When you’re struggling financially, finding a sufficient job is only half the battle. The other is being able to find sustainable transportation.

Here in Memphis, MATA offers public transportation. However, as I’m sure we’re all aware, it leaves much to be desired. To the city’s credit though, they’re working on fixing issues and making it more efficient.

For the majority of us though, having a car is ideal and falls a close second to shelter in order of payment importance.

It’s great that companies like Conduit General are coming to Memphis and creating 1,000 jobs for the community. However, with Conduit General being in the suburbs and most of the poverty-stricken Mempians living in the city, it can be hard to get to work on time consistently, or even at all.

The MATA bus system will offer some routes for this situation, however many companies have strict tardy policies, and if you’re late three times, you’re gone. This puts a lot of employees at the mercy of the MATA busses, and if the bus is late, then the employee is late as well.

Having a car can be very important for the working person. There are some things to keep in mind though.


Get a car you can afford.
Your vehicle has a specific purpose and that is to get you where you need to be. Your vehicle is of no use to you if you can’t afford the payments and it’s repossessed, or if you can’t afford to fill the gas tank because you wanted a gas-guzzling SUV or if the insurance is too high because you wanted a sports car. Choose a car you can afford, all-around, so it can fulfill its purpose in getting you to work so you can make the money you need.


Maintain your vehicle.
If you skip necessary oil changes or routine maintenance in order to spend money elsewhere, then all that’s going to cause is more expensive problems down the road.


You also need to keep your car, period.
If for some reason you fall behind on your car payments, instead of letting your car get repossessed, you should look into filing for bankruptcy.

An experienced bankruptcy attorney can walk you through the process and how it’ll be able to help you save your car while paying off debt.

Don’t be scared of bankruptcy either. Not only will you be able to keep your car so that you can continue to get to and from work to make the money you need to make, but you’ll also have a fresh financial start. A bankruptcy will get you out of the hole and now you can take the proper steps to get as far away from that hole as you want.

At Darrell Castle & Associates, we can help you get away from the hole by offering you a 14 week program called “7 Steps to a 720.” This program, which is free for our clients, will teach you:

  • how to rebuild your credit the right way
  • why most credit scores are wrong
  • which credit cards actually hurt your credit score
  • how to stop lenders that report the wrong information
  • how to re-establish your credit after a bankruptcy

We know that you’re working hard, yet you’re still vulnerable to the unexpected things that life tends to throw at people. A bankruptcy is a great way to take control back of your life and build your financial structure to a way in which those unexpected things won’t have such a negative impact on your life.

If you have any questions or if you’re considering filing for bankruptcy, contact us today by filling out the “Get in Touch” form below or by calling us at (901) 327-2100. One of our experienced Memphis bankruptcy attorneys will be happy to discuss your situation with you, free of charge.