Issue Date: September 14, 2003
Spare change?
At some point, we've all been hit with a monstrous bill. To pay it off, many of us worked out installment plans or put in a little overtime at work -- but not Karyn Bosnak. Weighed down with $20,000 in credit card debt, she launched a Web site, SaveKaryn.com, last year asking for donations, and in doing so, created a new phenomenon: Internet panhandling.
"I was working 70 hours a week and barely making minimum payments," Bosnak says. "So I made my own little Web site, told friends to forward the link, and then it just exploded." Not only did she end up with a balance of zero, but Bosnak, 30, also scored a book deal. Save Karyn! "One Shopaholic's Journey to Debt and Back" (HarperCollins, $13.95) hit shelves earlier this month.
If you're feeling charitable, or are hoping for some charity yourself, check out these sites (USA WEEKEND does not vouch for their legitimacy):
Fayethekitty.com. Angela is a 21-year-old "living with my parents (again)" and wallowing in a black hole of school loans, credit card bills and car payments. Like Bosnak, Angela offers daily updates, entertains visitors with some wicked humor and is slowly chipping away at her $10,000 debt.
Allothello.com. Baby Othello's family says they're saddled with about $150,000 in medical bills after their little one had a five-organ transplant last April. To date, they've received $18,000 in donations. The site tells Othello's story and charts his progress.
Freewebs.com/collegedonations. This 18-year-old student wants to attend Florida Southern College, but she can't afford the tuition. On her site, you'll find information on financial aid, as well as learn that she loves chocolate, stinks at bowling and started a club called the Hot Dog Klan.
-- Allison Winn Scotch
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