Budget issues ( concerns cont.)

[SparklingWaves]

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Originally Posted by boudoirblonde Whilst I dont think you're rushing out and maxing out your CCs on MAC, and it is easy to pass the blame, I think if you start to actually take a bit more responsibility for the debt/hard times your currently in (whether by stupid decisions or unlucky circumstances) it will be a lot easier to turn things around. I honestly don't mean to be harsh, or sound harsh in anyway, but I think (and I do this myself ALL the time) when people get into problems or troubles, it is so easy to pass the blame, so we do, and we avoid having to take responsibility, so we just curse and curse instead of putting all that energy into turning the situation around

Oh, no. I didn't take it that way. I am glad for your input.

I am looking objectively at what got me here. It was the emergencies and medical bills. One of the medical bills was a physical that I urged my husband to have. He has several cancers in his family history, so I wanted him checked out. Thankfully, he is in great shape.

I am going for routine visits and now the doctors want to do the testing on me. We are still paying on time for the tests that my husband had.

I paid all my Christmas gifts with cash, so I didn't get to pay much on that the credit debt.

My meds are ridiculously expensive.

 

[SparklingWaves]

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Originally Posted by Hilly It always breaks my heart to see older people past the retired age still working.

I honestly think my mother will work till she dies. She can't afford to stop working and will not move in with her kids. She is extremely independent, but she isn't well. She has many health issues. Diabetes is the big one. She often forgets to take her meds. Customers have actually helped her when she looked - very pale, shaky or about to pass out at the counter.

She cuts her grass and will not allow anyone to do it for her. She doesn't want her kids to do it. She said she will not be able to do for herself. She looks like she is going to pass out. I tell her to stop, but she will not. She will not allow me to touch her stuff to clean up either.

She gets on her roof to check things and scares me to death. She never listens to me about anything. UGH!

Once she told me that a customer said ice cream was a good snack for diabetics. So, she did it. I was like WT. Now, she has had plenty of education on diabetes and I have told her not to buy that Blue Bell Cookies & Cream Ice Cream. Oh, she had to hear it from the doctor to find out it was raising her sugar levels like crazy.

 

[user79]

I totally agree with captodometer's post, it's about making the right lifestyle choices and not living beyond your means and falling into debt. I have lived with very little money before, didn't have a cell phone, Internet, TV, car etc. and I managed just fine. We are just used to having these things, which are essentially luxuries, but it is very possible to cut down on your expenditures by changing your lifestyle in various ways. Even little things like bringing your lunch to work, using public transport a bit more (or even a bike for small trips), not going out every weekend to a club or to the movies, can make a huge difference.

Oh, and, if you think gas prices are expensive in the USA, you would be astounded how much more gas costs in Europe! You don't see nearly as many SUVs and other large cars here, trucks for personal use are a rare sight on the road.

I just did a quick conversion, and in Switzerland we are paying right now around $6.93 for a gallon of gas!

 

[SparklingWaves]

My Grandfather had his house build from scraps of an old hotel. He got job across the street from his homemade house. He raised his own veggies on acre lot.

He was never in debt.

Boy, do I miss him.

I often thought about moving in his old place too. It's vacant. People think that's nuts. Well, there's no rent or mortgage there too.

 

[Shimmer]

All you need is 9 sq ft to grow your own garden that will sustain you through the growing season, and onward. Tomatos, carrots, corn, green beans, peppers of varying flavor, etc. are all easy and cheap to grow.

 

[SparklingWaves]

I have been wanting to grow some veggies. My husband gives me all kinds of reasons why it will not work.

I love home grown veggies.

 

[Shimmer]

*shrug*
Google square foot gardening.

 

[SparklingWaves]

Man, I remember shelling those peas. Yes! Grandpa had us set up - cucumber, tomato, peas, and beans. There was always something cooking.

There's a pecan tree still there. He had several fruit trees.

 

[pahblov]

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Originally Posted by Shimmer Re: mammograms...who has the money to do that, really? I certainly don't...and I'm in one of those at risk groups.

