Collin’s Story: Me Vs. $40K of Credit Card Debt, and How I Dug Myself Out
Let’s talk about finances. Yes, like really open up & have an honest conversation!
I think I felt some of you wince as you read that sentence. It is just so uncomfortable (or cringy as my kids would say!) to bring up money in any conversation. I mean, most people I know would rather talk about their sex life than chat about their income or expenses.
But not talking about our finances can leave us feeling alone and alienated, especially when struggling to stay afloat. Did you know that the U.S. credit card debt figure is at an all-time high of $870 million?! So if you’re having a hard time with debt, you’re certainly not alone.
That’s why we’re starting a new series on Hip2Save to bring our money struggles to light, no matter how uncomfortable it may feel at first.
As some of you may know, I have my fair share of stories to tell that apply to my issues with spending. But after years and years of work and teaching myself new habits, I’ve been able to turn them around for the better (I mean, I did start a frugal living website after all 😂).
Today, I’m starting with how my money troubles all began. Buckle up, because we’re in for a rocky rollercoaster ride.
Growing up, I struggled in school to fit in.
One of my most vivid memories of elementary school is the day I literally tried to run away from school. Every day, my sisters and I walked to school together and this particular day was no different. However, as soon as we arrived at school, I had the horrible realization that I had left my glasses at home.
Clearly, this was not a big deal in terms of my vision as I was able to walk to school without any issues but it was a HUGE deal for me on a personal level as these glasses had become my entire identity. Without my glasses (and also my hair being pulled into a ponytail), there was no way I was going to face that classroom of first graders. Side note – my older sister was able to contact my mom who graciously dropped off my glasses so I could go on with my day.
I still have that one day ingrained in my memory. Looking back, it seems like such a little thing, but knowing I still remember that day so clearly makes me realize that it was much more then forgetting my glasses. It was the story of a little girl who didn’t feel comfortable in her skin, who felt out of place, and who could hide it all with her magical glasses. Those glasses were her safety net.
I also learned early on that I had a learning disability and had to work that much harder to keep up with my peers. Homework and tests were a constant struggle and remained this way my entire school career. Each class, each math problem, each homework assignment built up doubt inside of me.
At 10 years old, I witnessed my parents divorce and my dad move all the way across the country. A few years after that, I moved with my mom and sisters from Houston, TX to Boise, ID. We moved to Boise not knowing a soul. I think for my mom it was a way for her to begin again and start a fresh, new life. I am forever grateful for that move. Although at the time, that wasn’t the case.
As a teen, my self-doubt led to low self-esteem, which led to self-medicating with drugs in an attempt to escape my problems. I almost didn’t graduate high school.
Then at 19 years old, I got pregnant.
In case it’s not clear, it was not a planned pregnancy. As I watched all my friends apply to colleges and shop for their dorm rooms, I was filling out a baby registry and stocking up on diapers… oh and watching endless hours of A Baby Story on TLC. That show and eating bowls of Kraft mac & cheese were my sanctuary.
I also began to start stressing about the financial hardships that would inevitably start popping up down the road. As many of you already know, having a baby is expensive, especially when you don’t know the first thing about finances.
Reflecting on this monumental moment in life, I want to express that even with the uncertainty and apprehension filling me up, I was able to give birth to a healthy, beautiful, and amazing baby boy who stole my whole heart. It’s pretty incredible how joy can still wash over you during milestones like this, regardless of all the other emotions I felt until that point.
Then my fears and toxic thoughts eventually returned, and I developed an eating disorder.
In an effort to regain control of my life, I turned to my relationship with food, specifically filling up on what I loved and then purging afterward, also known as bulimia. I was ruining my body from the inside out, but what, when and how I ate felt like the only area in my life that I could completely control. Bulimia became my best friend.
I isolated myself from friends and family. I climbed deeper into my hole of depression. Every single day the vicious cycle of addiction would begin again. This was my life.
