Financial Rock Bottom
Financial Rock Bottom
Author:
Published:
Just Another Fool of the System
I’m going to be fully transparent and honest about my current financial situation. Where to begin?
Let’s start by laying everything out plainly.
My Current Financial Situation
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$200,000 mortgage
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$12,000 in credit card debt
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Three months behind on mortgage payments
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–$4.35 in my bank account
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No savings
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Ten weeks of wages unpaid by my current employer
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Just had a baby
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Now that you understand how reckless and short-sighted I’ve been in 2025 and the years leading up to it, it’s time to figure out how to get my family out of the financial hole I’ve put us in.
How Did We Get Here?
To be completely honest, this is my fault. I trusted the wrong people, managed my money irresponsibly, and lacked the initiative to course-correct when I should have.
At first, I blamed the people who contributed to this situation. Then I heard something that stuck with me: when you place blame on someone else, you give up your own ability to fix the problem. That hit hard—because it was true.
To keep the honesty going, I need to say this plainly: I screwed up. My wife and newborn are napping while I sit here trying to figure out how to clean up the mess I created.
I allowed pride and poor judgment to dictate my decisions, and now I feel so far down the hole that climbing out feels overwhelming.
Hard Lessons Learned
As I was writing this section, my employer messaged me to say it will take at least another week before I’m paid.
Apparently, someone hacked his QuickBooks. Translation: he doesn’t have the money.
I still don’t understand how that’s possible. Revenue has been coming into the company consistently. Overhead is low. Expenses are minimal. Margins are good. No one has been paid—so where did the money go?
Lesson #1:
Never trust another person with your family’s well-being.
I knew this when I was younger. But somewhere along the way—caught in the rat race—I forgot. Corporate America buys your labor wholesale and sells it retail. I’ve helped multiple businesses grow and succeed, and I’m left with nothing but debt to show for it.
Lesson #2:
Get everything in writing.
When you’re the one asking for work, you sometimes accept verbal promises and hope people honor their word.
Spoiler alert: they don’t.
Lesson #3:
Life doesn’t happen to you. Life just happens.
Bad things happen to everyone—even wealthy people. Understanding this helped me stop feeling uniquely unlucky. Good things also happen to everyone, including me. After the rain, the sun does come out.
Lesson #4:
Find the bright side.
Financially, things are rough. But there’s still a lot to be grateful for:
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I have a baby
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I have a beautiful wife who loves and trusts me
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My family is healthy
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I’m going to be an uncle
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My cats are healthy and happy
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I have a village of people supporting me and wishing me well
Perspective matters.
Lets Take Back Control
So, what’s the plan?
That’s the million-dollar question.
I’ve decided to stop waiting for luck and start creating it.
Luck = Preparation + Opportunity
That’s the equation I’m working with in this new chapter of my life.
I’ve started my own business (I’ll share more details in the future). I previously ran a startup that generated over $5 million in its first year. If I could do it for them, I can do it for myself.
I don’t have the same funding this time, so I’ll need to get creative—but I know the path. That means it’s possible.
I know this sounds counterintuitive.
How do you start a business when you’re in debt?
Don’t businesses require capital?
How do you invest time in something that may not pay immediately?
What if it fails?
Those are fair questions. And honestly, I don’t have all the answers yet—except one.
I will be bootstrapping this business. No outside funding. No upfront investment. Just skill, effort, discipline, and execution.
I hope you follow along—not just to watch the outcome, but to learn new skills with me. This isn’t a story about overnight success. It’s about rebuilding from the ground up, taking responsibility, and proving that rock bottom doesn’t have to be the end—it can be the foundation.
