One of the more tone-deaf pieces of advice people can give you when you are trying to get out of debt is that you should take up a hobby that does not cost money, such as reading. Canceling your Netflix subscription and spending your last hour before sleep reading books you borrowed from the public library will not solve wealth inequality; it will not make your employer pay you as an employee instead of an independent contractor, and it will not make your gig clients pay you a fair price. 

It may bring you a measure of inner peace, though, even as you reach the conclusion that your only realistic options are to file for bankruptcy protection or settle your debts with the creditors outside of court. At a minimum, it will give you a break from the ads that annoy you so much that you feel the need to buy more stuff to calm your nerves.  Reading can make your modest existence more pleasant, and for this reason, it is an admirable New Year’s resolution. 

Another resolution that will reduce your debt obligations more quickly is to contact an Oakland lawsuits, collections, and creditor harassment lawyer.

Has Debt Become a Universal Part of the Human Experience?

Yes, it costs money to read the most thoughtfully written web content these days, and even thoughtless content is sometimes paywalled, too; most of the free stuff is the work of bots. It is our good fortune, then, that a short story published in the November edition of the New Yorker is available free online; if you cannot afford an Internet connection at home, you can read it at the public library.

The story “Minimum Payment Due,” by Said Sayrafiezadeh, tells of an experience with which many of us are familiar. The unnamed narrator comes from a middle-class background and has consistently been employed throughout his adult life. Despite this, his credit card balances have slowly but steadily increased until they have reached a number that he is ashamed to say out loud to anyone, not even his therapist, despite charging the insurance co-pays for his therapy sessions on one of his cards. The reader finds out that the balance is a five-digit number; therefore, depending on our peak creditworthiness, we can imagine it being something close to our own balances.

At the end of the story, a former classmate from a less privileged background than the narrator invites him to an event that he promises will be a transformative experience. The narrator goes to a crowded hotel ballroom where the hosts, including the former classmate, exclaim about how a new system has changed their lives and their finances for the better. Of course, to participate, the protagonist must pay for it on autopay with his credit card.

Contact the Law Office of Melanie Tavare About Thinking Conceptually About Your Debt

A debt relief lawyer can help you see the big picture about your debt problems, including how common they are. Contact the Law Office of Melanie Tavare in Oakland, California, or call (510)255-4646 for a case evaluation.