Along with the physical and mental damage, I was also creating a financial strain on my life. Binging on huge amounts of food is not frugal. On top of that, my desire to keep up with the Joneses (and give the perception that I had it all) led me to fall deeper and deeper into debt. I thought if we wore all the expensive stuff and drove the nice car that somehow my life would magically feel good – oh, how wrong I was.
To stay afloat, I opened a credit card account.
And then another one, and another one after that, then store credit cards were filling up my wallet. I was very good at coming up with reasons why it made sense to have THAT many credit cards. Oh how good I was at filling my head with excuses.
Before I knew it, I had acquired $40,000 in just credit card debt alone—and that doesn’t even include my car loan or mortgage. That didn’t stop the shopping. In addition to bulimia being a huge part of my daily life, the other thing that kept me numb and disconnected from the reality of my problems was shopping. Oh, how I loved to shop.
If $40k seems like a scary number, that’s because it is. I had never imagined my spending would spiral so far out of control! The hole I was digging got deeper and deeper, and the vicious cycle continued.
Collin beat herself up, then Collin escaped reality with her BFF bulimia and second runner up shopping.
This went on for years.
In the midst of this numb life I was living, I got pregnant again and was blessed with another sweet baby boy. I thought my life would change and get so much better – hello, I had two healthy boys and a supportive husband.
What is wrong with you Collin? Why aren’t you filled with happiness and joy? I was so good at pretending on the outside – making it seem I was living this fantastic life. But the truth was that I continued to dig deep and isolate myself from the world. My eating disorder was my life.
And then at my lowest, pregnant with my third child and recognizing that my credit card debt and depression didn’t have much room to get lower, I hit rock bottom.
Oh the guilt I felt for failing as a mom, not only to my sweet baby girl inside of me, but also to my two boys right there in front of me just wanting the simple gift of a present mom. I felt like an empty vessel of a person just going through the motions in life without actually living it.
Not many people were aware of my relationship with food since I had isolated myself from sharing those struggles with my friends and family. That said, it was clear to them that I wasn’t in a good place. Keep in mind, at this point, my family and I were struggling financially – BIG time. Things sure get expensive when you are trying to keep up with the Joneses AND feed your addiction.
I hit rock bottom one weekday morning while crying on the bathroom floor. I finally said to myself, “I can’t do this anymore,” and shortly after picked up the phone to call my dad to ask for his support not only emotionally, but as well as financially, to help me get treatment.
So I checked into rehab.
Without anyone else prompting me, I knew I needed help, and I knew that unless I was truly wanting to break this addiction, rehab would have been a waste. I am so fortunate that my dad was able to help get me into a great rehab facility to begin working on regaining the mental and physical strength to fight my eating disorder, especially since Piper would be due in the coming months.
But one of my biggest takeaways from being in that treatment center wasn’t centered on my own problems, but instead on the hurdles that others have to tackle every day. It gave me that eye-opening realization to count my blessings and be thankful for what is going right in my life. Talk about a perspective check!
While I was in the 28-day program, we were lucky enough to have my mother-in-law come out to help with the kids and the support I felt from my family definitely kept me motivated to complete the treatment even when it felt like too much. I came out feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders and just overall so much better, but just because I had finished my program didn’t mean that it was smooth sailing. Even to this day, the struggle with food still lingers because it was an addiction that engulfed my life for years.
Nevertheless, I was ready to be in control and get healthy, not only personally but financially! Since I wasn’t spending loads of money anymore to continue my food numbing and retail shopping coping mechanisms, it shed light on just how much money I was actually throwing away each month. When I heard about couponing, I had no idea those little pieces of paper would have such a powerful impact on not only paying down my debt, but help me to launch a business, and regain control of my life.
First, I had to learn the ropes of shopping with coupons.
Anyone who dives head first into couponing will tell you that there is A LOT to learn and a whole lot of math that comes with it. Remember when I said that I grew up struggling in school? Well, imagine my excitement when I finally got couponing and was able to apply this knowledge to our family’s day to day expenses and start actually saving us money—the complete opposite of what I was doing before (AKA spending money we did NOT have!). Love those light bulb moments!
