Standing on your feet jobs or sitting down at a desk jobs?

And how is your health?