Graduate Exclusive! Jamie N. Plans a Cruise, Refinances her Car, and Finds Freedom in Budgeting
We spoke with Jamie — dog mom, Patriots fan, and bookworm — to learn about her journey through debt and what life looks like since graduating from her Beyond Finance program.
- Debt Amount: $44,099
- Started: May 2022
- Graduated: October 2023
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m from Massachusetts and I work in the mortgage business. I actually start a new position next week! My parents, one of my in-laws, and one of my aunts live with me. I help take care of them, and they pay some rent.
I have a 15-year-old Shih Tzu named Herky. And I have season tickets to the New England Patriots!
How did you find yourself in debt?
I bought a house probably a year, year and a half, before I entered the program. It’s just way more expensive than they tell you. Even knowing the industry, I wish I had taken a homeowner education class for the budgeting aspect.
I’d be like, “Oh, I need to buy a table or a TV,” and I’d put it on my credit card. It just really escalated.
I got to the point where I was putting every penny of my paycheck into debt. I really didn’t have any money left over.
I’ve always kind of been a bad online shopper too. It didn’t take long to get into a lot of debt. I just knew I needed help. There was no way I was getting out from under it. I got to the point where I was putting every penny of my paycheck into debt. I really didn’t have any money left over. I just said, “Okay, something’s wrong. I have to fix this.”
Why did you choose Beyond Finance?
I had actually signed up with another company first. I signed the papers — and I just didn’t like it. I got a really bad gut feeling. I told them I found another way to do it. I googled companies and Beyond had a good rating.
The call with Beyond wasn’t a sales pitch. It felt like they wanted to help me and understood what I was going through. They told me I wasn’t alone. I remember getting off the phone and thinking, “Okay, I at least made that first step.” That first step was really important.
What’s happened since graduating?
Graduating was amazing. It was the ultimate relief to say, “I’m done.”
Now, I have about $5,000 in an emergency fund that I didn’t have before. I probably had less than $500 in my bank account when I started this whole process. That’s huge. As a homeowner, you just never know what’s going to come up.
I was able to refinance my auto loan after graduation too, and I wouldn’t have qualified for that if I hadn’t gotten rid of all the debt.
Next year I turn 40. A few friend groups want to do 40th birthday trips — and if I hadn’t gone through Beyond, there’s no way I could afford to go. But I have that money in a bank account now.
We haven’t booked it yet, but we’re talking about a cruise — like Boston to Bermuda.
I’m way more responsible than I was before. I don’t spend what I don’t have, and I pay it off. I’m not anti-credit, but I am anti-overspending.
I use a budgeting program called Monarch. It links to your bank account and shows where you spend your money. Even just putting it in a spreadsheet helps. You’d be amazed how much money you’d have left over if you track it.
I think I’m a success, I guess. (laughs) I’m proud of myself for figuring it out — and knowing this is never going to happen again.
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