Hearing things like this makes me upset, and worried for your guys's health! When I was in grade 12 the Canadian Breast Cancer association came to my school and did a lunch talk for all the girls and told us about the importance of self-breast checks and mammograms. For us, going to the doctor, getting tests, necessary procedures etc... are free! It's like this in many developed countries in the world, and every time I hear about someone having to choose not to take care of their health because of monetary constrains it makes me really, very sad. Things like the health of a nation's citizens should not be in the hands of private companies, and it's my sincerest hope that someday the ghost of Tommy Douglas will go to the states and make public health care a reality there. Until then, Canada welcomes you with open arms!

 

[SparklingWaves]

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Originally Posted by lilifee HI, it's not only in the usa that u feel the enormous rise of coast on bathing things. I own a small car now but it still takes 9 litres, so the cost for litre of petrol here is about € 1,40 - in need my car for working so i can not leave it standing in front of the house. But its not only that the gas prices for heating ind the electricity coasts are increasing steadily. So by the and of the day u have a huge bill to pay - which doesnt include any food yet. Going shopping for groceries u have everytime less in you bag for you money. I do look more and more for what i spend my money and if it is really necessary to buy me this or that. - My MAC spending was also cut down drastically its about € 17,50 for a lipstick here what i find abit to much by now. Going out for dinners is seldom now, cause what is spend in 1 evening last you longer by staying at home inviting some friends. Also have to feed 2 doggies ( one is quite old and needs reg. medication) so thats were the money goes

Electricity bill & water bill have gone up here too.

Vet care has also gone up. Fortunately, my vet is a wonderful person. He knows that my rescues are temporary. He has cut me some slack on them.

I did have to get one of my dogs heart worm treatment about 2 years ago, but I would do that again in a minute. She was a rescue that I decided to keep. I would sell my furniture to have paid for her treatment.

I don't get those shots every year on my old cats. They are immune. They swell up. They are kept inside 24/7. They do get their check ups.

All my pets have been healthy. There have been bouts of emergencies for sickness of throwing up and diarrhea from some bacteria infection. Other than that, I have been very fortunate.

 

[browneyedbaby]

It costs £55.00 to fill my car with petrol... so about $110.00

 

[SparklingWaves]

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Originally Posted by browneyedbaby It costs £55.00 to fill my car with petrol... so about $110.00

Unreal! How do you manage?

 

[browneyedbaby]

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Originally Posted by SparklingWaves Unreal! How do you manage?

I guess I'm lucky, my boyfriend earns a really good wage so I pay a very small percentage of the household bills which means I can pay my petrol ok. I work for a charity so don't earn a great wage, if it wasn't for him I would have to either get a second job or go work in the city to earn a larger wage... even with that I'd probably only be able live in a house share. Our rent for a 2 bed house is £900/$1800 a month, not sure how that compares to other countries?

To be honest petrol costs in the UK are incredibly high yet people are now getting resigned to the fact that's just the way it is! I only drive a small car by the way, a Mini.

 

[KikiB]

I have definitely been seeing everything going on and it is a bit worrysome to me. I am lucky that I live with the parents and am not paying any bills yet, but I work (for all my shopping money, as well as a bit of savings) and it's taking a toll. Grocery bills are going up-I only buy items that I like, such as ice cream and my favourite pasta shells, if they are on sale. I get my soda at Costco, where it's under $10 for a 36 pack of Dr. Pepper. $10 for a giant bag of ravioli will last me at least two to three weeks. Those are the comparatively good things. Also having public transport close by, it's a good 5 minute walk to a bus that can get me down to work, as well as busses to get me to downtown Seattle and all sorts of other areas.

