“It came to a point where I was completely suffocated, Ms D Souza, 39, says. I was living from one paycheque to the other and hoping to get an increment or some other incentive to pay off my dues. I kept accumulating debt for seven years. When I fell short of cash, I would get myself another credit card. I was spending to maintain a lifestyle, she adds.
The former accountant decided to get a personal loan to pay off her credit cards and have just the one instalment to pay for each month. She took out a loan for Dh70,000 in 2012, closed five credit cards, settled the dues on another one with a bonus she received from her employer and retained two cards.