I have a MAJOR problem

[DisneylandDiva]

I have a major financial problem and need some advice. I am pretty much broke. I am majorly under employed, I may as well be unemployed as I work part time, retail only a few hours per week. I have been looking for a better job but no luck. I am also a full time student and support myself. My credit cards are maxed out as I have been using them to pay bills and rent. I will be getting some student loan money this week which I am going to use to pay rent upfront and advance for the next 4 months. But other than that i have no money. No way I can pay my credit card bills. I do not know what to do or where to turn. Defianely have more money going out than coming in. I have come to the conclusion i need to call the cc companies, tell them i cant pay and be prepared to take the hit on my credit. this kills me because up until now, I have had a high credit score. If it werent for my student loans, i would be this close to being homeless. I need advice and help.

 

[Tink-aholic]

Well, I think it takes a lot of courage to at least admit there is a problem. This is a great first step and I applaud you for that. Many people are exactly where you are right now.

I'm afraid I don't have the news you want to hear, however. If you can't afford to live, you can't afford to go to school. It is my opinion that things are going to get very bad quickly with our economy. I think that anyone without a little money in their pockets will be waiting for hours in line for bread very soon. I really hope I am wrong about that.

If you are certain you want to stay in school, you will have to work LOTS more to make it happen. There are jobs out there, if you are just willing to do them. Telemarketing usually pays well...even if the job is less than glamorous. WalMart seems to always be hiring (and usually the overnight shift pays better). All of the grocery stores around me need help right now --maybe they are around you, too? There is no shame in working hard for an honest day's wage, regardless of the occupation.

I know it is hard. When I was a single mom, I worked two jobs and went to school. If I can do it, you can too. Stop using the credit cards. The only thing that will make this better is more money coming in. Make it happen.

Good luck.

 

[Va-bear]

I'm no financial expert, but my advice would be to find some more job_S_ and still pay the very minimum on your cards each month. When I was in college I worked 3 jobs most of the time. I spent three summers, Thanksgivings, Xmas', Spring breaks w/out ONE single day off - no vacations, no nothing - even weekends and Holidays (2 of the 3 jobs were in a mall - we could work Holidays, etc.) I did this to stay afloat and it was awful....but I made it, slowly and surely. All of the jobs were minimum wage sorts, but w/ three of them and tons of hours I could eat hotdogs and pb&j's and pay the rent/etc. TRy not to stop CC payment - it would haunt you for a loong time......

Mainly, goodluck, it can be so so tough out there - I know how you feel and it sucks.

 

[DisneylandDiva]

I am trying to find more jobs, to no avail. I have applied at walmart, target, penneys, gocery stores, etc. There are more applicants for these jobs now than there are jobs available, apparantly. I even tried WDW which would be a drive and they arent hiring now. I am at my wits end.

 

[Va-bear]

Wow, I am so sorry to hear this. Around here it seems like every other store is hiring and managers I know cant get good employees. Now, many "higher" level jobs (and I just mean pay or perceived prestige...) are not hiring and, in fact, are letting people go - but the Targets, etc, alway have 'hiring' signs up. I guess Florida is in a different position. That is hard....I'm so sorry.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Apply to waitress at a restaurant or work at the movie theater. McDonalds is another option. Sorry that these aren't glamourous jobs but when you need to pay the bills you flip birgers if you have to. Good luck. I hope you find something.

 

[minnie1928]

Have you cut all you unnecessary expenses? It might help slowdown the bleeding. I'm talking cable tv, cell phone, internet, etc. These are not necessities. See if you can shop for better car insurance.

Can you babysit? Take a roommate? Deliver newspapers? You are going to have to think "outside the box" in order to continue with school. Can you work on campus?

 

[MKCP5]

Just keep trying. I have no answers for you, but just keep doing your best. I have been where you are, and it does work out somehow. But don;t get despondent. You can do it. You can. Prayers to you

 

[jedijill]

Go to Consumer Credit Counseling. They will talk to your credit card companies and work out a payment plan. They will also help you set up a budget that you can live with. They helped me when I was a struggling Army private.

HTH

Jill in CO

 

[Mrs.Reese]

I feel your pain! I was a grad student paying my own way. Hubby is a teacher and his take-home pay is pretty paltry. Have you considered substitute teaching? It pays pretty decent and you pick when to work. I made 65/day. I also worked overnights at walmart. It can be done. They are always looking for subs!!

 

[imthatgirl]

have you thought about serving? the hours suck but the money is awesome. i worked fri and sat night this week, it was slow because of the crazy rain here on the eats coast. i made $350 in those 2 nights. if its busy i make 4-450. its hard work, but if youre willing to bust your *** you will make money.

also i would certainly put your school on hold until you fix your financial situation. and dont be picky about jobs. if theyre willing to pay you, take it.

 

[LuvOrlando]

-

 

[Karenj2]

Wow.... First of all, . You're in a tough spot. And as someone else said, it takes a very brave person to admit that they're in a bind. (There are countless others that keep their head in the sand.)