Then in 6 months, my dad's retirement got wiped out-he's 60 now and probably will work until medically unable. It costs my mom $6 a day between gas and wear/tear on her car to drive to work-and she drives an 03 Focus, not the biggest gas guzzler. My 17-year old brother is like a walking stomach. I work, yes, but even though I live in Washington State which has the highest min. wage in the country-$8.07 an hour, I make about 50 cents more than that-I could not move out on my own and survive because I don't get 40 hours a week-I am lucky to get 30 many weeks (retail, SA). To get an apartment down by the mall that I work at would probably be a good $850 a month for something comfortable-it doesn't have to be high-end, just no bugs, decent carpet, etc. Add in food, medical, transport, and so forth, and I would be in bad shape. I don't drive, so that helps out. I can get a bus pass for $81 a month that will let me go anywhere in my county. Also while I am living at home, my parents are not allowing me to have any credit cards. I have debit, which is a godsend, and I am meticulous about tracking what I spend. But my parents got in over their heads with credit card debt and only after they inheirited my dad's parents estate that they were able to pay it off. People aren't able to make payments, they get suckered in with all the little things and perks and so forth but it's ugly in the end.

If there is one other lesson that my parents taught me though, it's to always look for the best bargain. A former coworker said "Why pay full price when you can get it on sale?" I buy a good amount of MAC but that's because it's cheaper than many other brands I would use. I also figure out the size of product and the price. I don't think I paid full price for a single item in my closet. Be it the $10 Aeropostale polos that I wear for work, or the Dior sunglasses that are marked down to $65, it pays to look for sales.

 

[captodometer]

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Originally Posted by Shimmer Thing is most of those cars were purchased on loans, and the person paying the loan is usually upside down on it. To try to get rid of the vehicle would mean that they would either a) be upside down on the vehicle they traded in for trying to get out from under the first one, or b) sold the vehicle for a loss and continued paying a loan on a vehicle they no longer own or drive. Credit card debt is going to be the back breaker for this country, IMO.

ITA. It's basically choosing between one kind of poverty versus another. The bad decision was in choosing to buy the gas guzzling vehicle in the first place, or taking out a longer than 2 year loan to buy any type of vehicle at all. Most new cars depreciate 20-30% as soon as they get driven off the dealer's lot; unless you put in a substantial down payment, it's guaranteed that you will be upside down for the duration of the loan.

Americans do pay artificially low prices for gas. A gallon of gas would cost NZ$6.20

I don't think people outside the US are necessarily better off financially: I think they were just not as affluent to begin with, so aren't feeling the squeeze as much now that the world economy is taking a turn for the worst. New Zealand is a developed, western country. Almost everything that is available in the US is available here but the overall standard of living is just lower for the rich and middle class; the "poor" are much better off. Even when I go back to working full-time, I will never be able to attain the lifestyle that I had in the US. It was a lifestyle decision for me: it's just a more pleasant place to live than the US, at least for me. So I don't think anyone should relocate from the US in hopes of financial salvation: it won't happen.

I personally like SparklingWave's idea to move to her grandpa's old place and start a veggie garden. It's not about keeping up with the Joneses or caring about what other people think; it's about doing what works for you.

 

[Obreathemykiss]

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Originally Posted by captodometer ITA. It's basically choosing between one kind of poverty versus another. The bad decision was in choosing to buy the gas guzzling vehicle in the first place, or taking out a longer than 2 year loan to buy any type of vehicle at all. Most new cars depreciate 20-30% as soon as they get driven off the dealer's lot; unless you put in a substantial down payment, it's guaranteed that you will be upside down for the duration of the loan. Americans do pay artificially low prices for gas. A gallon of gas would cost NZ$6.20 I don't think people outside the US are necessarily better off financially: I think they were just not as affluent to begin with, so aren't feeling the squeeze as much now that the world economy is taking a turn for the worst. New Zealand is a developed, western country. Almost everything that is available in the US is available here but the overall standard of living is just lower for the rich and middle class; the "poor" are much better off. Even when I go back to working full-time, I will never be able to attain the lifestyle that I had in the US. It was a lifestyle decision for me: it's just a more pleasant place to live than the US, at least for me. So I don't think anyone should relocate from the US in hopes of financial salvation: it won't happen. I personally like SparklingWave's idea to move to her grandpa's old place and start a veggie garden. It's not about keeping up with the Joneses or caring about what other people think; it's about doing what works for you.

