I am a 36 year old single person living in Tacoma, WA. The two stores I went to were Valley Liquidation Center in Parkland and Hmart in Tacoma.
I was also hired to drive a client to both these locations at the same time so I just did my shopping as well. Got paid about $50 and lunch.
I got no money coming in right now and I’m kinda stuck with a few payments coming up.
I’ve got $558 in payday loans total:
- $228
- $300
I usually pay them off and re-loan, but it’s been stacking up lately.
On top of that I’ve got:
- $296 loan
- $72 card
- $25 loan
Right now I’m short about $393 just to stay caught up and not fall behind more.
I do Amazon Flex but it’s a lot of driving, gas, wear on the car, and time… and it doesn’t always cover everything consistently.
If there’s any way you could help or point me in the right direction, I’d really appreciate it.
It is 4:19 am. I am having trouble sleeping in the car. I just heard my 9 y/o son laughing in his sleep in the back of the car. My kids second to last day of school is tomorrow. Lunchables are on sale at the local store this week for $2.50. I told the kids I would take them to pick one for their lunch today. It’s gonna be a good day.
Just wanted to share this offer for a free 3-pk of donuts today at Krispy Kreme if you go to a KK in your cap and gown!
there was a billing issue with my gas and electric, so for a few months I wasn’t getting a bill and I had to estimate how much I’d need to put aside to make sure I’d have enough. and im in the northeast US, this winter was brutal so I knew the bill would be high. it finally came in late April, and last week I paid the bill on time and was only off by about $30. I had saved appropriately, and used my tax refund combined with the savings to pay it off. it was such a relief to get that big bill off my head.
tonight we were eating popcorn, what’s supposed to be a cheap snack, and I realized one of my teeth chipped. now I need to contact my dentist tomorrow, and while I do have the credit card space to accommodate whatever this bill is going to be, it’s just SO exhausting. it never fucking stops!!!!!! it’s just one bill after another until you croak. I am just so fucking tired of thinking about money, I already know my student loan payments are also going to kick in later this year and I’m going to have to squeeze my budget even tighter. it’s so fucking exhausting, can’t even enjoy a snack without it ending up in a huge bill. here’s hoping I can get an appointment before the holiday weekend and that it’s just a simple filing, and not something bigger.
Backstory: I grew up in a DV home and that landed me in foster care as a teen. Aged out of foster care and got married at 21. Moved states away to be with this man and got pregnant and had a baby at 23. I just turned 31.
I didn’t understand (at first) that abuse is not just physical. Eventually it did turn physical. He isolated me from friends and what little family I had. It has been years since I’ve had friends. I’m not allowed to have social media. I say all this so you all understand the severity of the situation. Here are some things I’m actively doing to leave.
- I opened up a Roth IRA. It is free through fidelity app. I was putting in $25 a paycheck and saved up $385. He knew about the account but I told him I can’t use the money and it’s for us for retirement. You actually can take the money out and don’t even have to invest it. The money transfer (for me) fast! Like within 1 day.
-Went to my doctor and told her EVERYTHING. She was so extremely understanding. I have medicine for anxiety attacks now so I can regulate myself without it. It wasn’t until recently I realized he will intentionally upset me just to comfort me. This kept my nervous system in a toxic cycle of him disregulating me and then me depending on him to re-regulate.
-Applied for disability. It takes years to get and I’ll probably be denied a few times but my doctor said she would fill out the paper work and even do my consultative exam. Chances are if you’re so anxious/depressed from being abused (like me) it’s impossible to work. That coupled with abuse tactics to make sure you can’t get/keep a job (like sleep deprivation) takes a toll mentally.
-Apply for public assistance. Being in a DV situation has moved me up towards the top of the waiting list for housing. Also applying for disability gave me a disability preference to move me up the list as well. TANF/SNAP work requirements are waived if you’re disabled or applying for disability. I can’t work due to mental health and the abuse so I’m able to stay safe right now and qualify for the help I need.
-Asking around for resources. While at the housing authority I asked if they had anyone that could help me physically move or somewhere that helps financially pay for movers. I’m not allowed to have friends and haven’t met anyone in the town I live so I don’t have anyone to ask. They gave me resources and told me “Worse case I have two teenage sons with a truck and nothing else to do.” Strangers are willing to help- take the help.
