"I had eight credit cards, I had over $10,000 worth of debt, and I was like, 'How am I going to get these things paid off?'" she said.
So as things got desperate, Mumm turned to credit counseling through a non-profit credit management service called Springboard.
"What we do is educate consumers on how to use credit. There's nothing wrong with using credit, but actually if you're going to use the credit card, make sure that you're able to pay off that item at the end of the month," said Sherri Stuart, Springboard's communications specialist.
Stuart says unlike so-called credit repair businesses, at Springboard there is no up-front fee. In fact, most counseling is done over the phone for free.
"There really is no such thing as credit repair, it's about rebuilding your credit overtime," she said.
Cindy Ang of Ontario is currently working with Springboard. She still has plenty of credit card bills, but the stack is smaller than it was just a few moths ago.
"I was thinking so strongly about getting into bankruptcy, I really was," she said.
One of the first things a credit counselor will tell you is if you have too many credit cards, then you need to stop using them. The best way to do that is to cut them up and toss them away.
If you'd like help from Springboard, you can contact them through their website.
