I work with a woman that had a gambling addiction that put her finances in ruin. Bad credit, loan sharks bleeding her and a general mess. When she had kicked the gambling habit, I tried to help her get out of the vicious loan shark cycle. It seemed to be working, sort of, for about six months. Then she came to me again because she was being evicted and 3 months behind in everything. I got her going again, but I got more involved this time. The key to success was making her write everything down. Somehow the whole picture was never clear until she could look at it laid out on paper. That way, things can’t be pushed out of the equation until they are settled. Bottom line, write EVERYTHING down.
