8 Extraordinary Recoveries: Making Money Mistakes and Living to Blog about It!

I'm so excited! Today I am posting my very first Guest Post. I may be doing this for selfish reasons. The post is introducing me to a couple new bloggers (5 actually - amazing how many there are) and I just love reading about other peoples journeys.

Heather Johnson is a freelance business, finance and credit writer, as well as a regular contributor for BusinessCreditCards.com site for comparing small business credit cards. She welcomes questions, comments, and freelancing job inquiries at her email address heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com

Anyone who has at least two nickels to rub together has concerns about their personal finances. And anyone who thinks about these issues at all cannot help but reflect upon errors in judgment that they have made regarding financial decisions. Whether the blunder was as big as putting all of your savings into the wrong tech stock or as small as forgetting to submit that five-dollar mail-in rebate, it is easy to dwell on these mistakes, admit defeat, and acknowledge fiscal failure.

But take heart, brave souls, for there are plenty of role models out there for those who have made poor choices with their money. All of the individuals below made some mistakes with money, but not one of them threw in the towel. Now while they haven’t all attained their ultimate financial goals, they have all changed the way that they think about money and are on their way to recovery. Read their stories, take their advice, and learn from their missteps—maybe you’ll be able to avoid making similar money mistakes.

1. Wallowing in Debt: The woman behind this blog grew up in a financially irresponsible household and quickly built up her own debt, She and her husband were pushed out of the housing market and when they did find a home, she realized that they would be forced into taking a considerable loss. She has since found ways to make extra money and save funds where possible, getting herself on the road back to financial solvency.
2. It’s Just Money: The blogger behind It’s Just Money made all sorts of financial missteps in the past and thoroughly demolished his credit score. He has learned his lesson, climbed his way out of debt, and managed the difficult task of rebuilding his credit. He is now on his way to buying his own home, a far cry from his original sad state.
3. Ms. Mini Ducky: Ms. Mini Ducky does not come from the best financial background, but the devotion that she shows to her family is inspiring. Not only does she want to improve her own fiscal standing, but she is determined to help her parents recover from their checkered monetary past. She is living at home, helping her parents with the bills, and saving up to help her parents buy a new home. Eventually, she hopes to move into a new home of her own.
4. See Me Get Rich: Zachary is a long time student (with the accompanying loans), has recently married, and has absorbed the expenses of moving more than once in the past few years. In addition to all of that, he lives in an area of California that is one of the most expensive locales in the United States. He was never a prudent spender and became frustrated when he had almost nothing to show for the solid income that he earns teaching at a local community college. This realization has made him rethink his attitude towards money and he is now saving and investing in his future.
5. Your Money By Design: These days, Nancy Zimmerman runs seminars and provides her services as a personal financial consultant, but that was not always the case. As recently as fifteen years ago, she was mired in credit card debt and struggling to repay student loans. Small unexpected expenses and the annual Christmas rush consistently wiped out any savings that she managed to obtain. Instead of dealing with her troubling financial situation, she ignored it by taking tropical vacations, thus accumulating more debt. One day however, she woke up and decided to turn her finances around. She
   learned all that she could about money, dramatically altered her spending habits, and was able to achieve her goal of purchasing a home in half the time that she had expected.
6. Rich Minx: Rich Minx is a blogger who stresses fiscal responsibility. She has been working on her savings, accumulating sound investments, and closely tracking her spending habits. She has come a long way from the much poorer minx who used to happily spend her money as quickly as she earned it on frivolous expenses such as extravagant trips and various forms of entertainment.
7. Every Second Paycheck: The blogger at Every Second Paycheck blamed his increasingly difficult financial situation on “mysterious forces” that depleted his funds. He was making a fair salary and was frustrated that it was going to waste. He has since made impressive progress towards his goal of paying for his expenses using only every other paycheck.
8. Frank the Financially Savvy Atheist: Both Frank and his wife are the children of immigrants who struggled financially after coming to the United States and starting their families. The experience of seeing their parents work all of their lives with little reward inspired them to become financially independent and be able to afford early retirement. They are well on their way, living below their means, curtailing spending, and working on solid investments geared towards a comfortable retirement.