Are You Having A Tough Time Making Ends Meet?

by minimus 122 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  worldtraveller

  For those that think that making a minimum payment is acceptable probably isn't doing that. If you did, you would not be so critical. I cannot imagine how painful it is to explain to your kids that you have to go to a food bank. It is humiliating to say the least.

  It is sad to see so many people having to choose between debt or starving. Even though it is true to some extent that you are in control of your life and your finances, it is hard to predict the future. How many here knew that your home might be worth less now than what you paid for it a few years ago. It is a crapshoot. Almost everyone will buy their first home. You scrape a down payment together, and a year later the interest rates rise to unafforable levels and your down payment is flushed down the toilet. It is depressing to the max. Some may have considered suicide. It is a serious matter. To say it's totally everyones fault is a bit insensitive imo.

  This is the downside to trickle down economics. No money in consumers hands means the Home Depots, and Wal Marts will have to lay off staff, causing a deep spiral. This is a serious setback for even the upper class.

  I have no solution here. It will take time-perhaps a long time. I can only wish those who are suffering all the best in your recovery.

  Here in the Vancouver area we are immune for now because of all the expenditures for the 2010 olympics and the steady stream of immigrants, but there is nervousness that we ourselves will suffer shortly after the olympics are long gone.
• 

  Warlock

  I trade part time, and even though I have made some decent gains, these profits have been used to help me pay some of my bills. As for my losses, I can write off up o $3000.00 a year.

  I have taken some time off just to observe market action, because it has become a daily guessing game. There is a long term trend downward, but who can really say how far down, and for how long.

  I have sympathy for those of you who are having financial problems, and believe me, I'm not too far behind you. I just got lucky and ran into some money, and was able to resume trading, after doing it in the 1990's.

  Instead of blaming Bush, or Clinton, or whoever, go to this website so you can get a bigger picture of the financial problems that are facing, not only in this country, but the world.

  www.financialsense.com

  Warlock
• 

  FreedomFrog

  At some point people have to start taking responsibility for the financial chaos they are in, you can’t always blame the government for not being able to pay your rent on time. It’s time for Americans to stop spending money they don’t have.

  Omg, Lola, I can't believe you said this. While this may be true for some, this is certainly not a norm. Many people cannot pay their rent or mortgage because they have been laid off and what jobs are available don't pay the bills. We're certain to lose our home by spring at this point because there are NO jobs. People are losing their homes left and right here in MI and are heading out to Texas, Nevada and heaven knows where else to find work. My cousin, a simple guy whose family lives in the Rogers City area of MI, a guy who is a hard working man, industrious in a way I don't see often, is in Nevada working and sending home money. The only reason he can get away with this is because his children are grown. No, clearly, we're not all lazy slobs that charge fur coats and ipods and whine when there's nothing left for food and rent.

  Lola, you seem to not get it. Maybe you've never been in a tight position or you've just got lucky. Do you have a credit card? If you do and things change, what are you going to do? Do you have a car payment of any kind? What are you going to do when you can't find work and you've lost your job? What about rent? Are you supporting yourself or is someone helping you? What if that stops in either situations?

  For example...Divorce did me in. I had no control over that. I was a stay at home mom and had no schooling or much experience in the working world. Sure, I've had these little dead end jobs just to keep me from getting bored when my ex and I didn't have kids...but that's about it. I was a pioneer and was discouraged working since that wasn't "my place". My "nothing" jobs won't support me and 2 children.

  Sure, tell me to get a job, are you going to come down here and watch my 2 children which cost $400. per week? Daycare around here is anywhere from $160-$200 per child depending the age. I'm ok at the moment but in a few weeks I will be tight again. I did have a job about a week ago but my dumb a** boss screwed up an important program for me (something I could not control). This is where the government is so sh*tty...I applied using my "emergency" approval for that job 2 months ago and got on the childcare program. I only had to pay $69 a month...big difference from $1,200 a month. Now because my boss screwed up things the government won't even look at the assistance. I have to reapply and wait 30 day but before I can reapply I have to get a job...but I have to have a babysitter in order to get a job...see the link that is difficult to break? I have plans on breaking that link but it's not going to happen over night.

  I basically have nothing. I have a small 2 bedroom apt for me and my two kids...I have one pair of jeans...a few shirts...but I do make sure food is on the table, elec is on and a roof over our heads. My kids and I don't eat pizza or eat out much...maybe once a year, 2 times if we're lucky.

