Debt Dumpers 2026

[DisneyMandC]

so does that entice more people to lease (or do the leasing companies just bundle the expense into the cost?)? I know nothing about leasing so I don't know if people that do it are on the hook to do the yearly registration fees at minimum.

I've never heard anyone give that as a reason for leasing. I would imagine they still pay their own registration fees, but I'm honestly not sure. I've never leased before.

 

[Sheree]

Yes. He is very close to the bay. I could easily swim to it. That was good enough for them. They were not interested in beaches. They were all about fishing and boating. We used to tease him that he probably kisses the boats good night. Sadly, the big one got tossed across his yard during Sandy. My kids were sadder than he was. By then he was getting older and it was a lot of work for him.
Now at 84, he just likes the view, watching other boats going by and waving.

we're toying with idea of selling and buying on mainland. we never go to beach but I love being close to Pt Pleasant and Lavalette and I have the best neighbors.

 

[Cfabar1]

we pay 18k+ for 3400sf on 1 acre which doesn't seem awful in relation! We're in central jersey, North is a lot more
at the shore, a 40x50 lot with 750 sf bungalow on a lagoon is 13k+

living in FL I just cannot fathom having that amount of money for property taxes.... I wouldn't be able to afford going to Disney! LOL

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

living in FL I just cannot fathom having that amount of money for property taxes.... I wouldn't be able to afford going to Disney! LOL

Incomes are higher up here to account for the higher cost of living.

 

[barkley]

Incomes are higher up here to account for the higher cost of living.

I have to wonder if employers run into the same there my former did in California. we were paid the highest salary in the state for some civil service job classifications and would get applicants eager to up their earnings but they frequently failed to look into housing, daycare and other expenses in the region we were located in. waaaaaaaaay too many people accepted jobs and once they started running the numbers on what it was going to cost them realized they were uprooting their (and their family's) lives for at best a break-even vs. their existing salary vs. cost of living. lots of accepted offers ended up being declined within days.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I have to wonder if employers run into the same there my former did in California. we were paid the highest salary in the state for some civil service job classifications and would get applicants eager to up their earnings but they frequently failed to look into housing, daycare and other expenses in the region we were located in. waaaaaaaaay too many people accepted jobs and once they started running the numbers on what it was going to cost them realized they were uprooting their (and their family's) lives for at best a break-even vs. their existing salary vs. cost of living. lots of accepted offers ended up being declined within days.

I have no idea but it probably happens. As I said earlier, the lower pay in FL was such a complete turn off for me that even the much lower housing costs couldn't convince me to make the move. It just scared me off. Maybe it was the norm down there and people live just fine on it. So I would guess the reverse happens too.

 

[Cfabar1]

I have no idea but it probably happens. As I said earlier, the lower pay in FL was such a complete turn off for me that even the much lower housing costs couldn't convince me to make the move. It just scared me off. Maybe it was the norm down there and people live just fine on it. So I would guess the reverse happens too.

sometimes the regional variance/pay rate can vary by sector as well

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Going to try a low spend month. Not talking about necessities like church tithe, groceries, gas-tolls and my weekly meal I have to eat out for work. But going to try and cut all other discretionary spending. It will be super tough, but it's only for 4 weeks (March 27-April 23) since we budget on a 4-week budget. I've got a debt, the $1,700 bank loan, I feel I can pay off if I can cut back for 4 weeks. And four weeks isn't a long time to shoot for. I got my hair cut last week, bought my 3-month supply of meds last week and have already paid all the bills due the first 2 weeks of the month. So, it seems like a good time to give it a whirl. Any special tips from you frugal people?

 

[Bellex917]

Going to try a low spend month. Not talking about necessities like church tithe, groceries, gas-tolls and my weekly meal I have to eat out for work. But going to try and cut all other discretionary spending. It will be super tough, but it's only for 4 weeks (March 27-April 23) since we budget on a 4-week budget. I've got a debt, the $1,700 bank loan, I feel I can pay off if I can cut back for 4 weeks. And four weeks isn't a long time to shoot for. I got my hair cut last week, bought my 3-month supply of meds last week and have already paid all the bills due the first 2 weeks of the month. So, it seems like a good time to give it a whirl. Any special tips from you frugal people?

From everything you've shared over the years your biggest area you can cut is eating out. Your eating out budget, while definitely way better, is still very high and doesn't align with your goals. I'd say my biggest tip is DON'T eat out AT ALL except for the meal at work. Not after church. Not the one meal on the weekend. Just commit to it these four weeks... Weather should be getting nicer, go for a picnic with food you make at home, etc.

 

[barkley]

Any special tips from you frugal people?

meal plan around the ingredients you already have. websites like Yummly have a function where you can enter ingredients you have on hand and it will pull up recipies using only those ingredients.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

From everything you've shared over the years your biggest area you can cut is eating out. Your eating out budget, while definitely way better, is still very high and doesn't align with your goals. I'd say my biggest tip is DON'T eat out AT ALL except for the meal at work. Not after church. Not the one meal on the weekend. Just commit to it these four weeks... Weather should be getting nicer, go for a picnic with food you make at home, etc.