Having never felt great at much of anything created a depression that painted a negative image in my mind of myself and my value. But because I was finally grasping a concept, it reinforced my confidence and self-worth to ignite that fight I had against my low-self esteem, health struggles, and my debt. It was a small win but it was life-changing.
I will admit, prior to having that light bulb moment, it took me months to understand the whole coupon thing. In the beginning, I was honestly spending money on items that our family didn’t necessarily need. Learning which deals made sense to purchase for our family was a key factor in actually SAVING us money. Is it really a deal when I have a stockpile of endless bottles of personal care and beauty products, with many being items that my family doesn’t use?
The thrill of getting a great deal with those magical pieces of paper can be addicting. And as you all know from my first post, this gal (that would be me) has got an addictive personality. So needless to say, when I first started couponing, I got a little too excited about the freebies and deals… and to keep things real, was spending MORE money on products my family didn’t even use. 🙈 Collin, Collin, Collin…
Months went by and I finally had the much-needed light bulb moment when my hubby asked me a simple question, “How come we have so many bottles of curly hair styling products when none of us have curly hair?” – Welp, I really couldn’t answer that with anything that would make sense. However, that question made me reevaluate why I was couponing and I quickly realized that I needed to change my focus. It was no longer about the thrill of the deal, but about truly saving my family money.
Having to discipline myself to only make purchases that made sense for me and my family is how I came out on top while couponing.
In addition, I found that using a cash-only system when shopping kept me honest about my purchases. Knowing I had a set amount of money in my purse made sure I stuck to my initial shopping plan without any add-on items. This was especially helpful when I was grocery shopping as it made me so disciplined to stick to the grocery budget as I would leave my debit/credit cards at home. We all know how tempting it can be to drop a few extra items into the shopping cart – and then BOOM… budget blown.
As I got better with my shopping habits and scoring deals, I started sending them off via email to my friends and family. I was so excited about all the money I was saving and had to share! And then I got a reply back to one of my daily messages from my sister, Marley, that said, “You are sharing so much awesome info with us, you need to start a blog so that you can continuing sharing all of this with others, too…”
And then, Hip2Save was born.
Way back when the site was hosted on Blogspot (in 2008), I started cranking out the deals to a small and humble following. One reader turned into 10, which turned into 100, and the more I posted, the more my site grew. I couldn’t wait to share the latest coupons and deals, and I was thrilled when I realized that this newfound passion was actually becoming a viable business. I felt empowered, excited, and just downright smart.
It also felt so great to be good at something, especially since it was helping me cut back on my spending so I could finally start paying down my credit card debt. And I was having so much fun! I was a one-woman show back in 2008, on top of the world, and I loved every second I spent working on the site.
However, the site did require a lot of time and it never really “closed” so I was essentially working 7 days a week. It was to the point that I had my laptop out during family events making sure my readers knew about the latest CVS deals or hot promos at Walgreens. To keep it real, as exciting as it was to be growing Hip2Save into a thriving site, there was no balance in my life and Hip2Save was all-consuming.
I was working for hours on Hip2Save each day – NOT because I was hoping to make money and grow a business, but because I was so passionate about sharing all of this money-saving knowledge with others. I truly had no clue back in 2008 that you could actually make money blogging. I still have to pinch myself as it’s pretty incredible to get to do what I love while making money and supporting my family… and I’m even more grateful that I get to employ people around the country who share in my passion.
Thinking back, I am so incredibly appreciative of my supportive husband who was serving in the Marine Corps when I began blogging and was always my cheerleader, even back then when I really didn’t know where this was going.
“How can I help?”
I hired my first team member—my sister, Bryn, in 2009. She helped me source coupons, write posts, and respond to our awesome readers. I loved having her by my side through the ups and downs, and I could never put into words just how grateful I’ve been to have her in my life.
We spent a couple of years fine-tuning the site, only to realize we hadn’t stopped growing, which is a great problem to have in the blogging world! I brought on a few more employees to grow our team and felt overwhelming joy when I realized this passion-project-turned-business was actually helping others improve their financial wellbeing as well.