I agree with most of the things you said and respect your position...

However, I now drive a Land Rover because my parents purchased it a year or two. It only had 35,000 MI on it and it is a 95. I used to drive a 1990 Toyota Corolla which got about 35 mpg. Well, that car was falling apart and I snowboard and travel to Colorado and go camping and to the lake quite often. It was my goal to get an SUV and my parents and I made a deal that if I stayed in school and continued helping them run their business, I would get it. So...January came along and I was really working toward saving money to prove that I could handle it. My Corolla, falling apart as it was, started making this really funky noise. A few months prior, we had taken it to a mechanic and he said to fix every little thing that was wrong with it would cost $3,000 +. That just wasn't going to happen. Anyway, the noise resulted in the engine blowing and I was left without a vehicle. Albuquerque hasn't quite mastered public transportation and to be frank, riding the bus is a huge inconvience!! Not only do I work, I go to school full time and I cannot afford to NOT have a car. Selfish as it may seem, so be it. So then the time came that my parents gave me the Land Rover. Yes, a gas guzzler. Yes, I was complaining about the gas because gas prices are high. I realize it is my choice to keep it but I am not going to trade this car in because 1. It's paid off and in excellent condition, I would never get the true value of it 2. To escape and go do the outdoor things I love, I need a sensible vehicle to get through it and 3. I intend on keeping it at least until I graduate. Do I really NEED a Land Rover? Probably not, but I love my car and it works for my lifestyle.

 

[lizardprincesa]

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Originally Posted by Obreathemykiss As I said in the last thread, things are really tough now.

eek! Same here!

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I don't want to ask my parents to borrow money or to give me money anymore. It isn't fair to them, and it's time for me to grow up...

If they can help you, please let them. Stress is worse than anything; worrying is extremely unhealthy....Our parents (both sets) have helped us out here & there, & we have a few years on you.

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So even though it would be nice to have a credit card to cushion me right now, I am not about to put myself in more debt. I have $300 on a credit card that has been lingering there for 8 months or so...not good. This should have been paid off by now.

Please stop worrying. You will be ok (sending you peaceVibes)...
I have hidden my credit card from myself for several months, or years...My husband doesn't believe in them (coming from the Middle of England (nowhere near the Queen; think *Mordor* (Lord of the Rings

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Besides raiding my mom's fridge and freezer, I clip those coupons, buy as generic as possible, and look out for deals at the grocery store. I do everything I possibly can to save a penny on groceries. You have to eat!!

You're living sensibly! We were at Walmart Today...I couldn't believe a box of pasta cost $1.00!! (My hubby's been doing the shopping after work, as we have 1 vehicle & I'm home with my little boy.) i was shocked to see the prices. I have never been proud to shop at Walmart, but can't afford more expensive places...


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This weekend, my dog ate a little bit of ant poison outside that was in my backyard. I was terrified and crying. I gave her vegetable oil in her food right away and made her puke. I then called animal poison and waited on hold...and hold...on easter. Then finally the lady picks up and starts asking questions and saying I probably shouldn't have given her the oil, but Grants kills ants doesn't have much arsenic. She said it was mixed w/peanut butter and blah blah and that's probably what attracted her. She was saying she should be okay, just watch her for 2 hours....and then tells me there's a $60 fee for the service. This got me thinking...danG! What if my baby wasn't alright and I had to take her to the animal ER. How the hell would I pay for that?!!!

So sorry this happened! (((HUGS))))!!!
Our 2 little lovebirds, Cathy & Jimmy Cats,
couldn't hold out until their vet appts, back in December

We are now a 2-family-house! I don't imagine we'll be able to give up the 3 new little kittens (photos posted in "Say Cheese" forum. ) I think we will need pet insurance.

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I am tired of living like this. I need at least SOME money in the bank to fall back on just in case. Right now I'm living paycheck to paycheck and I make decent money.

You will be ok. A Day at a Time.