I hope this helps someone. I haven’t left yet. I’m keeping silent for now and not telling anyone because it’s most dangerous right before you leave. If this post gets traction I’ll come back and update. Hopefully me and my 8 year old make it out safe.
Edit:
Made some adjustments from yesterday. I was able to pay off all my debt owed to money apps and deleted them. So that’s $337 paid off. Also included food which is estimated at $250-$300 a month. My phone is financed so I have to pay that off first before I can switch to a cheaper plan. Same goes for the gym due to a contract which ends in August. I’ve decided to drop my haircut frequency to every three weeks or as needed, and see how that goes. I also switched to Spotify free. I’ve also decided to not go for bankruptcy, majority of the debt is medical and schooling, thankfully the school debt is a direct bill and not a student loan, so I’ll be able to negotiate that and medical. I appreciate everyone’s insight and help.
Hey so I'm 26m from CT and I've had to move back home due to my last roommate completely fucking me over basically(stole/"borrowed" money for months and never paid the landlord) and we got kicked out, I got the stuff off my record though because I followed the stipulation and all that.
Anyways, I had to move back with my aunt who is a horrendous hoarder and the place is disgusting with bedbugs and no AC and shit everywhere to the point where it is genuinely a pain in the ass to take a shit or shower, for context (TMI WARNING) I literally have to climb over shit to take a shit, sit sideways on the toilet and then manually dump water down due to the toilet not working, to shower I have to squeeze by a door that the entire doorframe came out of the wall due to my aunt pushing on it I guess not being able to open it and then standing on shit my head is over the top of the shower curtain (Im 5'6 for reference) and the kitchen is such a mess I refuse to cook here because it is such a hazard
So I've been here maybe like 3 months maybe a little more and now with the summer coming with the heat it is definitely rough, but I wanna know if I can even afford my own place? I used to live by myself years ago but it was so much compared to what I was making at the time ontop of my bank account got hacked too and I had to break the lease (paid off whatever with the accelerated rent crap)
So I picked up a second job, my primary one im maybe making 1250 every two weeks and this new one I believe ill be making 600ish every two weeks? I haven't got my first paycheck yet but my primary is 19/hr and Ill be working 40 hrs, 2nd job is 19.50/hr and ill be working I think 22ish hrs a week, I could maybe try to squeeze up to 30 because after a year I can start getting benefits
now my issue is here in my area ideally id like to live in a complex sorta or something because I don't have my own car and most complexes have onsite laundry, which ik no car=less expenses but I also have I think 10k to pay off in loans on top of I think another 5-6k in credit card debt? I know not the absolute worst but still a lot with the payments every month and I have a bad habit of impulse spending while I've been home to kind of cope with the stress of being here on top of having to eat out basically every day, and I have like nothing saved either due to when I very first moved out and living so close to paycheck to paycheck yk? the average rent here though for something is anywhere from 1400-1700 unfortunately and even the cheaper places are closer to the 1200 mark but then don't have things like the laundry on site or ac already in the apartment so I look at it as a the best bang for my buck kinda thing?
so what's my best possible course of action? I'd like to pay off my credit cards maybe in the next month or 2 maybe and then save a little bit but like especially the bed bugs im literally up typing this and looking at places because I don't wanna lay in my bed lmao
So I don't have many bills thankfully. I'm in an income based apartment that includes utilities in the rent so it's very affordable.
I want to start saving and putting some towards my 401K but I wasn't really sure how much I should save? I of course want some amount of spending money for pointless joys so I could put $1000 divided between savings/401K but that leaves me with nothing for those joys haha.
Btw forgot to add but grocery bill is around $200-250! So total monthly costs are around $1000-1200
I pay my mom gas money so she can take me to work as I can't drive so no car payment or insurance I need to add on to my bills.
I've never really had a savings so I really need to start building one for unexpected events, like something needing to be replaced or a pricey vet bill. Oh and I buy cat food and litter in bulk so I just do small top offs monthly, that's why it's only costing $40!
