Don’t you just love a good horror story? However, we’re pretty certain you wouldn’t want to be in one. Here are 3 financial horror stories that are sure to give you the heebie-jeebies.
Since time immemorial, man has always had a fascination with the darker side of life. Whether it’s demonic entities from dimensions unknown, strange creatures from the depths of a bottomless abyss or your mother-in-law roaming about at night with a face pack and curlers, eerie tales about the supernatural have kept us awake more times than we can count.
But, there are some things in life that are infinitely more horrific than anything you can dream of or indeed think of. No, we aren’t talking about unwittingly showing up at an Olympic diving convention with a picture of Neymar on your t-shirt. We’re talking about financial horror stories that have haunted the citizens of this planet more often than any ghoul or disembowelled spirit you care to name.
Additional Reading: Are You A Financial Zombie?
So, gather round with your blankets and make sure you grip your pillows tight as we bring you three financial horror stories that are sure to give you the heebie-jeebies and then some.
1) A Matter Of Life And Debt
This is a story about John (because every good story has a John in it, especially ones that feature extremely spicy food). John was the kind of guy who never really cared about spending money like it was going out of style. He was always up for a good time and as long as his wallet was full, he had no qualms about emptying its contents on a regular basis.
However, he soon found that his bank account was emptier than a politician’s election promises. In order to keep his high-flying lifestyle going, he got himself a Credit Card and proceeded to rack up a massive Credit Card bill in no time at all.
Unfortunately for him, his Credit Card debt spiralled out of control and he found himself struggling to make ends meet every month since all he could afford to pay was the bare minimum on his card. Eventually, his financial woes piled up to the point where he struggled with anxiety, sleepless nights and even depression.
You certainly wouldn’t want to end up in John’s shoes now would you? Of all the things that could make your skin crawl, debt collectors knocking on your door at unexpected hours probably tops the lot. So, remember, keep your spending in check or you could be in for a world of hurt.
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2) Dire Straits
Let’s welcome George to the fold. While George isn’t as careless as John, he certainly got himself into a financial hole that he’s still trying to climb out of.
George certainly wasn’t prone to spending lavishly, but to his detriment, he never put aside anything for a rainy day either. George was under the impression that he didn’t really need to save since he assumed nothing significant would happen that would disrupt the way he lived his life.
Unfortunately for him, misfortune struck when he least expected it. In a series of events that resembled the most cringe-worthy bits of Final Destination, George found himself in hospital wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy.
Although George eventually recovered, he was left with gargantuan medical bills staring him in the face. To make matters worse he had no Health Insurance to speak of. So, to keep his head above water, George took out a Personal Loan to pay off his medical expenses and vowed to set aside a portion of his salary every month towards building an emergency fund.
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3) Hack Of All Trades
This grisly tale of financial terror features an unassuming fellow called Paul who fell prey to dastardly online hackers. Paul was no stranger to using his Credit Card online to make purchases and subscriptions (some of which were of a questionable nature). Unfortunately, his propensity to open up every site without checking if any of them were authentic left his system exposed to the Credit Card and online data hackers who happened to be lurking in the dark corners of the internet.
Paul sadly discovered that his Credit Card details were stolen and his card was used to make massive purchases. Before he realised his folly, it was too late and the damage was done.
This is exactly why it is important to ensure that the websites you visit are safe and secure. It would also be prudent of you to not use public Wi-Fi zones or internet cafes, especially if you’re going to be using sensitive financial information to make transactions.
As you can probably guess, it was too much for Paul to bear and he now strictly does his shopping via carrier pigeon.
Additional Reading: How To Know If Your Credit Card Has Been Hacked
Did those gruesome tales of financial mismanagement send a shiver down your spine? Well, unless you want to end up as the protagonist in similar tales in the future, it’s time to shape up and be smart about your money.
Do you have any other financial horror stories that you would like to share with us? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.