The Unique Way I Paid Off My Debt and Started Saving for My Future

It started as a joke.

After getting “naked” with my financial trainer, I felt a little hopeless. Will I ever pay off my debt? Will I ever not live paycheck to paycheck? She assured me all would be okay, but I knew I had a long road ahead of me.

“I’m just going to sell my eggs.”

This statement became a very common one every time I stepped foot in the gym, at every event I attended there, or even at my own events they so graciously allowed me to host there. We’d all giggle and shake our heads. This was just a joke. I’d never do something like that.

One day I found myself in a rut. I NEEDED to make more money. So naturally I turned to Google and typed in “How to make money fast in NYC.” The strangest results came up from dancing in the subway all the way to selling used garments on Craigslist. None of this was for me until I scrolled once more and saw “donate your eggs.” This ongoing theme in my life was giving me a sign. I clicked.

After hours of going into the dark hole of the internet and researching the best and safest facilities in NYC, I applied. It was a very long, extensive application, but what harm could it do? They would probably deny me based on my family medical history anyway. And even if they accepted it, I would just turn them down, right?

Wrong. They emailed me almost instantly and told me that I was a great candidate. I kind of rolled my eyes while reading through until I got to the part that said $10,000. Excuse me, what? $10,000?! This could help me pay off my credits cards with enough left to put toward my emergency fund. And if I did all of that, the money I’d be putting from my paychecks would be toward planning my future instead of correcting my past. I’m In.

From there, I had several appointments, blood work drawn, and psychological examinations. This was A LOT of beginning steps, but in this early part of process, I learned so much about the procedure itself that I hadn’t learned during my own research.

Did you know that there are no reports of this process ever affecting your own fertility in the future? What about that you are more likely to get pregnant right after the fact since your hormone levels are high? They also match you with a couple whose male counterpart has the complete opposite family history as you to avoid any high percentages of disease or disability.

And then there’s the idea of you having a kid out there. Did you know that if the recipient becomes pregnant with your eggs, the baby will then take the protein from her body, the blood from her body, etc.? She is truly growing and forming that child herself.

Next came the at-home hormone injections that I made my boyfriend perform. This almost turned me away completely since my biggest fear in life is needles. After the first one, I couldn’t believe how easy it was and I started doing them on my own! Did I just conquer a fear of mine during this process?

One week and two days later, it was time for the donation. I arrived early in the morning, went under a few hours after and woke up….35 minutes later. Yep, that’s right. The procedure is insanely short and easy. I had a few cramps right away, but nothing more than normal period pain that many of us survive through each month. The next day I was back at work.

Two weeks later, I had a $10,000 check in the mail. I immediately booked an appointment at the Financial Gym to make sure I was making smart decisions with it. First thing’s first. Pay off that Debt. I had just about $4,000 left after my efforts since joining the gym but POOF. It was now gone.

Time for the upcoming expenses. I took about $2,000 and paid off my trip to Ireland plus spending money. What a weight off my shoulders!

Lastly, I debated what I should do with the remainder of the money, but with much discussion, we decided it was best to keep a little aside for tax purposes and use the rest for my emergency fund. I had about $6500 already saved, but now I have it fully funded with at least three months of my salary. It’s NYC and the retail industry is tough right now. I have never felt more comfortable than knowing I have a backup in case something ever happened.

I went into the facility for a checkup with question of if I should inquire about donating again. The whole thing was so much simpler than I could of ever imagined. If they say yes, I think I am going to go for it. I could use that money to start planning for my future instead of correcting the past debt.

They said yes. “We only allow people with successful cases to donate again.” Does this mean….? Yes. This selfish intention, money driven act was actually a miracle. Not only did I change my own life, I gifted life to someone else. There is a woman out there who almost gave up hope on her dream of becoming a mother. Now, her life is complete.

This time, I get to use the money toward my goals. Wedding, house, and even that wine subscription I love, but struggled to afford. Let the bright future begin.