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UGH! This morning in my psych class, my instructor told us to look at all of the things we should be happy about...he said with/without money, the happiness factor is about the same. He said to be happy with what we have.

I try to think this way! People get frustrated at me, (including my family). We watch the abysmal *graphic, honest* BBC *World* news @ 6PM weekDays, (hubby's British) & everything goes into perspective. Granted, everything is more difficult for us than it's been ("us," being sorta middle class Americans)
but Life is way more challenging in some places...

In no way am I not affirming you....quite the opposite...
but I try to do the lemonade-making idea *you* stated, sweet girl.

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... You're not that guy living in the dumpster outside of the restaurant eating food scraps. And even that guy is happy because his dumpster is bigger than the next guy's dumpster.

Yes

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I am almost that guy in the dumpster...not quite, but it seems like it.

I felt almost like that in Walmart Today. (But then I thought about chiuldren in some other countries.
I bought split peas, to make a hearty soup, & other beans. I bought eggplant, peanut butter, a small bit of meat for hubby (I'm a vegetarian), tuna fish...Still, so expensive! Bread & pasta were the shockers, due to the
price of wheat (?)
I think the cost of transporting food (fuel for lorries/trucks) is a big contributor, as well.

Even Walmart seemed *eerily* quiet Today.


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I guess we should just try to be positive. Karma happens to good people.

Yes. You will be ok Today, sweetHeart.
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I really hope things start looking up for you, Sparklingwaves.

YES! SparklingWaves. HeartVibes sent to you.

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... Thank you for sharing your issues...and I think you should really look into this mamogram. In the end, YOU are what matters! F the money, you need your health. Just my opinion.

good luck, sweetie.[/quote]

You're angelic for writing this to a lovely person who cares so much about others....&
*you, Obreathemykiss,* care a great deal about others, as well. Blessings. xxCherylFaith

 

[lizardprincesa]

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Originally Posted by SparklingWaves ...I don't own a cell phone.

Now I know I'm not the only one. My husband does have one, out of necessity; he's working & I'm home for many hours, with a child who has special needs. We have *1* vehicle. I can't drive right now due to a back injury. Hubby's cell seems like a must, but we did survive in the past w/out them. I can hardly believe his company doesn't seem to allow even brief calls home, but that's how it is.

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Eating out is rare. Going to a movie is more rare. We haven't taken a trip in four years.

Situation same! Ok...we did...We moved from England's West Midlands, where hubby's from, to upstate NY, where I'm from, thinking Life would be so much easier. It is *somewhat* easier. Where we were in England, unemployment was rampant, even for professionals.

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I have actually entertained the thought of leaving the States. Not just because of this, because I would like to experience other places too. Always felt stuck here.

[/quote]
But careful, as living somewhere else is so different from ~visiting~...Now, despite daily challenges, I don't think I can bear to live anywhere else again. It is true; 'no place like home...' but I cannot speak for everyone. We had alot of unusual circumstances, & the experience was extremely interesting & valuable, & part of my path. Perhaps, it's yours, too!

 

[Obreathemykiss]

Thank you for the peacevibes, lizardprincesa. I appreciate your kind words. I do think all of us will make it in the end! Times get hard, but that's what life is about. It is unfortunate we have to struggle, but at the end of the day there are always those who are worse off than us. I hope things start to look up for you and your family! You made my day

 

[MACa6325xi]

Doctors and routine tests---I go for a routine doctor visit and she suggests that I get a mammogram. I am thinking $$$ and she thinks that I might need surgery. I am thinking that is major $$$. I am thinking about not having the darn tests. I can't live in debt from a MRI or a mammogram. Tests aren't a necessity to me anymore. Sadly, it's true.

While I understand the budget constraints that you have, your health is a major concern. You should definitely have the mammogram and if needed an MRI. Many hospitals, imaging centers, and radiologists will work out a payment plan if you can't pay immediately. Some states have programs that offer free or low cost mammograms to those who have no health insurance or are under insured. I know this is easier said than done, but depending on your circumstances, there maybe help available to you.