Absolutely. That's the plan. Won't go on picnics. DW doesn't like to be outside because of the smell and the heat (supposed to be in the 80s-90s going forward). But definitely trying to eat more at home, although it means more trips to Walmart and less healthy food. But it has been our goal to eat out less, and we're doing better. And, it's only for 4 weeks.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

meal plan around the ingredients you already have. websites like Yummly have a function where you can enter ingredients you have on hand and it will pull up recipies using only those ingredients.

Yes, we meal plan. Make the meal plan on Sunday, go to Walmart on Monday and buy what we need for the week. Rinse and repeat every Monday. It helps. Biggest thing is buying meat to last a week and fresh produce because I'm the only one that eats fruits and veggies.

 

[barkley]

Yes, we meal plan. Make the meal plan on Sunday, go to Walmart on Monday and buy what we need for the week. Rinse and repeat every Monday. It helps. Biggest thing is buying meat to last a week and fresh produce because I'm the only one that eats fruits and veggies.

non organic fruits and veggies should last a week no problem so long as they are kept at a cool temp. bananas we buy leaning towards the slightly greener side b/c they ripen quickly (and never set them near avocados on the counter unless you want the avacados to ripen more quickly).

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

non organic fruits and veggies should last a week no problem so long as they are kept at a cool temp. bananas we buy leaning towards the slightly greener side b/c they ripen quickly (and never set them near avocados on the counter unless you want the avacados to ripen more quickly).

Correct. I usually buy 2 apples, 2 oranges, 2 bananas and a pack of grapes. Stuff to last a few days. Then rebuy on Monday. So, I try not to waste stuff. I usually eat one plus some grapes each day. And then I buy bagged carrots too to snack on. And buy frozen veggies for meals. I try and do what I can since it's only me eating fruits and veggies.

 

[DisneyHardin]

It's where I get to pay sales tax on my car when I buy it, and then registration fees for it every year with DMV, and THEN I get to pay the state a couple hundred dollars every year in tax to continue owning it... I'm really not one to be jumping up and down about "where are my tax dollars going" but it is really annoying.

We have this in Kentucky too. We pay 6% sales tax when we buy a car and then we pay each year based on the value of the car (.45/$100 of value for the yearly ones). I think I had to pay about $600 this year for my car taxes and registration.

 

[Sheree]

living in FL I just cannot fathom having that amount of money for property taxes.... I wouldn't be able to afford going to Disney! LOL

various friends that have moved to Florida have sticker shock with all the insurance. when I add up their taxes, insurance it's not a big difference and I get a tax deduction!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Absolutely. That's the plan. Won't go on picnics. DW doesn't like to be outside because of the smell and the heat (supposed to be in the 80s-90s going forward). But definitely trying to eat more at home, although it means more trips to Walmart and less healthy food. But it has been our goal to eat out less, and we're doing better. And, it's only for 4 weeks.

Why is buying food for home less healthy? Buy a head of lettuce, some cukes, peppers, cherry tomatoes and make a nice salad each night before dinner. You can also pack one for lunch. Does your wife not eat salad?

We use something similar to these to pack our salad dressing and put a rubber band around it just in case.
We've been trying to use less plastic/disposible things so I might look into something like these.

I think our "junkiest" homemade food is burgers on the grill but that's not even twice per month.

 

[barkley]

various friends that have moved to Florida have sticker shock with all the insurance. when I add up their taxes, insurance it's not a big difference and I get a tax deduction!

this is an excellent example of why it's so vital if considering a move, esp. from one state to another to compare costs of all the expenses-day to day AND irregular b/c they can differ (or exist/non exist) entirely differently.

 

[Willow Ufgood]

But definitely trying to eat more at home, although it means more trips to Walmart and less healthy food.

This statement confuses me. We grocery shop once a week for 2 adults plus 2 kids under 6 and we rarely eat out. A typical trip includes berries, apples, bananas (some green, some partly green) cucumbers, lemons, limes, spring mix, arugula, baby spinach, fresh herbs, green beans, broccoli, tomatoes, a root vegetable (we alternate between carrots, potatoes and onions because they keep well), avocados, feta cheese, olives, whole grain bread, chicken breasts, string cheese, non-fat milk, almond milk, whole milk for the kids, yogurt and eggs.

We buy canned goods, dried pasta, pantry staples and cereal when they're on sale or only if needed, which is about once a month.

I find eating at home is healthier because I can portion control better and I know for a fact what went into the preparation. There's also no temptation to have dessert if we eat at home and there is none to have. It's a rare week when I have to run out to pick up something in addition to our weekly shopping and that's because I failed to include a key ingredient in my shopping list. The more comfortable that you get with meal planning, the easier it is to do a single grocery shop each week. It may take time to get it ironed out but you shouldn't have to do more Walmart trips or eat less healthy foods in order to pare down your grocery budget.

 

[Tygerlilly]

I just made steak bites, asparagus and roasted potatoes and a side salad for about $20 total for my family of 5 plus there will likely be leftovers. A full dinner for less than one meal for one person eating out.

Similar to Willow up above, we shop mainly the outside aisles. And usually only buy what is in season. You won't catch me paying $8 for a watermelon now no matter how bad I want it, but you better believe that in a month or so when they go down to about $3 I'll get one every time. Also, farmers markets are really starting to pop up, especially for the southern states. I can usually get some decent deals when I go towards the end of the time they're out.