Abby Connolly
So many Americans live with credit card debt, and more people are being transparent about their struggles with it.
With the cost of living being so high these days, it’s not unusual for people to accumulate debt over the years. But as long as you work hard and make a smart budgeting plan to pay off that debt over time, you’ll make it through.
One woman recently shared how she budgets her and her husband’s paychecks to support their family while living with $65,000 in credit card debt. Unfortunately, she didn’t receive a very warm response from people on the internet.
Amanda Leigh (@helloamandaleigh) is a mom and content creator who’s been very open about her experiences with credit card debt, how she accumulated so much of it, and what she’s doing to get rid of it.
In one of her videos, Amanda explains that over a year ago, she was the breadwinner for her family but lost her job out of the blue. Losing her job was a total shock, especially as she was under the impression she’d be earning a large bonus instead of getting fired.
Prior to losing her job, because she was getting such great feedback from work and thought she’d get more money, she and her husband made a lot of big purchases. They dipped into their savings to pay for some home renovations, she put down a deposit for a procedure, and they put a lot of “variable expenses” on credit cards, like their groceries and utility bills.
Then, once Amanda did get a new job seven months after losing her old one, and she and her husband were making a decent living, they focused less on paying off their debt and tried to pay for fun family experiences, like vacations to Disney, which she admits they shouldn’t have done.
Amanda also notes that she and her husband gave thousands of dollars to a friend of hers who was struggling so she could support her child.
“I don’t regret doing that, but it cost me $15,000,” says Amanda.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
