[unicornlady]

Hi all,

I struggle with money management even when I'm stable. But it gets much worse when I'm manic. Last time I went manic, I got myself into about $11,000 of debt. So I gave all my credit cards and account information to my father to hold onto so it wouldn't happen again. That's fine and all, but now I just have cash and my debit card, and I worry about not having something for emergencies.


How do you protect yourself from going into debt? Should I close accounts, reduce credit limits? I don't think it's sustainable for my father to manage my money forever, and this way I effectively can't travel or anything like that. I'm struggling with trying to figure out how to make sure I have enough for an emergency, but not allowing myself to get into even more debt.

For context, I'm 27, and sort of unemployed. (It's complicated).

How do you manage credit? How do you manage your money effectively even through mania?

[Tucson]

Get rid of the credit cards and pay off your debt. Only then should you consider using a credit card. JMO

[bpcyclist]

I found someone who loves me and t hey do everything for me. I get basically an allowance. If I nd big stuff, I just ask. Alk other stuff was put into a trust for children that I hope to never touch and just leave to them.

I lose insight when hypo and spend on a whim. It is too dangerous for me and worth the inconvenience to know I cannot buy a$10,000 watch rt now if I want. Protectd me and protects my kids.

[Blue_Bird]

I'm on SSI and my sister is my representative payee because of the manic spending sprees I used to go on. So for me that helps manage it

[Trippin2.0]

I would get rid of the debt and credit cards...
Maybe just have one for emergency services and have your father hold onto it until you have an actual emergency...

I suck at money management, I'm slowly getting better with it, my daughter watches everything I spend, she's the unofficial financial director. Lol

When I go shopping she goes along with me and makes sure my eyes don't get bigger than my bank balance.

I no longer have credit cards or store accounts, those are just a recipe for disaster where I'm concerned.

I deal with cash and debit cards, strictly.

[scatterbrained04]

When I was in my early to mid twenties I ran myself 19,000 in to debt with two credit cards. When they went to collections I got rid of all my credit cards and have never opened another one. It's 10 years later, and I'm still paying on that crap. I probably will not open another credit card until it's paid off.

What I've done now instead is open a savings account and keep stashing money into it all time for emergencies. I'm good about not spending that money, but if I wasn't I'd open one at bank that wasn't as easy access to touch the money.