In fact, Stacy, one of my amazing employees, happened to share this message with our team recently:
“One of my original goals when I started working at Hip2Save was to pay down our debt. I hated seeing so much of our one-income budget going to paying creditors. Well… today was the day. All of my credit account balances are officially $0. It only took about 18 months…”
Phenomenal, right?! Being surrounded by such an inspiring community of like-minded, financially-savvy and passionate individuals is one of the reasons I love to wake up each and every morning, grab a cup of coffee and jump onto my computer.
Learning how to coupon, sharing my finds, and becoming empowered through saving money has changed my life entirely!
Couponing has certainly changed over the years with more policy restrictions and a focus on digital promotions. While I am grateful to have been able to turn my financial situation around years ago, many of the savings tactics I used no longer apply, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other successful strategies I can share.
Want to know some of my strategies? Check out these posts below:
Want to keep learning the best ways to keep some extra cash in your pocket?
Check out our 10-Week Financial Boot Camp! In this series, you’ll receive weekly emails featuring money-saving challenges, helpful tips, and even budget-friendly meal ideas to keep a little more cash in your pocket.
Thanks for sharing. Amazing how resistant us humans can be. Very brave of you to speak so honestly about your private struggles. I’m sure you have helped many in doing so today.
Thank you for sharing when most only put out the perfections of life its good to see how far you have come. Very inspirational !
You definitely have come a long way! I think the biggest problem is realizing that you have a problem.
Keep up the good work!
Very similar struggles. Its hard as hell but perseverance…
Its theraputic to talk about also. If your anything like me when you get that whole whirlwind of a story out, no matter how many times, u feel a huge weight lifted. Also its good to get a good ugly cry out too (as im assuming comes with your story.)
Thanks for sharing your story and making a difference.
Thank you for sharing your story! I think it’s so hard share these problems, especially with those closest to you. Can’t wait to read your part II.
So many of us, all with a story. Thats why its so hard and unfair to judge. Thanks for sharing, it was just like one of the AA & NA meetings i have done online. I bet u find it theraputic each time you tell it. Makes you (us all) a little bit more solid and statuesque too. Congrats on overcoming the @($&#&*@ going on at the time. But theres that ole cliche that ‘what doesnt kill us makes us stronger’. If i havent mumbled that like a looney toon a million times…LOL be proud you have a story & a good one at that !! ❤
Collin- Thank you so much for sharing this story, I also had a learning disability in school and just are working on speech/learning disability with my son. My husband and I are working on our financials right now as Student Loans are a big thing in our life. I can’t wait to read on part 2 and thank you for sharing gives hope for us all.
I know it was hard to write about your life struggles but it will help so many people by you telling your story. Thanks for being open and honest.
Collin, strong, beautiful Collin, you are amazing. Whatever doubt and horrible voices you ever had in your head, please know…there are now people (LOTS!) who may never see you to hug you in person, but pray for you with their children before they go to bed at night and thank God they ever stumbled onto your site. Not for the deals. Not nearly. But for your joyous, positive, generous spirit that is echoed throughout your team and stays with us in between site visits. Love you, girlfriend.
Your comment means so much to me. Thank you for that. I am so blessed to have incredibly supportive readers like you in my life. ❤️
Very well said. I love this site and deals but I especially love and appreciate the positivity that you drive hard with your TEAM and the kind of customer service and positivity that flows through you. I moved to Boise a year ago and was sad I wasn’t going to “run into you”
What a brave thing to do! Thank you for sharing.
Many of us appreciate hearing this story. You seem to have such a perfect great life now and it’s nice to know that you could get there based on how you started. This should give a lot of people hope that it is possible to get out of bad situations. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your story. And also, thank you for helping so many people everyday with this site. We support you!
Thank you Collin for your honesty and sharing your struggles. The need for perfection and control is a classic trait for those of us with eating disorders. I hope your story can help others.
