Graduate Exclusive! Sharise N. Transforms Her Finances and Plans for Homeownership
We interviewed Sharise to find out about her journey and how life’s been since graduating from Beyond Finance in July of 2024.
- Debt Amount: $14,194
- Started: June 2023
- Graduated: July 2024
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my husband. I’m a licensed clinical social worker and mental health therapist. I have a private counseling practice with my partner, where we help people struggling with depression, anxiety, and trauma. We have a group of therapists, and I also facilitate speaking engagements and workshops.
How did you find yourself in debt?
It was a string of circumstances. My husband lost his job, and we didn’t realize how much we would miss his income. I was barely making the minimum payments, and I knew we were just one financial crisis away from being in a really bad situation. It would literally feel like the walls were closing in.
How was your experience with us?
I’m able to have money left over, put more money in retirement, and really the future is just looking a lot brighter …
I talked to a Beyond Finance representative for about two hours. She was very patient and really went over the process in detail. She was extremely supportive and empathetic. What I appreciated during the call — it kind of reminded me of being a therapist.
Things started to become better, and I could feel this stress lifting when there was a plan in place. I just felt so good knowing that I wasn’t in this alone.
How have things been since you graduated?
I’m able to have money left over, put more money in retirement, and really the future is just looking a lot brighter, especially financially.
We’re in a position to be homeowners in the next couple of years. I’m really optimistic and excited about that.
But I think number one, it really helped me to shift my thinking and my behaviors and my relationship with money, and how I spend money.
Really being on that cash diet — to know it’s been a year since I used a credit card, and we’re able to enjoy life and pay bills on time, and actually afford my lifestyle without overextending myself.
What have you learned from the experience?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from working with Beyond Finance and following their process (and from reading some books on it) is that getting out of debt is a priority. It is really hard to move forward with anything. It affects all aspects of your life: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially. You can’t save money when you’re in debt because it sucks from everything that you’re trying to do.
I’d say to anyone else struggling with this: You owe it to yourself and your family to really work on getting rid of your debt, and it is literally like a huge weight being lifted off your shoulders once you know that you are actively working towards that.
Real client compensated for a real story.