So I usually get my contacts through a local optometrist and they’ve always been great! Staff is super friendly and the eye doctor is just great. I just got a reminder email saying I’m due for a refill and to order through their system.
The quote came out to just over $450 for a 6 month supply (I have astigmatism, so I get why it’s not cheap), but that still feels pretty steep tbh.
I’ve heard a lot of people order their contacts online, but I’m a bit hesitant since I want to make sure I’m not getting scammed. Has anyone here had good experiences buying online? Basically looking for reliable places that are more affordable.
Resume review: $90.
LinkedIn premium: $40 a month for 3 months.
Online course for a certification: $150.
Career coach one-off session: $80.
Total: close to $400.
Interviews gotten directly attributable to any of this: unclear but probably not many.
I understand the logic of investing in yourself but when you're already tight on money spending $400 on things that haven't moved the needle feels awful. Has anyone actually tracked ROI on these job search services or is it all just vibes and hope
i have a long day ahead of me but I'm so grateful to be employed! a lot of bad things have happened recently and I'm hoping things will get better soon ❤️🩹
edit: wow wow everyone!! thank you for all the love. i did have a good first day 😌 and hoping for many more in the future!!
for the recipe, i cooked long grain white rice by itself on the stove. if you don't know how to cook rice on the stove, read the package instructions! for the beans, add oil to a pot and preheat. add spices of choice (I chose dehydrated onion flakes, garlic salt, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and coriander) and lightly toast. drain and rinse 2 15oz cans of kidney and/or pinto beans and add to the pot with water, and add fire roasted tomatoes. let this simmer until it reaches your preferred consistency, then take off the stove and enjoy :)
i have another 12 hour day tomorrow, so I'm going to get some sleep. i appreciate the food that fills my belly, the bed that keeps me warm, and the roof that keeps me dry. all love 💕
I would like to add that the starred numbers and the credit cards fluctuate as well as my income. my job is part time at a school and I was able to score a gig working with the school over the summer but it’ll be very very less hours. my partner income fluctuates slightly but she consistently works 40 hr every two weeks versus my part time currently being around 25 hours a week following a school calendar. I’ve been searching for jobs but also my schedule is mid day so my search is limited to early morning or evening or weekends.
I didn’t add food because I do receive benefits though they just got lowered to $150 but they said I can show proof if my income changes so I will when I get my summer paycheck.
I am also worried about gas because I usually put it on a credit card but the first cc amount is getting closed because they decreased my amount from $1200 to $400.
we are usually fine. I move money around where when I’m paid we are usually paid out for the month minus the rent but it’s been helped by credit cards and since they are changing my amounts, I want to change my focus to paying and closing amounts so I’m debt free esp when my student loans are almost out of their grace period.
**throwaway because I’m a tad embarrassed that I still haven’t figured it out
I have no job, degree, 5k debt, 2 kids and a sick father. I am 27 and just threw my life away for years. I didn't do drugs or alcohol I was just lazy and a pos with bad decisions and carelessness. I recognize that and I know how I could have done differently and I know that I should not have brought kids into my selfish world. Now that I got that out of the way. I am looking for advice on what to do now and forward. Everything I owe is in collections (3k car note, 2k credit cards) I have calls and texts every day and I have no money. I take care of my dad because he is disabled and my 2 kids are happy but always ask for something and I have to say no because I can't afford it. I can't even find a decent job because I quit every one for one bs reason or another. I am ready to get my shit together and need some help figuring it out.
Update: Thank you for the kind words and helpful advice.
Not that it matters but there has been some confusion, I am a man.
Hi y’all I just started a new job and this is my first time in a job that pays weekly and I wanted some advice on how to budget. I just got done moving to a new city and get my first paycheck.
Estimated Pay (post tax and benefits) 500-600$/w
Rent and utilities: 960
Food: 60/w
Medication: 40$/m
Other monthly expenses: (160 for financed mattress)
Current Savings: 2200
Any advice is appreciated, I understand the finances mattress is above my means but I have chronic back problems and didn’t have a mattress at all. I’m also open to plasma donations to pay off the mattress asap, just need to find a new donation company to get a new donor bonus. Thank you!
Edit: I’m in St.Petersburg Florida
Title says it all, thanks!