{"id":304,"date":"2026-03-25T15:02:46","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T15:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fivelakeslawgroup.com\/features\/?p=304"},"modified":"2026-03-25T15:02:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T15:02:46","slug":"how-client-graduate-lisa-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fivelakeslawgroup.com\/features\/how-client-graduate-lisa-s\/","title":{"rendered":"How Client Graduate Lisa S. Left Working Four Jobs Behind \u2014 and Took Back Her Paycheck"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A Certified Nursing Assistant rebuilt her life after juggling four jobs and over $26,000 in debt, and finally feels like her paycheck is hers again.<\/em><\/em><\/td>Enrolled Debt:<\/strong> $26,502
Graduated:<\/strong> September 2025
Program Length:<\/strong> 3 years, 1 month<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Meet Lisa H.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lisa is a Certified Nursing Assistant and has been caring for older adults for more than 30 years. She recently moved to live near her son, who\u2019s in the Air Force, and to help care for a dog they co-parent. She\u2019s also a grandmother (and soon-to-be grandmother again)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For fun, Lisa loves going to the beach and spending time with her kids and grandchildren. After years of struggle, she says, \u201cLife is pretty darn good, I gotta say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was going on before you decided to work with Five Lakes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I had just left my ex, and I was 55 years old. I had no credit. I had nothing. A friend of mine said, “Get a secured credit card and start to build up your credit,” so that\u2019s what I did.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then all of a sudden, I\u2019m getting all these offers for credit cards and I\u2019m like, “Oh, well, I\u2019ve never had real credit cards before. What the heck? I\u2019ll get a credit card.” All of a sudden, I had 10 of them.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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My paycheck is finally mine.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Everything was great for a while: I was buying a whole bunch of stuff for the apartment and I was like, “Oh yeah, I\u2019ll pay it back.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when I started to realize that I couldn\u2019t keep up with the credit card payments. It was bad. I was spending at least $200 to $300 a week of my paycheck just to keep up with the minimums. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then it got to be even more, then more and more. And I\u2019m like, “Oh my God, this is\u00a0bad!” At that point, I had four jobs just to keep up.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did carrying that debt feel like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was really weighing on me. I was like, “How am I going to do this? Am I just going to go bankrupt?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was worried. I mean, really worried. Could I pay my rent? Could I pay my car payment? It really does feel like you\u2019ve got 20 pounds on each shoulder when you\u2019ve got this debt<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lisa enjoys a meal on a sunny day out.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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How did you discover Five Lakes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I did some googling and I was like, \u201cWell, I like the name Five Lakes. I\u2019m going to call them up and see what they can do for me. They sounded like they knew exactly what to do, which made me feel comfortable.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It almost sounded too good to be true. I thought, “Oh my goodness, is this seriously going to work?”<\/em> But they were very professional. They obviously knew what they were talking about.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What was your experience going through the program?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was a really, really good experience. The team was fantastic and very accommodating.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the lower payments made such a difference to my ability to live. I was working four jobs before. I was exhausted \u2014 working nights \u2026 working days. It was a lot. I was able to stop working two of those jobs \u2014 that was a big relief.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was graduating like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Oh my God, I was so happy! It was like the hugest cloud lifted off my head. I was just like, “Yes, I\u2019m done!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I don\u2019t have to work 70 hours a week. And I have money to do things like go out to lunch or get my hair done. I couldn\u2019t even get my nails done before. I had to watch every penny. Like, \u201cI can\u2019t go to this event because that\u2019s using too much gas.\u201d It was like that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My financial habits have changed 100%. I have two credit cards, but if I spend a little bit, I pay it off right away. I\u2019m not going into debt ever again. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Laura and her friend on a Florida vacation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What are you looking forward to now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d like to travel, of course. I want to work a little bit less. I have more money than most people my age. You have to save, but you know what? I want to be able to live too!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lisa and her kids snorkeling on a recent trip to St. Martin\u2019s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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How would you sum up what Five Lakes did for you?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Peace of mind and joy, really. It was such a big help. I can\u2019t even tell you what it meant. It changed my life, to go to Five Lakes and have them help me sort it out.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I felt taken care of. I felt like this was all going to be taken care of, and I was going to come out on the other side, like shiny new!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Success Post-Grad<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With Five Lakes, Lisa turned a debt load of more than $26,000<\/strong> into a real debt-free plan, reduced her monthly burden enough to stop working four jobs, and stayed the course until she reached the finish line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, she\u2019s debt-free, more careful with credit, and enjoying the freedom to spend on everyday life again \u2014 from lunch out to a trip to the salon \u2014 without the constant weight of minimum payments hanging over her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy paycheck is finally mine.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Real client compensated for sharing their authentic experience \u2014 results and savings reflect their individual circumstances.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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