Current Events > Alright. I'm getting my life back in line.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've lost 8 pounds in the last week. If I continue like this, I can not be a fat shit in no time. I joined Planet Fitness, and I plan to go 3 times a week. I also grabbed an amenities pass from my apartments' lodge so I can use our pool now that it's summer. I'll swim for an hour, every day of the week.

So the weight loss situation is in check as long as I stay on the ball.

Buuuut my credit score's shit. That's problem number two, and so I'm up at four in the morning trying to knock it down. I'll tell you how it got that way, a year ago I had a stitch where I'd lost my job and my car decided to be a dick and break down at the same time.

I was able to find a new job, but transportation was an issue. I had to take the bus, and it was two hours to get there, and two hours back. Difficult to manage. My sleep schedule was going to shit because I had to be up at 3:30 AM to catch the bus and didn't get home until damn near 8 PM. I had an ongoing debt, a need for an automobile, and a choice. So I chose to save for a car and ignore the debt. A horrible decision. They passed that debt around to collections agencies like a drunk girl at a frat party. My shit got fucked up, fast and bad.

And I just kind of... ignored it. Like an idiot. Even after I put the money together for a car and got back on my feet, I figured the damage was done. I am not a wise ass of chicken. So tonight, I paid that bitch off and I'm ready to get things right.

My score is just over 550. I just applied for a secured Capital One quicksilver card. I'll have a starting credit line of $350. It was going to be $200 but I decided to pay in more as a deposit to increase the amount.

How do I best manage this to improve my credit score? And are there any tips, wisdom or suggestions you wise men of board 400 can share?

... shucks. And here I thought all these engineering majors with $100,000k a year jobs would know all about credit and how to manage it.

All I really know so far is, you gotta only use a certain percentage, and you gotta pay it off as you go, never let it build up on ya. Is that all there is to improving dat credit score? Chicken Ass wants to someday own a home or a car that was put together in the last 15 years.

I don't know that much about credit scores but just paying credit cards off on time, every time seems a good place to start. Not paying them off in full, on time, is obviously not good.

Do a written budget and figure out how much money you actually have to spend per month. Don't even think about using credit unless you are certain that you can pay the amount off by the due date. Rather simplistic, but there you go. Good that you're trying to get things better though, some people never get out of debt trouble. My credit card has a 19.5% interest rate for unpaid money and I couldn't even imagine the issues I would have if I became delinquent.
---

Yeah I quit smoking cigs 3 weeks ago and got an App that counts Money saved and stuff. I feel good about it and my quality of life is much higher.
---

Didn't read the whole OP but my basic advice is no "oh, cheat just this one time" shit. Just asking to fail
---

How old are you?
---

I don't know a whole lot aside from getting myself off the ground as well, all I can say is you go TC, you've got a good looking future.
---

TC, go to the finance board(whatever they're called) on reddit. I always see threads from people months/years later that were able to get their credit back on track thanks to the board's help.
---

What's worse in your opinion: bad credit or no credit?
---

Metallic Slug13 posted...

I don't know that much about credit scores but just paying credit cards off on time, every time seems a good place to start. Not paying them off in full, on time, is obviously not good.

Do a written budget and figure out how much money you actually have to spend per month. Don't even think about using credit unless you are certain that you can pay the amount off by the due date. Rather simplistic, but there you go. Good that you're trying to get things better though, some people never get out of debt trouble. My credit card has a 19.5% interest rate for unpaid money and I couldn't even imagine the issues I would have if I became delinquent.

Yeah. I like to think I'm a smarter man than I was even a year ago. I've been put through the ringer, emotionally, physically and even financially, and I know now I never want to put myself in that situation again. But I want to get a good foothold before I start climbing, you know?

Lost_All_Senses posted...

Didn't read the whole OP but my basic advice is no "oh, cheat just this one time" shit. Just asking to fail

OP isn't about weight loss but you're right. Cheaters never prosper. I have to turn ideas into habits. Bad habits cannot be made or I'm just asking for trouble. I actually fasted for three entire days. Nothing but water. Just to give my body a chance to reset. And at the peak of hunger, at noon on day four, when I would have eaten rocks for breakfast just to get my belly full, I ate a sandwich. Two slices whole wheat, two slices tomato, spinach, and three slices of lean chicken, and one hard boiled egg. It was the best thing I'd ever had and I felt full all damn day. Now, I find it much easier to eat smaller and healthier portions. I don't crave chocolate or pizza rolls. I'm staying hydrated and giving my body what it needs.

ShinigamiSoul posted...

How old are you?

26. 27 in just a few days. Status: Virgin. Weight: 332 lbs.

shadowtrial posted...

TC, go to the finance board(whatever they're called) on reddit. I always see threads from people months/years later that were able to get their credit back on track thanks to the board's help.

This, this I shall do. They are probably smart potatoes.

MrZAP17 posted...

What's worse in your opinion: bad credit or no credit?

Bad credit, I would imagine. No credit just means you haven't gotten in the pool. Bad credit means you got in, pooped in it and never went back.

I *think* this might help with your credit score, but it will take a year if it works. If you're approved for store cards at department stores, my theory is that you can cut them up and never use them, but still built credit.
---

List out all of your debts from lowest amount owed to greatest amount owed.

Make minimum payments on everything but the lowest one. Throw everything extra you have after paying for your other shit like rent and groceries at that lowest debt. When it's paid off, move to the next one. Only now you'll also have the extra minimum payment amount from the first debt to throw at it each month too.

I paid off nearly $10,000 in credit card debt in 11 months doing this. You'll just have to make some sacrifices. Buy cheaper food, don't go out as often, etc. It'll suck but the end result will be worth the pain. Just like exercise.

Went from 575 to 755. And that's after buying a house and having a $140k mortgage slapped on my report. It was like 772 before that.
---

Yeah, credit is needed for everything important in life. This is good that you're doing this in your life. GL
---

Thanks, fam-ba-lams. Solid advice ITT. I'll give a progress report about a year from now about how it all came down. Nobody will remember this in a year so it'll be awkward but hey. If you can dig it, I can dig it.

Chicken_Butt posted...

Thanks, fam-ba-lams. Solid advice ITT. I'll give a progress report about a year from now about how it all came down. Nobody will remember this in a year so it'll be awkward but hey. If you can dig it, I can dig it.

Give us a monthly update. Hell, even weekly. Having constant reassurance from others is what kept me going.
---