MEET LORENE

I started college later than many, I already had 2 kids and had my other 2 while still in school. It took 4 years to obtain my AA degree in Business Administration and another 3 years for my BS degree in Finance.

In 2015, I received my MBA. It was rough! I was working full-time, being a mom and also being a ‘housewife’!

If I can help anyone looking for a way out of financial disaster, my heart will be happy!

Here’s My Story And The Reason I Know I Can Help Others

I’ve always had a loose relationship with money, as soon as it was in my hot little hand I spent it!

My mom was a saver, I definitely did not get that from her! I spent so much money, so frivolously over the years, I used to  deliberately block this behavior from my mind, so as not to feel a crushing amount of guilt.

As an adult, with children, I’ve messed up my credit twice, got out of debt, just to do it all over again. I, again, was drowning in consumer debt!

Right now, I’m still working to fix my reckless behavior. It’s not that I was a shopaholic but I spent money on big things, like furniture, for the house and little things for the house and kids, when I didn’t need to spend.

At some point, I realized I was living way beyond my means, as  basic expenses were greater than my income. The more money I earned, the more expenses I created.

My husband had no clue, like me, he also wasn’t taught about finances. His philosophy was to get another credit card and move the balance to the new one, then repeat the process!

I knew better than that, but still couldn’t figure a way out!

During this time, I actually earned a degree in finance!

It would be years later, when I joined a real estate education and investing group, that I began to hear and understand how to look at my money differently.

But I didn’t give this my full attention and eventually, I stopped participating, not uncommon.

I’ve since started back with the classes and realized my relationship with money was not a good one. I was making more money, but not advancing.

In April 2020,I made a decision to change my financial life.

I was in more than $20k in debt, not including my student loans, which were by then over $180k. I made a conscious decision to not focus on that at all.

I started on the $20k and, at the end of August, I was down to $8k. Conservatively, I will be done by or before the end of the year. I did this using a rapid debt payoff strategy.

I’m now in a better place and can look at my family’s future with hope and excitement. My only regret, if I allowed myself to have one, would be that I came to this epiphany now, in my early 50’s as opposed to my early 20’s or 30’s or heck even 40’s.

However, I ended that journey with over $100k in student loans, because during much of my school years, I lived on my financial aid, which included student loans.

A little about myself, I’m married, my husband and I have been together for almost 33 yrs. I have 4 children, 3 bonus children from my husband, and we have 3 grand babies.

 I want to change my future and if I can help anyone looking for a way out of financial disaster, my heart will be happy!