Blogging Away Debt Blogging Away Debt follows real people on their journey to debt freedom — with tips on the debt snowball, budgeting, cutting expenses, and staying motivated.

by Hope

Gymnast and I had a tough conversation last week. I was at my lowest and saw no other way. I had to back out of my commitment of helping him out for 6 months after he moved out and ask him to begin taking on the bills I was paying at the now 3 month mark.

He wasn’t taken by surprise. I cried. I apologized. And I felt terrible in every way possible.

I couldn’t have asked for a better, more compassionate response. He said he understand, he wasn’t upset, and to give me a few days to process. That’s where we left it.

He was Listening

Several days later, I received several notices in a row. Gymnast sent me $1,800. And then called to ask if it was enough.

He covered the month of insurance (for all 4 of us on the policy,) his car payment, and his phone bill. I didn’t not anticipate that at all. And I was so grateful.

But more than that, I am so freaking proud! My son has been paying rent to my sister, his own groceries, his own gas, etc. And he has been saving to move into his own place. SAVING! My hard to raise, hard-headed, high maintenance son is doing it.

Going Forward

Now all this happened before I secured work to cover the bills for the rest of the year. And we did have a follow up conversation.

He is going to send $600 a month for the time being. This will cover his car payment and his phone bill with a little left over toward the insurance bill. And then we will re-evaluate in January, when he was supposed to take over his bills to adjust as needed.

At the same time, he is going to do some research on getting his own insurance, and I need to find out how this all will work if we don’t re-finance the car and it has to stay in my name.

Personal Note: From the comments, I get the impression that most people do not agree with my decision to help support my adult children. Especially when I’m under-employed. I recognize that making financial decisions with my heart has been the crux of my bad decisions over and over again. But I cannot change my desire and commitment to launch my kids with as little financial burden as possible. I guess that is my priority over debt. But as they finish school, I promise I am wholly committed to getting my own financial house in order.

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.