Same BANK - new COURTESY (lol)

Did you know?  that banks (at least THIS one) mail you those bills to pay your mortgage
AS A COURTESY?  I can't make this stuff up!!!  That's what they said when I mistakenly missed my FIRST payment ever.  "You should know when it's due" they said, "we only mail you that bill as a reminder to pay it ~ you DO remember signing the paperwork all those years ago, right?  with the due date each month on it?"

Whether you find yourself in The Season of BROKE or not, everyone makes a mistake once in a lifetime!  Is this BANK serious????  I know a LOT of people who are unemployed.  I think I should be the new recruiter to replace all those morons who lack customer service skills with people who really NEED and appreciate a steady paycheck!

What say YOU??

INSPIRED

Just a few thoughts that helped me through this Season...

• If your mind does not SEE the future it will replay the past.  Why not take time today to reflect on your future.  Dare to dream about something that you have "always wanted to do" but never had the time or energy.  Then set the plans in motion to DO IT!!  Hey, if I can learn how to write a blog, YOU can do anything!  SHARE your story with me.  I would love to hear from you!!  I am often asked "what inspires me?"  My response "YOU."

You can't keep a good person down.  YOU are a good person just going through a tough time.  Some will "get it" some will not.  It doesn't matter.  YOU now know that this is just temporary, like all seasons...

ENJOY your day. 

The PERKS

Of course The Season of BROKE does have it’s perks!  Since I don’t work outside of the home, no longer sit in an office with catty women and have no “real boss” (other than my son), I have plenty of freedom to do what I want and go where I choose.  That brings me to lunch, frequently, with my little great-nieces.  Today I was blessed with two more than usual and was thrilled to get to enjoy their company.

My 10-year old niece overheard me talking about my blog.  She wanted to access it, immediately from her phone.  I explained that this particular blog was not for kids.  I then commented about how much more advanced her phone was than mine and how lucky she was to have one like that.  I wish I had one like that I chided.  That was when my 6-year old niece looked at me and said “that’s life!”

You might have handed me a million bucks!  It was the same feeling - I would not have missed that moment for all the tea in China!! 

NOOOO problem!

I had to deal with 2 credit card companies – Discover and Home Depot.  How I ended up owing Home Depot, again is another story for another day and this one the NUITA’s will definitely NOT understand!!  I lost my job, my main source of income, and I had to wait months before my unemployment hearing.  So I reached out to each of them (Discover & Home Depot) and explained my situation – the TRUTH.  Their exact words to me were NO PROBLEM.  What a relief!   How lucky was I to have lost my job at the end of 2008 when everyone else was losing their job too!!   I really didn’t know what to expect but “NO PROBLEM” was certainly not what I thought I would hear.  “lots of people lost their jobs and we established a “hardship policy…”  While that “policy” made me squirm just a bit, the fact that I had to be on it made me sick to my stomach, literally.  I had no choice so I took them up on their offer.  How nice of them to truly “understand” the “average, middle class individual” I thought!

For ONE year, they “lowered” my interest rate IF I agreed to permit them to deduct a payment from my account every month. Of course there would be no late fees or add on fees of any kind.  The interest rate would not increase during that period of time.  In addition there would be no more need for harassing phone calls and questions about why I was late or couldn’t pay.  I was “on their program” and FREE from all other communication.  Wow – I felt like THE chosen one!

Unemployment started to “kick in” so my deal with these two companies was not a problem.  In fact, I doubled the payments just to get it done and over with.  Year TWO was quickly approaching and I still owed them but only a fraction of the amount I started.  I thought I was making huge progress!  Who knew that these wonderful companies were kind enough to determine for me that my “hardship” was going to end.  I noticed that the interest rate more than DOUBLED!!!  There must be some mistake.  I called each of the companies.  I don’t know which company made me laugh then cry the hardest!

sidenote:  Finding the phone number to speak to a human is a task in and of itself.  looking over the bill for the number…lost card (no that’s not the number I need), stolen card (who the heck would want to be me!!?)  account balance (no not that one) TDD (not quite yet – lol), Espaňol (nope), counseling (beyond that!).  Just tried any number and kept hitting “0” – eventually a HUMAN!!  Maybe this was going to be a good experience after all!!

