Speech by Henry Claude Vilfort
Moving from Debt to Assets Graduation at Church of God, Dorchester, MA
August 10, 2006


Ladies and Gentlemen:

If I tell you a few weeks ago, I could not see the light at the end of my tunnel of debt, you better believe it. Debts to Assets was the best class that I, myself, have taken. Personally, before, I didn’t know how to save. It has not only taught me how to save, but also to better my life in many different ways.

This course has taught me to set goals for my family and I. I used to spend a lot of money on needs and wants without making a budget for the future. This caused my wife and I to sit down and set up a plan that will limit unnecessary spending and start paying our debts.

For example: I used to go to the Dunkin Donuts every morning and order a medium coffee and a bagel with cream chesses for a total of $3.65 and I would go back in the afternoon and order a #1 (medium coffee and 2 Donuts) for about $8 all together. Now let’s do a little math. $8 a day -- $40 a week, $160 a month, $1,920 a year for Dunkin Donuts alone, when I could use this money to get my family out of debts.

Through this course, I have learned that even small pleasures in life can cost a lot. Now, I just make my own coffee at home and bring that to work with me. I also get up a little early so that I can eat my breakfast. Can you imagine, getting up an half and hour early can save $1,920 a year?

My wife and I have come up with a plan to get rid of our debts as fast as we can by beginning with the smallest loan or credit card first. Tomorrow, a loan of $2,200 will be history. We both work extra to come up with more income.

In conclusion, I would like to thank GBIO and Citizen Bank for making this very helpful program available to us and I would suggest you guys not to take all the things you have learned in this program for granted. Use them to better your life and someone else’s.

Thanks for Listening.