@MrMoose thanks for sharing your experience. It's nice to know someome can relate.

It's hard for me to get out or have any privacy because I work at home and share a car with my sister. She will not like it if it looks like I opened an account to keep money out of her reach. To go to the bank, I would have to rely on her to keep an eye on my disabled dog who has another serious health condition and I simply don't feel safe doing so even when she is not angry.

I did manage to open an online account with Chime Bank. I feel better having found a way to achieve the first step of my goal. I am anxious about them sending a debit card in the mail which they always do when you sign up.

I earn only $5+ dollars a day doing small tasks online in addition to working full time for the family businesses, but the dollars add up fast enough to make my sister posessive of my side income. My goal is to pay it all to the credit card with the highest interest.

When my sister got angry that I wanted to pay my first $45 to the credit card, I demanded that she give up her tv subscriptions which cost us more and that seems to have made her back off a bit. Every time I mention money I earned for getting out of debt, she argues that we should use it to cover tv subscriptions. It's more and more obvious that our debt problem is due to her mental problems. I think knowing she is mentally ill has made it possible for me to get more control over financial decisions. I feel less guilty doing things without her consent and no longer live my life solely to avoid her anger.

Thanks for sympathizing and not judging. I do feel better today over my progress.