Joseph Onesta
| Certified Financial Counselor Personal Finance Coach Former Director of Education for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Los Angeles |
| Contact me: (412) 777-9821 |
Wallet Wizard Personal Finance
It could happen to anyone, and does.
| My Own Story |
Many people blame their creditors. Others blame their
parents or schools for not teaching them how to manage
their money. Getting into the habit of blaming others for my
problems just isn't healthy.
Let's face it. I spent the money. I didn't save. I bought
things I couldn't afford. IT WAS ALL MY FAULT.
When I graduated from the university I went from earning $3
an hour at a hardware store in rural western Pennsylvania, to
earning more than $50 an hour teaching at a college in New
York City. I had a rent-controlled apartment, cash coming in
and credit cards just falling out of my mailbox.
New York City is a fun place when you are in your twenties. I
was just starting out. I needed a lot of stuff. I bought clothes,
ate out a lot, went to the theater, took weekend trips to
Nantucket or the Jersey shore. I had lots of friends and lots
to do. Soon my financial life became the simple cycle of
using my credit cards for most things and then using most of
my salary to pay my credit cards. Whenever I neared the
limit with one card, they would raise my limit or I'd get an offer
from another company for a new card.
Before I knew it, things were out of control. I owed more than
I earned. I got cash advances to make minimum payments. I
juggled payments and bargained for time. My interest
payments alone were more than my living expenses.
I'm going to cut the story short here simply by saying, I got
bailed out of this mess, took years to pay it back and then
promptly made the whole mess over again, the second time,
owing more money than the first.
How could I be so stupid? Well I simply did not understand
how to managme my money. I thought I did but clearly
something was missing...
The second time around, there was no one to bail me out of
my mess and I had to learn. I had to buckle down, admit I
was doing something wrong and learn how to do it right. I
had to stick to it through hardships, setbacks, financial
crises, and challenges. I learned the difference between
what I needed and what I wanted. I learned to do without
some things so I could get others. It took me four years,
working with a debt management program and eventually
getting so excited about managing money that I went to work
for the debt-management company as Director of Education
and Training.
Now it's my mission in life to help people learn what I learned
and do what I did to be financially safe and sound.
parents or schools for not teaching them how to manage
their money. Getting into the habit of blaming others for my
problems just isn't healthy.
Let's face it. I spent the money. I didn't save. I bought
things I couldn't afford. IT WAS ALL MY FAULT.
When I graduated from the university I went from earning $3
an hour at a hardware store in rural western Pennsylvania, to
earning more than $50 an hour teaching at a college in New
York City. I had a rent-controlled apartment, cash coming in
and credit cards just falling out of my mailbox.
New York City is a fun place when you are in your twenties. I
was just starting out. I needed a lot of stuff. I bought clothes,
ate out a lot, went to the theater, took weekend trips to
Nantucket or the Jersey shore. I had lots of friends and lots
to do. Soon my financial life became the simple cycle of
using my credit cards for most things and then using most of
my salary to pay my credit cards. Whenever I neared the
limit with one card, they would raise my limit or I'd get an offer
from another company for a new card.
Before I knew it, things were out of control. I owed more than
I earned. I got cash advances to make minimum payments. I
juggled payments and bargained for time. My interest
payments alone were more than my living expenses.
I'm going to cut the story short here simply by saying, I got
bailed out of this mess, took years to pay it back and then
promptly made the whole mess over again, the second time,
owing more money than the first.
How could I be so stupid? Well I simply did not understand
how to managme my money. I thought I did but clearly
something was missing...
The second time around, there was no one to bail me out of
my mess and I had to learn. I had to buckle down, admit I
was doing something wrong and learn how to do it right. I
had to stick to it through hardships, setbacks, financial
crises, and challenges. I learned the difference between
what I needed and what I wanted. I learned to do without
some things so I could get others. It took me four years,
working with a debt management program and eventually
getting so excited about managing money that I went to work
for the debt-management company as Director of Education
and Training.
Now it's my mission in life to help people learn what I learned
and do what I did to be financially safe and sound.
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