+
upworthy
Personal Finance

This couple's credit could have torn them apart. Now they're living the American dream.

True
Capital One

When Cashia and Terrance Bryant first met, they knew they had something special. But Cashia was keeping something important from her man.

Photo courtesy of the Bryants.

The couple, who has now been married for two years, connected very quickly. After a short time together, they knew that their love was real, (even though they still argue about who said "I love you" first).


However, before they could take their relationship to the next level, Cashia had to come clean about something that had been worrying her since the start of their relationship — her bad credit.

“I didn't tell you for a long time because I was so scared you were gonna run," Cashia admits to Terrance.

Cashia's bad credit has been following her since she was 18-years-old.

Photo via Upworthy.

As a 42-year-old woman, Cashia knows how to build up and retain good credit. But when the family therapist was 18 years old, she had no idea what responsibility came with owning a credit card. She also racked up some considerable student loans.

Unfortunately, that has affected Cashia's credit up until this day.

And she's not only one with credit issues. Terrance's credit isn't where he'd like it to be either, and when he has money, a good portion of it goes to supporting his 17-year-old daughter, Ty'asia.

The couple's been making progress, though, because they have a major goal ahead of them. They want to own a house by next year.

Photo via Upworthy.

At first, this goal seemed completely insurmountable. How could two (now successful) people with low credit afford to own their own place?

In order to get to on the right path, Cashia and Terrance had to take a long look at their finances and make the decision to save rather than spend. It's easier said than done, and considering where they're at in their lives — with so many expenses that need to be taken care of right now — it sometimes felt like they were chasing an impossible dream.

While it took hard work and patience, the Bryants are now much closer to making their dream a reality.

Here's how they're doing it:

First, the couple dissected how much money they bring in versus how much goes out each month. Based on that information, Cashia created an aggressive budget for the pair — one that cuts down on spending while still allowing them to have a little fun as they save for a down payment.

As they get into the habit of saving, they're crafting a future in which making wise financial decisions comes easily and naturally to them.

Due to their lower credit scores, the Bryants may have to put more money down on the house they eventually choose, but thanks to their financial planning efforts, that's no longer an insurmountable task.

Ultimately, the process of buying a house is bringing the couple closer together. While the decisions that they've had to make have been difficult, sharing this mutual goal is like a recommitment to each other.

And all their planning and saving has made it possible for them to afford a down payment on a house next year. With that hurdle behind them, they can now pursue their greater goal beyond home ownership.

"We want our own family," says Cashia "I want our baby to experience a home."

"It took both of us," Terrance beams. "I'm glad we found each other."

To learn more about the Bryant's journey to homeownership, check out this video:

Community

How to end hunger, according to the people who face it daily

Here’s what people facing food insecurity want you to know about solving the hunger problem in America

True

Even though America is the world’s wealthiest nation, about 1 in 6 of our neighbors turned to food banks and community programs in order to feed themselves and their families last year. Think about it: More than 9 million children faced hunger in 2021 (1 in 8 children).

In order to solve a problem, we must first understand it. Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, released its second annual Elevating Voices: Insights Report and turned to the experts—people experiencing hunger—to find out how this issue can be solved once and for all.

Here are the four most important things people facing hunger want you to know.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pets

Family brings home the wrong dog from daycare until their cats saved the day

A quick trip to the vet confirmed the cats' and family's suspicions.

Family accidentally brings wrong dog home but their cats knew

It's not a secret that nearly all golden retrievers are identical. Honestly, magic has to be involved for owners to know which one belongs to them when more than one golden retriever is around. Seriously, how do they all seem have the same face? It's like someone fell asleep on the copy machine when they were being created.

Outside of collars, harnesses and bandanas, immediately identifying the dog that belongs to you has to be a secret skill because at first glance, their personalities are also super similar. That's why it's not surprising when one family dropped off their sweet golden pooch at daycare and to be groomed, they didn't notice the daycare sent out the wrong dog.

See, not even their human parents can tell them apart because when the swapped dog got home, nothing seemed odd to the owners at first. She was freshly groomed so any small differences were quickly brushed off. But this accidental doppelgänger wasn't fooling her feline siblings.

Keep ReadingShow less
Health

This woman's powerful 'before and after' photos crush myths about body positivity

"Body positivity is about saying that you are more than a body and your self-worth is not reliant on your beauty."



Michelle Elman, a body positivity coach, helps people who are struggling to find confidence in their own skin.

After persevering through numerous medical conditions and surgeries in her own life, Elman realized a few years ago that body positivity wasn't just about size or weight. Things like scars, birthmarks, and anything else that makes us feel different of self-conscious have to be a part of the conversation, and she tries to make the movement accessible to everyone.

Sharing her own journey has been one of her most effective teaching tools.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sandra Maria/Youtube, Official Lives & Music Videos/Youtube

You can't not sing this song.

The music of Queen has a profound visceral effect on everyone. Few pieces of art can cause complete strangers to put aside their differences and come together in song, but by golly, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is one of them. It would be cheesy if it weren’t so absolutely beautiful.

This pertains even to non-English-speaking countries, it appears. Recently, thousands of Harry Styles concertgoers in Warsaw, Poland, began cheering as those iconic beginning piano notes penetrated the air.
Keep ReadingShow less



On Feb. 19, 2023, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," turned 55 years old. And the internet was feeling feelings over it.

After premiering on Canadian TV in 1963, Fred Rogers' beloved children's program debuted in the U.S. in 1968, inspiring generations of kids across North America to be more thoughtful, kinder neighbors.

Keep ReadingShow less

You know that feeling you get when you walk into a classroom and see someone else's stuff on your desk?

OK, sure, there are no assigned seats, but you've been sitting at the same desk since the first day and everyone knows it.

So why does the guy who sits next to you put his phone, his book, his charger, his lunch, and his laptop in the space that's rightfully yours? It's annoying.

Keep ReadingShow less
Education

The 25-year-old money-saving 'bible' that millennials and Gen Zers absolutely need to read

This book has saved me thousands of dollars and changed my entire perspective on "frugality."

Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash

"The Complete Tightwad Gazette" offers timeless money-saving advice.

Let me start by saying that young adults these days absolutely do have economics stacked against them. There's no question that stagnant wages, the unaffordability of housing, outrageous college costs, post-pandemic inflation and good ol' American corporate greed have all combined to create a tough financial reality for us all, but particularly for the millennials and Gen Zers who are starting off their adult lives feeling already underwater.

If you're in that boat, allow a Gen X auntie to give you some sage advice. Absolutely, rail against the man and shake your fist at the skyscrapers and vent on TikTok if it makes you feel better. But also, none of that is going to change super soon, so you've got to own what you actually have control over, and that's managing the money that you do have (however little it may be).

When my kids were little back in the early 2000s, my husband and I were living on one not-at-all-amazing income. I had been raised quite frugally, so I was comfortable penny-pinching as needed, but I was looking for more creative ways to stretch our dollars.

I had no idea how much one book would change my entire view of saving money—or how much money it would actually save me over the years.

Keep ReadingShow less