So let me give you an outline:

I am 23, not from a rich family, pay all my own bills, living with my Canadian common law partner in Canada and oh, yes, I lost my job.

When I lost my job early January, here are the bills I was facing:

$600 hydro
$250 Virgin phone bill
$300 Rogers
$600 visa application fees which has to be paid by march
$1000 first and last rent to be paid by march

I was frantically trying to get a job, useless interviews, internet scams, barely had enough money to eat and travel to the interviews, etc. My bills were getting sent to collections which affects my credit and my overall future here if I pass my visa application which also has a deadline as does rent. I felt so pressured if I didn’t think positively I would explode. Here’s how it panned out.

$600 was between 3 people, the third being our irresponsible roommate who wouldn’t even pay rent, moved out, wouldnt text back. The hydro came right out of my account. The roommate pulled through last minute and sent me $140, our landlord send $150 because we discovered the girls above us paid much less because the laundry is attached to us. Phew.

I contacted Virgin and pleaded with them, I got charged $70 just for having my phone on in an airport in the states. They dropped the charge but they may have dropped too much because my bill should have been $60 for March, it was $27 woo!

I had a Rogers bill in my name from a house I used to live at with more useless roommates. I used my connections to basically ensure they would pay me by saying I had potential jobs for them in the film industry. I didn’t. But boy did they start to read their texts, they had been ignoring me for weeks.

My mum sent me birthday money early, I wouldn’t ask for money so it’s as if she sensed something was wrong. That money, I saved for my visa application. Huge weight off my shoulders.

I got a job, I am settled and happy and not on a crappy wage for the first time in Canada. It was sheer luck I applied for a position but it was filled right away. Another position came up but I had to get to the interview immediately so I actually had to walk out of the interview I was already inline for. I made the decision in a split second.

I told my landlord everything and he was very supportive. He let me pay my first and last rent in installments over two months and even helped with my visa application which was paramount.

Also, in this time my boyfriend who was out of work as he is seasonal, got a new well paying job and a big tax rebate which saw us through.

By the end of this week I am finally back on my feet. I thought I would never get through this, I was so stressed, tired and hungry I couldn’t see a way out. Especially because of the bills in my name and other people who were also responsible for them but wouldn’t acknowledge it.

I know The Secret helped me. How else would all this come together in just over a month. If I didn’t get my visa out in time I may not get to live here with my true love and we both had to have stable jobs before applying.

I have overcome so much. I such pressure on my partner and myself. I owe positive thinking and silently repeating to myself that this would all work out, combined with praying to god and the universe. I made it. You can too. Thanks universe, forever grateful.