  I just got my paid and once I pay my rent/elec./DSL so I can continue college/car payment...I have a little over $100 for food for the next 2 weeks. Even though I don't have credit cards anymore...I still have to move things around in order to make sure my electric doesn't get turned off or I get kicked out for late rent.

  Take a break from school (sure you can save money there) and establish a rainy day fund.

  Priest

  You can't just take a break...the "break" you get is maybe 3 months...6 months in between degrees and then financial aid or loans stop. Once that stops it's hard to get the loans/aids/ect. started back again.
• 

  mkr32208

  Yes yes I have. I forgot to mention that I was partially disabled (not a permanent disability) so after surgery I couldn't go back to my good paying job I can't do the type of work I was doing. Just can't. SO I'm back in school getting retrained to be a nurse and for those of you who are saying "leave school" leave school and do what? Then I have to start repaying student loans on my 9 an hour job!

  Lola Please please just shut up about things you don't understand. Your 20 flippin years old you don't know jack shit! Get back to me when your a bit older. I'm only about a decade older but I moved out at 16, I think I've lived a bit more than you.

  I'm not responding anymore because I am getting extremely pissed off at people assuming that they know so much about my financial situation and how the world works... I WORKED at the bank for several years and even worked as a temp assistant manager and guess what we learned in management training? The bank doesn't make money off rich people! Rich people can demand better rates better loans better terms they don't pay fees! The majority of the money that the banks make is off of POOR PEOPLE! If thats not killing the economy I don't know what is!!!!

  I'm done, I'm off this thread, if I stick around I'm gonna get really nasty and I don't want my posting limited for another year...
• 

  FreedomFrog

  Then I have to start repaying student loans on my 9 an hour job!

  Yep...and six months is all you get, if you're not into your next degree they will start making you pay it back and loans are ended.
• 

  barry

  i think useing a credit card is a bit deceiving after all most people I beleive do spend more moneyon a credit card because it doesnt seem like real money. Instead of useing a credit card would you get the money out of youre pocket and hand it over just as easy.Something to think aboutbut I never use credit cards I only have a bank debit card.

  while other countries have had their recessions the Australian economy is doing well and we havent had a recession for twenty years.Many people here dont know what hard times are like.
• 

  lola28

  Do you seriously think that my age disqualifies me from having an opinion or from understanding how hard it can be to make ends meet? My mom is a single parent, she gets no child support or any other kind of assistance, she never got help from my dead beat dad and my sister’s father also pays nothing (she can sure pick the winners!).

  My sister became ill when I was 22 almost 23, someone had to be with her at the hospital and she was hospitalized for over three months, my mom couldn’t leave her by herself in the hospital so obviously she could not work, guess who picked up the slack? Me.

  At 23 I became the sole provider, *I* paid the rent (oh and I live in Los Angeles where rent costs an arm and a leg), I paid all the bills, electric, gas, phone, cell phone, cable a car payment ($378, I think that was my favorite bill), insurance and groceries, plus when my mom was in the hospital I paid for her t be able to eat at the hospital and for someone to take care of my other sister, and I had to pay for parking every time I went to the hospital which also happens to be half way across town.

  I used my credit cards A LOT all six of them and it took me a long time to get them paid off, in fact I still carry a balance on one of them. My sister has appointments at least twice a month and my mom has to stay home with her, so guess who is still carrying the financial responsibility in my house? *Me*. I’m only 24 but I’ve been a grown up for ages, so don’t you dare tell what I know and don’t know. I by myself have managed to keep my family afloat, I got myself in trouble with my credit cards and I got myself out, I know exactly what the hell I’m talking about.
• 

  Priest73

  I agree lola. It's not financial trouble that pisses me off... Like I said earlier, I've been there.
  
  It's the victim mentality.
• 

  FreedomFrog

  Take a deep breath lola...

  Do you seriously think that my age disqualifies me from having an opinion

  No, it doesn't disqualify you..but the opinions are coming off as if the rest of us that are having trouble are "dead beat" or lazy. We're working just as hard as you and the rest that are not having financial troubles. When you were going through those tough times..weren't you living tight? Didn't you have to work to pull yourself out? It took time to dig out of that hole. You should be proud of yourself for getting where you are. We are also working to get where you are and it's going to take time.

  Personally, I'm very proud of what I've accomplished so far but the facts are, I'm still living very tight and it is a tough time making ends meet. I'm tight because of a life changing situation...not because I don't know how to be frugal.
• 

  minimus

  Interesting how the thread has taken off.

  In my work, there's a major slowdown in retail business. People just have to pay with whatever they can from month to month. It's scary.