Sunday , December 22 2024

About John

Hi there I’m John

For years I struggled with debt, I could see no way out. Debt left me depressed broken and confused. I want to tell you it does not have to be that way. There is a way out, there is always a way out. That is why I created this website, to show you a way out too. Here is my story…

My Story

I was always an easy-going guy I suppose. At least that is what a lot of people told me. Looking back on my life so far, I was too easy going. Yeah, I wanted the best from life. I am ambitious to some extent, but mainly a procrastinator. I just rolled with life, thinking I will do that “some day” This was certainly true when to came to buying a home for myself. Yeah, I wanted a home for myself, but not now, I was enjoying life too much.

My twenties rolled into my thirties, then into my forties. But I was still living at home. At home with my widowed mother. My father died when I was four. I was never put under any pressure to move out. My only sibling, my brother had moved on, got married, started a family. But I still at home.

Then things started happening in Ireland, the economy started to boom. The Celtic tiger was born. With that house prices started to rise, no they started to rocket! But I was still living at home. Buy buy buy people urged me! Buy yourself a house before it is too late. But I stalled, I was not going to enter this crazy market.

In the meantime, I came up with another crazy idea. I bought an apartment in Northern Ireland, just outside Belfast. My rationale was prices would rise up north, catch up with the Republic of Ireland’s property prices where I live and wallah I could buy a place in Dublin. This never happened and I ended up in the same boat from when I started.

Then one day I a got a phone call from a “financial advisor.” Would you be interested in purchasing an investment property he asked? He could get me a mortgage he said. Not just that, get me a 100% mortgage. I could borrow to cover taxes, furniture, everything! Guess what, like a fool I just dived in, “yes please”! I said.

This was the start of my financial problems. My timing could not have been worse. The year was 2008, Lehman Brothers had just filed for bankruptcy in the US. The ripple was felt throughout the world. Ireland was especially vulnerable. In fact, the country went bankrupt, a bail out was required. Thus, property prices came crashing down, almost overnight it seemed. The house I just bought was worth a fraction of what I paid for it. What made it worse was that the rent I was getting came crashing down too. It could not cover the mortgage. So, I start borrowing from my credit card, I borrowed from my mother. I was starting to panic.

I could see no way out. I continued to panic, to worry, to fret. Then along came an opportunity, or so I was offered redundancy from my job. I worked there for thirty-two years, long enough I felt. The offer was rather good. I could get back on my feet, get a new job, start a business. In the end I did neither. Why I don’t know? I really wanted to start a business, work for myself, not someone else.

But financial pressures started coming down on me. I was feeling lost. Before long, my redundancy money ran out. The banks started coming after me for the property. Years went by, I struggled to hang on the house. Eventually they came in to repossess the house, and I was still living at home. I was back to square one.

I am writing this because I want to sprout the “poor me” I am writing this to explain how I got into debt in the first place. I must admit at the time of authoring this story. I am not completely out of debt…. yet. But I am getting there and so can you.

Why I want to Help People

I want to help people because I know the pain debt causes, the stress, the worries, the lack of self esteem. Yes, it causes problems for your mental health, but it also deteriorates your physical health. Something I experienced too. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. So, I want to help you get out of debt. But not only that, not to get into debt in the first place. Do not make the mistakes I made. I can show you how to not only do survive debt, but how to survive after it.

The Goal of This Website

So, the goal of this website is twofold. Firstly, how to get out of debt, the plans, and strategies for doing so. Secondly, how to go beyond debt, how to build your wealth, how to reclaim your life through financial freedom and you will not do that by working for someone else. But that is another story. So come and join me. Come back to visit this website as often as you can. I will do my best to help you.