Facing the Insurmountable Debt

Yeah, I said it, I'm facing it.  I found a brochure at the library for a group called Consumer Credit Counseling of Delaware Valley, now with the new name Clarifi which is nice but not as self-explanatory as their previous name.  It is accredited and a member of the Better Business Bureau and after reading the info on their website seems reputable, so I set up an appointment on Monday to meet one-on-one with a counselor to work on my budget and credit. 

For the most part I feel like I have a handle on my budget, but my credit score is now way low, my credit card debt is way high, we have no emergency savings, and we are totally living paycheck to paycheck.  DH is worried that even though this first appointment is free, this will end up costing us money somehow, like the counselor will actually have some hidden agenda to get us to sign up for something that will ultimately cost us.  I know it sounds really cynical and a little paranoid, but we have been burned in the past, so it's not like his concerns are that out there.  However, I promise not to sign anything that will cost us any money (mainly because we don't HAVE any money).  And hey, if it really is a scam, I'll threaten to write all about it on this blog.  I won't point out that I might be the only actual reader of this blog - it might not have the same scare factor then.

To prepare for the meeting on Monday I need to find and print out statements of every credit card and debt we owe.  Everything is paperless now, so it seems a little weird to do that, but I understand the reason.  They also want me to bring proof of income.  Why do I feel like they will take one look at our "proof of income" and laugh?

I'm actually excited about the meeting.  I want to find out the counselor's qualifications (hopefully a degree in finances of some kind or another) and then I just really want to hear what she has to say beyond figure out a way to bring in more money.