Credit Cards....

We all have them, and we all have problems with them. My problem, I needed them three years ago to help pay rent. I haven't used them in three years, but I also didn't have money to pay them. Somehow I felt like my late fees, overcharge fees, skyrocketed percentages all helped with the "bail out" of credit card companies.

I would have the conversation with the customer service rep who would call me non-stop. I would tell them...um...I don't have a job, no one is hiring and I'm over qualified to do part time work, trust me I tried. They would listen and then ask "well, can you pay the minimum of 300 today?" "Hello! NO! I can't, didn't you just hear me, I don't have a job!"

Well, somehow beginning of this fall, the credit cards companies are now okay with me being jobless and put me on payment programs. Oh and all those late charges? wiped clean. All those over limit fees? wiped clean. And those high interest rates? turned to 0%.

I guess they figured they already made thousands of dollars off of me, they would cut me some slack.

Today, the last and final card (who would call every hour on the hour, I think I tallied up 46 missed calls in 3 days from them) finally decided to work with me and put me on a program. Of course, It was I who had to force this option. Amazingly, they had the option available. They kept asking me, how much can i pay a month. I guess trying to get me to say a number and then sticking with that number. My tactic, i can pay depending on how low the number is going to be.

In the mist of figuring out my "situation" the guy asks me if I had been looking for a job. Of course I have been. I give him the spiel I've given the other companies. When I finish, he asks, "so is teaching the only field you are looking for a job?"
Excuse me! my response "I just got finished paying 20K for a Masters in Teaching and 300 dollars for my two teaching certificate, OF COURSE IT IS THE ONLY FIELD I'M LOOKING INTO"

Jeez, it's not like when I just graduated from my undergrad in Sociology. Then I could look where ever I wanted for a job. Teaching?! I couldn't even apply to a teaching position without going through the process I went through.

Jeez.