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Breakfast Numbers Bunch
Monday’s at 7:00 AM
St. Mary's Episcopal Church (In the library)
40 W. 200 N. Provo, UT
Contact :
Jean A (801) 234-0888
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Monday Noon
St. Mary's Episcopal Church (In the library)
40 W. 200 N. Provo, UT
Contact :
Jean A (801) 234-0888
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BDA group
Thursday Noon
South Temple and C Street
Presbytarian Church, west door entrance, conference room
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Debtors Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share
their experience, strength and hope with each other that they
may solve their common problem and help others to recover from
compulsive debting.
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop incurring
unsecured debt. There are no dues or fees for D.A. membership; we are
self-supporting through our own contributions.
D.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization
or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither
endorses nor opposes any causes.
Our primary purpose is to stop debting one day at a time and to help
other compulsive debtors to stop incurring unsecured debt.
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Newcomer's Information Pack
Signs of Compulsive Debting
1. |
Being
unclear about your financial situation. Not knowing account balances,
monthly expenses, loan interest rates, fees, fines, or contractual
obligations. |
2. |
Frequently
"borrowing" items such as books, pens, or small amounts of money from
friends and others, and failing to return them. |
3. |
Poor saving habits. Not planning for taxes, retirement or other
not-recurring but predictable items, and then feeling surprised when
they come due; a "live for today, don't worry about tomorrow"
attitude." |
4. |
Compulsive
shopping: Being unable to pass up a "good deal"; making impulsive
purchases; leaving price tags on clothes so they can be returned; not
using items you've purchased. |
5. |
Difficulty in meeting basic financial or personal obligations, and/or
an inordinate sense of accomplishment when such obligations are met. |
6. |
A
different feeling when buying things on credit than when paying cash, a
feeling of being in the club, of being accepted, of being grown up. |
7. |
Living
in chaos and drama around money: Using one credit card to pay another;
bouncing checks; always having a financial crises to contend with. |
8. |
A
tendency to live on the edge: Living paycheck to paycheck; taking risks
with health and car insurance coverage; writing checks hoping money
will appear to cover them. |
9. |
Unwarranted inhibition and embarrassment in what should be a normal discussion of money. |
10. |
Overworking
or under earning: Working extra hours to earn money to pay creditors;
using time inefficiently; taking jobs below your skill and education
level. |
11. |
An
unwillingness to care for and value yourself: Living in self-imposed
deprivation; denying your basic needs in order to pay your creditors. |
12. |
A
feeling or hope that someone will take care of you if necessary, so
that you won't really get into serious financial trouble, that there
will always be someone you can turn to.
© 2002 Debtors Anonymous
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The Twelve Steps of Debtors Anonymous
| 1. |
We admitted we were powerless over debt--that our lives had become unmanageable. |
| 2. |
Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. |
| 3. |
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand God. . |
| 4. |
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. |
| 5. |
Admitted to God, to our selves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. |
| 6. |
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. |
| 7. |
Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings. |
| 8. |
Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. |
| 9. |
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. |
| 10. |
Continued to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. |
| 11. |
Sought
through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with
God, as we understand God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for
us and the power to carry it out. |
| 12. |
Having
had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to
carry this message to compulsive debtors, and to practice these
principles in all our affairs. |
The Twelve Steps Copyright © A.A. World Services, Inc. Adapted and reprinted with permission. |
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Action is the magic word. We have found the following actions essential to our recovery.
Abstinence
We
practice abstinence by not incurring unsecured debt one day at a time.
Unsecured debt is any debt that is not backed up by some form of
collateral, such as a car, house, etc.
Meetings
We attend meetings at which we can share our experience, strength and
hope with one another. Unless we give to newcomers what we have
received from D.A. we cannot keep it ourselves.
Record Maintenance
We maintain records of our daily income and expenses and of the retirement of any portions of our outstanding debts.
Anonymity
We practice anonymity, which allows us freedom of expression by
assuring us that what we say at meetings or to other D.A. members at
any time will not be repeated.
The Telephone
We maintain constant contact with other D.A. members by exchanging
telephone numbers. We make a point of talking to other D.A. members
before and after taking difficult steps in our recovery.
Pressure Relief Groups and Pressure Relief Meetings
After we have gained some familiarity with the D.A. program, we
organize Pressure Relief Groups consisting of ourselves and two other
persons from the group who have been abstinent for three (3) months,
and who usually have more experience in the program. The group meets in
a series of Pressure Relief Meetings to review our financial situation.
Spending Plans
The Pressure Relief Meeting usually results in the formulation of a
spending plan, which puts our needs first, and an action plan, for
resolving our debts and taking the first steps toward solvency.
Sponsor
Many of us find it extremely helpful to select a sponsor. A sponsor is
an abstinent member of D.A. who is usually more experienced in working
the Twelve Steps. The sponsor aids us in implementing our action plan
and in working the Steps.
Business Meetings
We attend business meetings that are held monthly. Many of us have long
harbored feelings that "business" was not a part of our lives, but for
"others" more qualified. Yet participation in running our own program
teaches us how our organization operates, and also helps us to become
responsible for our own recovery.
A.A. Literature
We study the literature of Alcoholics Anonymous to strengthen our
understanding of compulsive disease. We can identify with many of the
situations described therein by substituting the words "compulsive
debt" for "alcohol."
Awareness
We maintain awareness of the danger of compulsive debt by taking note
of bank, loan company and credit card advertising and by reading news
accounts of its effects.
Service
We perform service at every level: personal, meeting, Intergroup and
World Service. Service is vital to our recovery. Only through service
can we give to others what has been so generously given to us.
© 2002 Debtors Anonymous |
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