Thank you for sharing. I am at that VERY LOW point even with having 2 young adults guys 24 and 19!!!
BIG HUGS! ❤️
OMG – What a story. This could be a Lifetime movie. I look forward to part 2 and how you have turned things around.
I’m so proud of you for seeing value in your unborn son’s life! Even though that was a rough time in your life, you did the brave and courageous thing and let your son live. I’m proud of you, Collin!
Thx Collin for sharing your story. You are an inspiration. You have no idea how much your site has help me and my family. God bless you and your family.
Jesus has done amazing things in your life. Thank you for sharing your testimony with us, I can’t imagine how difficult it was writing all thing out.
You are such an inspiring woman! All of us ( oh I AM SURE) APPLAUD you and we each wrap
Our arms around you…. like we know you would to us. You have shown soooo many of us such great ideas and inspiring words of wisdom as you go along. I’m SO GRATEFUL for you!!
THANK YOU THANK YOU
❤️🙏🏻❌⭕️
Can’t wait for part 2…..🥰
Thank you so much Leslie! BUG HUGS! 🤗❤️
I am so thankful for your courage/bravery…Thank you for the chance to learn how to live to our fullest…hugs!
Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing your personal story. I m touched by your openness and I know it has taken you alot to get where are you today. Cannot wait for part ii
I am deeply moved by your story and so proud of you for sharing. You are a strong woman! I hope things get better for you. You are an amazing person!
So often we look at others on social media and think how perfect their lives must be. Thank you for the reminder that none of us is perfect, and sharing our stories can help others. You’re such a gem, Collin. Truly!
Wow. Takes heart to open up like this. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing the beginning of your story. You and what you have built and shared with the Hip2save community has changed so many lives for the better. Your honesty and willingness to share is inspiring.
Collin, we all have a cross to carry and you my dear, have built muscle and also you have surrounded yourself with a bunch of very strong, wonderful women who will help you when ever you need us. Collin you are so real and reread what these angels, right here have said to you. we love you and love can conquer all. It may take some time but things will keep getting better. remember one day at a time.
Awww, thank you so much! ❤️
I read some of your story before; it is amazing. However I choose to comment that I love the pics with you and Ma. Ma will always be monumental in my head. Keep going, the sky is the limit. Blessings.
Thank you. ❤️
Collin, here’s to you and your story, your husband and kids too, and all those who’ve been with you in this journey! So brave of you to share. It’s not easy, but I hope the impact multiplies and encourages countless readers!
Thank you so much for sharing. I have started paying off my credit card debt too. I had it almost paid off then I needed a new roof and some wall repair to my shop. I had just bought my house and was cleaning off the roof (if was full of black gold, tree limbs, and had a small pond on it) of my shop and I fell through it. I wasn’t hurt but I had to fix it. I put a huge tarp over it but it still leaked. I looked into a loan but since I didn’t have any equity in my house the credit union said it would be cheaper to put it on a credit card (4% interest) so I did. This of course was the same credit card that would get charged any time I didn’t have enough in my account to pay my bills so it kept going up and up. I almost have it paid off now and I am so happy that will be my last debt other than my house. It is a hard road but as soon as I get it paid off I am going to start an emergency savings account so it never happens again. LOL
Sharing this info will help a lot of other people take care of their debt I am sure. It is scary being in debt. My family never was in debt so they were not happy with me either over it.
Thank you. You are role model. Very very inspirational. You are a guide angel. God bless you
Amazing.. I can’t wait to read the second part…Thank you for sharing your life with us..
I’ve gone through a similar life! So glad we could BOTH overcome hardships!
thank you. thank you. thank you. our stories are very similar except no drugs here and the bundle of joy came 4 years earlier in life. I’m still fighting as a 41 year old to get debt and spending under control and have already decided this is the year. I have four kids who are amazing, but am at a very unhealthy weight due to food being a substitute for good mental health. sometimes it feels impossible!
