A Christmas Debt Carol

by CCCS on 27 December 2011  |  0 comments
Tweet

Ben Scrooge isn't like his penny-pinching ancestor. But he too has some lessons to learn courtesy of ghostly visitations!

It’s Christmas Eve 2011 and tucked up in his bed is Ben Scrooge. Unlike his infamous forefather Ben hasn’t been stingy with his money. Instead he’s borrowed more than he can afford on various credit cards, store cards and personal loans. He needs debt advice.

As the clock nears midnight, he’s visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jake Marley. Marley reminds Scrooge that he passed away seven years ago this very night, leaving a mountain of debt (they had been partners in a dotcom startup that went wrong).

Scrooge is terrified of the apparition; almost as scared as he is of opening his credit card bills.

Marley tells Scrooge that tonight he’ll be visited by three very different Christmas ghosts, to help him change his ways.

The Ghost of Debt Past

As Marley vanishes into the cold night air (the heating was off - Scrooge couldn’t afford the bills and pay his credit cards) another spirit appears. Dressed in a smiley face t-shirt this is the Ghost of Debt Past.

Soon Scrooge is whisked off back to the 1990s and his days as a university student. He sees himself taking out a large student loan, followed by spending his overdraft and using numerous credit cards. He watches his younger self squander money on such items as a Nintendo Entertainment System and a state of the art Discman.

The Ghost of Debt Past reminds Scrooge that he’s still paying for these items, through the interest on credit repayments.

Scrooge finds himself back in his bed (which he bought on a store card from the local Swedish furniture store). He shivers as he thinks of the profligate way he spent money in the past. He wracks his brains as he tries to work out all the interest and charges he’s paid through the years, not to mention the consolidation loans.

The Ghost of Debt Present

Soon there is another noise, Scrooge glances towards the 42” LED TV on his bedroom wall as it topples to the floor with a crash; it marks the arrival of The Ghost of Debt Present.

The Ghost of Debt Present doesn’t whisk Scrooge off to Bob Cratchit‘s house. Instead he takes him on a tour of his own house, pointing out items that Scrooge is still paying for on credit (and will be for sometime). Scrooge is shocked to realise that he doesn’t really own any of his own furniture. Instead, like Marley, he’s in chains to his creditors.

The Ghost of Debt Present soon makes his point and forces Scrooge to open some of the letters from his credit card companies; Scrooge has been putting this off. He can now see he’s reached his credit limit on all of his credit cards - he’s even taken out a payday loan in desperation.

Scrooge breaks down and admits to The Ghost of Debt Present that he’s overcommitted. But it’s too late. The Ghost has gone.

The Ghost of Debt Yet to Come

Scrooge is anxious now; he knows that the next Ghost is going to show him his future. With his hours cut at work and the threat of redundancy he has no savings to fall back on and a mountain of debt to repay. Scrooge worries that the future will be bleak.

Scrooge begins to accept his fate, and resolves to do something about it. Just then a flash of warm white light brings forward the Ghost of Debt Yet to Come. The Ghost has a soothing tone and takes him to a Christmas in the near future.

This future Christmas has fewer material gifts, a smaller meal and less extravagance but Scrooge sees himself relaxed and happy and living within his means for the first time in many years. The Ghost of Debt Yet to Come warns him that this future can only happen if he faces up to his problems and seeks debt help.

Depending on his individual circumstances there could be many debt solutions available to him. The Ghost of Debt Yet to Come takes Scrooge back through time to the present and sits him down in front of his computer.

At the computer Scrooge visits our online debt help service CCCS Debt Remedy. It’s here that he finds the solution to help make next Christmas a merrier one and all.