Do you live on campus, or off? If you live off campus, is there any way to get a roomate (or 2) if you don't already have them to offset costs? Or, could you look for a type of job where you would live at someone's home? (i.e. Nanny, caregiver) Could you see if it'd be cheaper to live on campus, and switch in January?

Can you cut back on your classes for a semester or two 'til you get back on your feet financially? I don't know many students in this generation that are able to graduate in 4 years, and I do know many hard working folks that worked their way through college and took about 6 years to do so.

What about on-campus jobs? I worked in our dining hall during college, or you could work at the book store, library, or even possibly in your department. Are their "Job Boards" somewhere?

Do you have a counselor on campus that might be able to help you find something?

I wish you the best of luck... It's not fun dealing with this financial stress while in school. Honestly, though - in some ways you're better off than a lot of us that dealt with debt at a later age. You're young enough to bounce back from your problems (AND YOU WILL ), and you'll hopefully learn from this and not repeat it when you have people depending on you (like kids or a spouse).

 

[kim929]

Not sure where in Florida you are, but Bank of America is hiring in most areas in Florida, especially in customer service. They pay pretty decent, have benefits, and depending on what your studying, they help pay tuition. In the call center they are very good about scheduling around school schedules. Just go to Bankofamerica.com scroll to bottom of page and there kind of small is the link for careers, you can pull up go to customer service ( or anything else) put in florida all jobs available come up. You can apply online. any questions pm me.

 

[tavettava]

Have you looked into working Work Study, it is at your school and no taxes get taken out.

 

[jennilynn510]

Go to Consumer Credit Counseling. They will talk to your credit card companies and work out a payment plan. They will also help you set up a budget that you can live with. They helped me when I was a struggling Army private.

HTH

Jill in CO

i agree CCCS is a good option...in the mean time call the cc companies & tell them they need to WAY lower your minimum payment..if its $10 a month well they will take that rather than have to do another write off...with the economy the way it is...your not alone. this too shall pass...stay strong

 

[Crystal0608]

When I was in college 10 years ago, I got paid $7 hr to be a student tutor by the college in math & accounting. I actually turned down quite a offers since I had 2 part time jobs to get to in the afternoon. If your grades are really good or you excel at a subject, check in to it.

Babysitting is also really good money. I did this as a teen & word of mouth spread around the neighbors til I had a sitting job most nights & all summer days. I babysit on occassion still.

List anything you don't want/need on Craigslist- fast cash. Have a yard sale. Donate plasma. Do online surveys. There are lots of ways to make quick cash in small amounts to try to get you on your feet.

Can you move back in with your parents or get a roommate?

Apply to every temp company in your area. When I was out of college & had only done retail, I started out temping for a couple years til one turned into a good perm. position. Practice some typing tests online & fast math skills. Back then, I went from job to job f/t with only a few day breaks.

Good luck and keep trying!

 

[TNKBELL]

When I was your age(a million years ago!) I had a bad situation where I ended up having 2 rent payments because of a situation with my roommate, I had to move out early and get another apartment and was still obligated to finish paying the first apartment's rent until the lease expired. I sold my car, took on 2 extra part time jobs and had a full time job and took classes. If it were not for my family, where I could show up and get a meal, I don't know what I would have done!!

Do you have family near by? Could you at least stop by for a meal from time to time? Would it be possible to move in with them in exchange for doing chores?

Also www.expotv.com is a wonderful easy way to make money from home.
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I agree with the other posters who said find more jobs, even if they don't appeal to you.

God Bless you!! Having been there myself, I totally understand where you are coming from!!! Even though it was hard, I learned soooo much and how to be resourceful and in hindsight, believe it or not, I am thankful for that experience because it has helped to make me the person I am today.

 

[MALE*RN*777]

I would pay on the credit cards before paying advanced on my housing, even the mini amount on the cards. Second, see if you could find a friend from college that might be able to move in with you and split the bills. Next I would start cutting my budget. What college student didn't live off of Noodles or some sort and PB and J. Drink water instead of soda or coffee. Next see your financial aid officer to see if you could get some kind of college work study. If you get a job at a food joint you could probably get food free or at a great discount. Next sell some junk you have, everyone has stuff they could live without. Got a cell phone (don't renew it now), got long distance on your phone (drop it and get a phone card), got the internet (use the schools computer), got cable (get it disconnected), if your full time at school cut back to part time to survive. pay for utilities, contact you utility services for possible assistance based on your income, etc. etc. etc. lastly and this might hurt alot but postpone your next Disney trip until you can afford it. Good Luck and God Bless...

 

[MyKidsMom1820]

I dont know if this will help at all but, my husband always calls our cc company if we have to carry a balance and asks for a lower interest rate. We had a 10 percent rate and just by asking (we had a competing cc offer to transfer balances) he got it lowered to 2.99 percent for one year, depending on your balance, that could save a lot. For us it did.