BIG HUGS! ❤️
Oh my goodness! I know this took SO much strength to open up like this. I applaud you for overcoming these HUGE obstacles and for being brave enough to discuss it. So many people are struggling and they feel so alone while going through life. Thanks for being a light for others to look towards. You’re so much stronger than you know.
Waiting on part 2 since at this moment I am in debt and I am trying to pay my credit cards off. My new year resolution was no more shopping or buying stuff just because its a good deal. Get the deals I REALLY need only. I have had a good start so far at paying off debts but definitely have a road ahead of me. Thank you for sharing. Perfect timing!
Hello and ((HUGS)) from Chicago !!
Thank you for telling your story . That took a lot of courage to put it out there. I’m sorry to hear you went through so much . After reading this I think you are truly even more of an amazing person . You help so many people on a daily basis in ways you can’t even imagine . I went through a divorce and your website and crazy target videos were a bright spot in a dark time and I always wanted to say thank you for that , so thank you 🙂 Just know there are people you will never meet that think you are awesome 👍
Thank you so much Vicky. Your comment means so much to me. ❤️
You are loved, beautiful, amazing and a victor Collin.
Thank you so much for posting this. I, too, have struggled with EDs and a drug addiction. Ana and Mia helped me feel in control as well and I also had a tendency to be a compulsive shopper. I say ‘had’ but really it’s ‘do’. I still struggle every single day with thoughts like those I had before. I’m sure you understand. It’s a daily battle and I commend you and thank you for posting your story. I can’t wait to read the rest. Congrats on pushing through and never giving up.
Thanks for opening up Jennifer. ❤️ Feel free to email me if you ever need support (collin@hip2save.com). I am here for you friend.
Collin, like many people, your story and site has personally helped me so much. I began following Hip2Save in 2010 when I was 13 years old. My parents were struggling with money and I wanted to help out anyway I could, so I started couponing for easy necessities like personal care items and the like. Your blog made couponing so fun and easy to understand, it really empowered me to help my family during a rough time when I wasn’t old enough to work to help pay the bills. Fast forward to 2015, I was about to graduate high school, go off to college, get my first credit card, etc. That year you released your personal video about your story and it’s hard to put into words, but that video helped shape my outlook on finances/debt and helped me make smarter decisions in college when it’s easy to accumulate a lot of debt very quickly. Now, in 2019, I’m about to graduate college debt free and my husband and I have been able to set aside quite a bit of money toward our future goals together. I can honestly say that this site has save me thousands upon thousands of dollars over the years and helped me tremendously. Your story is truly a great examples of turning lemons into lemonade! Thank you and your team for all you do!
WOW! Thank you Steph. ❤️ Your comment means so very much to me. Thank YOU for being a loyal reader through all of these years. You sound like an amazing person and I think it’s so awesome that you started learning how to save money at 13-years-old. I love that you’ve followed the site through all of your teen years and throughout college.
CONGRATS on graduating college debt free! That’s incredible! 🙌
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your comment!! BIG HUGS!
Thank you so much for sharing your story. You are an amazing, strong woman and an inspiration to your readers!
Thank you for sharing Colin. What a beautiful gift of yourself you have given us!
You are an inspiration.You have shared so deeply and persevered to become the great person you are today. You have found your calling, helping others save money which is so vital for so many people and families. No matter how how difficult times are, you can pick yourself up and turn your life around.Thank you for sharing important life lessons and positivity.
Thank you so much for the comment. It’s so appreciated. ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing! You are very brave
Thank you for sharing your story. It’s hard when we only see a facade to understand that not everyone’s life is as perfect as it appears. Your genuineness is one reason I have followed you for years!
Thank you Mindy. ❤️
It’s brave to speak your truth. Remember, your truth may be the lifeline someone else needs today. Continue to walk in the light. ❤️
Thank you for sharing. I have watched your video that you talk about your life several times and it is super inspiring to see where are you now and what you have gone through. 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
❤️
Thank you Collin. This really helps me and many others see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Nothing is forever. Fall down 6 times, get back up 7.
How very brave of you to share your story! <3