Discover – thank you so much for being on that program but it expired.  The only way you can get back on the program is if you don’t pay the bill for three months then you will become a “hardship” again.  In the meantime, the best we can do is give you a “few” dollars off each month if you continue to allow us to take the money directly from your checking account.  When you are in The Season of BROKE $14 is $14!  So I agreed.

…then came year TWO and a HALF – this month.  My $14 off program also expired.  I called again to get back on the program and questioned why that interest rate increased to 19.99%?  We helped you all we can help they said.  Call back in a month or two because we are always offering “deals” – we just don’t have one going on now.  In the meantime, if you can’t make THIS month’s payment, you can be late with it and we can TRY to waive the late fee since you weren’t late for two years.  But we can’t do that until you are actually charged the late fee (which of course will also rack up more interest).  Oh you are so generous!! Really, you shouldn’t have…! I thought!

Even though I did get a very nice lady on the phone today, she couldn’t help me either.  But nice is nice after all so I give KUDOS to her!

Home Depot – those kind folks over there – the interest was raised to 19.99% after year ONE and 26.99% after year TWO!  I guess that was the only way they were going to recoup all the money they helped me saved the prior two years.  Wasn’t that nice of them?!  I told them my unemployment ran out (for good this time) and their comment to me was they only allow ONE “hardship” period per customer…but they understand my feelings because they answer calls all day from people like me!  Seriously? 

Does President Obama know this?  And why isn’t he bailing “the average middle class person” out then!?

The Season of BROKE (n)

The Season of BROKE (SOB) (n) – relatable description of a period of time whereby you find your financial circumstances suddenly change, usually for the worse, but just for a period of time. 

It’s likely that we will not know when this period will end.  Sometimes you dimly see a light at the end of the tunnel only to find the end completely shut down once you arrive.  More and more I am finding loads of people who can relate to what I am saying.  If you are one of them, feel free to comment on this Blog!!  Ironically, with all the preachers, keynote speakers and motivational speakers out there, I can’t believe that no one has ever thought to explain your circumstances (and mine) like this.  Once I acknowledged that this is ONLY a season and things WILL get better, I found myself once again able to get on with my mission in life and completely relieved!..

I’m sure you agree that when your financial situation suddenly changes you feel your your life is out of control.  You know that you must pick up the pieces (and the phone) and do something.  It’s sometimes “the something” that is difficult to navigate, especially when you were certain you KNEW where and when your next paycheck was coming.  I learned a valuable lesson many years ago.  It may sound simple but when you are actually in The Season of BROKE, you may find yourself feeling humiliated, belittled, embarrassed or even lost.  You don’t know who to turn to because you have already concluded that *NUITA’s are out in force working against you…

For all it was and all that happened and as hard as it was, there was ONE thing I always did – told the truth.  (in retrospect it was probably what got me into trouble in the first place!! – again another story for another day!)  I was upfront with my creditors, the bank and the car payment people (that’s a whole other Blog story too!).  Through it all I did find that, as hard as it was, they can’t really persecute you or prosecute you if you just tell the truth!

*NUITA - Nose Up In The Air types

Did they REALLY JUST SAY THAT?!

Let’s be real – no one wakes up one morning and thinks “hmmm, now there’s something I haven’t tried – I wonder what it’s like to go through the Season of BROKE.”  From experience I can tell you it’s not a season you can plan for.  You never know when it will occur; it’s almost like a hurricane or tornado.  You don’t know who will be affected and how it will affect you.  More importantly, you don’t know how or if you will overcome it.

Now you *NUITA types need to bring it down a notch.  While you think you have it together, your nose can drop to the ground faster than you can say your name, without warning.

Getting back to my BROKE friends – if you have been through this season, and keep remembering it is JUST a season, maybe the worse thing you can experience is the reaction from your friends and relatives, or lack thereof during this time.  You can NEVER plan on how others will respond or treat you or what they will say or not say.  Sometimes they simply disappear.  You may find that some relatives or friends, if they decided to stick around, put their own limit on how long THEY think you need to heal.  So they offer up words of advice, remain silent, forget what happened or just play stupid!  And that brings me to RELATIVES SAY THE DUMBEST THINGS (although it could be friends too).  In simpler terms, they have no clue. 

In my case there was only ONE relative who got it – “WHO DID YOU TICK OFF?” was the question he asked when he heard I lost MY job suddenly!  Of course that relative and that comment took about 20 days to surface.  I guess he, along with some of the others, decided to just keep their distance.  And for me at that time, it was ok.  After all who needs friends and relatives anyway just weeks before Christmas?! 

There were three people who asked me if I needed anything and they were the three people in my life who were in their own SEASON OF BROKE.  Let’s call that BROKER THAN ME!!  I was humbled and saddened at the same time.  It too was OK as we laughed together, eventually, about who was helping who and what would they have done if I said I needed them! lol

Brace yourself!  Here comes the “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” – questions and comments that some felt “compelled to ask!

«       Just a bit of advice - These are probably things you should NEVER say to anyone who is in the SEASON OF BROKE!

·          “Are you still having Christmas?”

o       Really?  And have what?  Peanut butter sandwiches??

·          “What did your husband say?”

o       He said GREAT now you can cook me dinner every night!  That was after he collapsed from shock!

·          “Are you sure you heard them right?” (being half-deaf that may have been a legitimate question lol)

o       You know you may be right!  I better call there tomorrow to be sure!

·          “Congratulations, you made the papers”

o       You woke me up to tell me that?

·          “If you need a copy of that article I kept it for you” (that was from a friend I hadn’t seen in 20 years!)

o       I waited 20 years to reunite with you and that’s all you can say?

And as the weeks went on, the comments got dumber

·           We heard you lost your job but figured if you needed anything you would call us

o       Really?  Cus’ when was the last time someone called you and said hey I lost my job could you send some bread and milk our way??

·           Do you miss that job?

o       What do you think?  Sure I do!  Wouldn’t you miss the people that helped make your life stop in an instant!

And most recently after hearing my unemployment ended (what? No more extensions?? What about MY bail out!)

One very “smart” person said:  You’re going to need to cut back on your spending because you are working way too hard.  And whatever you do, don’t forget to pay yourself first…seriously??  With what money am I going to do that?  If I had money to pay anyone it would be the credit card company!  That day was probably the one that broke the camel’s back and prompted me to write this Blog! 

Cut back on spending? Can’t they see…

I need a manicure

My toes are half French pedi and half clear

My hair is getting greyer every day

I am using clips and lost my shine!

I haven’t been to Lord & Taylor in 3 years

My skin is dry – I need Clinique days

and my butt is getting bigger by the hour because of ALL the work I do from the computer!!

I am using coupons for goodness sake!

My cleaning lady is gone and

I haven’t had my clothes dry cleaned in ages!

Who died and left YOU the expert on being BROKE?  Is what I so wanted to say!  Instead all I could blurt out was “what cuts are left?”  To that the answer was, I don’t know – but I think that people put too much emphasis on money!  Helloooo!!  Don’t you know I AM IN THE SEASON OF BROKE!

…Don’t judge!  It could be YOU.  For it’s just a SEASON and this too shall pass…

Thanks to all who have written me about how you enjoy my Blog.  Its sole purpose is to make you see the lighter side of a not-so-light situation.  It’s a reminder too that better days are ahead.  And it’s a reassurance that you are not alone.  Most importantly you are not broken just BROKE for now!

*NUITA – Nose up in the Air

Until tomorrow…

"unBROKE"

Due to the HUGE AtHome America Sale launching at noon, along with the new FALL Catalog, I am going to have to put posting to this blog on hold until later tonight.  My Season of BROKE is about to get "unBROKE" with this sale!!  Go to http://www.francineathome.com/ for all the details or email me!!

This awesome HomeWare is just $1.99 (90% off retail) While supplies last of course!!  See what I mean?? lol  - gotta run.