In debt & Stressed out

KA011005

DISNEY BRIDE
Joined
Dec 21, 2004
Messages
237
Recently My husband switched jobs and in his previous job he would get paid every friday and now its only on the 15th and the 30 or 31st. (Bi monthly) and before each payperiod my account runs dry. My bills have been late and we've had a little finance trouble. Our bills have gotten out of hand (mainly credit card bills). Has anyone tried in charge debt solution?? or what have you done to overcome debt?? I am a stay at home mom as well as a full-time student. I am in the process of doing the mass-connections sampling thing to make extra cash. Things just got out of control and It's our fault. I just need a little advice.

Sincerely,
Kelly
 
First things first...don't get stressed out! I worked in credit counseling for a credit union. There are always solutions to debt problems. The first thing that you need to do is to list all of your bills and see exactly what you owe. It may not be as bad as you think. List them from largest balance to smallest. Then tackle the smallest balance first. Credit Counseling is a good way to go IF you are so far over your head that you can't dig out on your own. You would be obligated to them for a long time. You may be able to get it under control yourself in a shorter amount of time. I have helped many people pen letters to their creditors and ask them for help. Don't be shy or embarrassed to tell them your situation. They can sometimes defer payments or lower interest rates. Good luck and let us know about your progress!
 
The only way to remedy a situation like this is to cut expenses or increase income.

Since you don't have a job, my first suggestion is that you get one asap. If you want to avoid childcare expenses then maybe look for something when your husband can be with the children (evenings- week ends).

Then try to cut every extra expense and set up a new budget based on the new pay schedule.

I'm not familiar with the debt solution that you mentioned so I can't help there.

Good Luck!
 
Have you figured out where all the money is going? I know this sounds simple, but a lot of people really underestimate how much they spend every month in the little things. Like coffee or that quick drive thru lunch. Set a strict budget for yourself by dividing things into categories. Include things you can't change - like rent/mortgage and other fixed expenses, and things you can - like groceries and clothing. Try and live only on cash to avoid temptations.

To make extra money, try having a garage sale. My mom made several hundred dollars one weekend and ended up feeling less stressed by all her clutter in the bargain.

You said you were a student. Some schools have programs to help their students out with financial issues. Check with them and see if there is any help they can offer, in terms of counselling and need based aid. Don't be afraid to ask anyone and everyone for help. We all need it at some point!
 

I agree with kerrynnix.

Stop.
Look at all your bills and their due dates.
Can you make min payments without being late? If so, do not use a debt solution company of any sort. You don't need to and it will hurt your credit. If you do need help find a non-profit group. I think some people here will know a lot more about this than I do, but do not agree to anything with any credit 'help' company until you have done a lot of research.

You need to make a budget and stick to it. Did your income go down or is it just being paid every 2 weeks that is a problem? If it is adjusting to the pay dates then you just need to budget yourself better. The first step is to have a good budget.
 
I don't have answers to your questions about debt solutions, but I have a suggestion for managing your new pay schedule. We get paid on the first and 15th of every month. What I have done is made a list of all of my bills and their due dates. All of the bills due in the first half of the month get paid ON the first, including groceries (I buy groceries for 2 weeks, just keep out a little cushion for unexpected things we run out of, like milk), I take the estimated amount that we will use for gas out of the ATM and put it in an envelope.

I do not spend all of the money on paydays, I usually leave $350 or so for entertainment and other things that come up (you would have to base this amount on your needs, I have 5 kids and that works for us). If I run dry before the next payday, that's it, but at least my bills are paid. If I have money left over I make a credit card payment with it (an idea I got from another thread, I'm trying to get out of debt). HTH.
 
After listing your bills, I agree with pp, contact these companies and explain. You will still ahve to pay, but maybe they would waive any late fees.

If nothing else, if his paydates changed, ask for a change in billing dates. Some places will do that.

It can't hurt to ask them for a little time. They may not answer in your favor, but it might help.

Also, see what you can live without and live without it for awhile.

Cable, Internet, eating out, shopping trips, movies, see if your phone charges can be brought down, etc.
 
First, to qualify what I'm going to write, I work for First Horizon selling mortgages so I know a few things about credit.

With that said, do NOT use one of those, "non-profit," credit counseling companies. Why? Because you may get yourself into more trouble than you are in now. Here's how they work:

First, they get all of the bills they'll be paying FOR YOU. They work to lower interest rates and other things which, on the surface, seem great.

Here's the problem, these companies make money (yes, even a, "non-profit," can make money) by collecting money from you to pay your bills. The reason this is a problem is you are trusting them to actually pay those bills for you. However, in many cases, they do NOT pay everyone. There are many reasons for this but the bottom line is it could really hurt your credit and you wouldn't even know it.

The best thing you can do--as daunting as it sounds--is contact all of your creditors yourself, explain your situation and see if they have a program to help you get caught up. Many companies do. They want their money.

Keep the faith. Work on paying things down one account at a time and work to spend less money if you can.
 
First of all have faith that you can do this..

I agree about sitting down and going over all of your bills.. List each bill, when it is due and approx amt of bill.. I have a journal where I wrote all this down.. then I wrote down each paydate on a separate piece of paper.. under each paydate I wrote which bill I pay with that check.. I do this for 6 months at a time.. When an actual bill comes in and the due amt is different than my approx, then I write the correct amt in and mark out the wrong amt.. In parenthesis I write the actual due date of the bill as I get it.. Almost every bill has the same due date from month to month.. sometimes a credit card bill is off by 1 day.. As I write the check and mail it, I mark it off..

I have a few bills that once they are paid off they are gone.. so when I have extra money I pay towards those bills.. or as an example I have 5 credit cards between me and DF.. I budget $50 a piece per month which comes to $250 a month.. I might decide to pay the minimum on 4 of the cards and then on the fifth card pay what I have left of the $250.. Then the next month the one I paid the most on will be put in with the one I pay the minimum on the next month and then pay the most towards a different card the next month.. It would be ideal to pay each card each month in full, but sometimes reality doesnt allow for that..

You might also try to get a part time job if possible.. Challenge yourself to cut costs where you can including grocery shopping.. cut coupons.. Does your husband bring lunch to work, bring his own coffee?? Go back thru your bank statements and see where the money is going.. as far as bills vs frivolous spending.. which might not be happening, just offering a suggestion..

If you guys eat out, try not to for a few months and see the difference.. Maybe do a potluck dinner with some friends.. Everyone bring a dish that way you get a variety and I know I enjoy other peoples cooking.. it always taste better to me

Try a few of the paid click sites such as mypoints or sunshinerewards.. there is a board here for online sites and tips, etc.. Its not much, but over the course of time everything adds up..

Go thru your home.. is there anything you could ebay? Can you perhaps do a garage sale?? Even if you just make $100, that will help get you back on track..

Cut out cable for a few months.. If you rent movies, check your local library.. I know mine has free vcr tapes and dvds.. Again try to cut costs where you can.. If you notice that your electric bill is creeping up there then perhaps make sure to turn lights off when not in the room, turn extra tvs off when not in use.. I also put my clothes on the line so that I dont have to run the dryer.. also perhaps you can change the temp up just a degree or 2.. again every bit will help.

Good luck!
 
Don't get stressed about this you will drive yourself crazy.

Do you have a budget? Make one! That way you can see how much money you are paying where.

Change the due dates on the bills you get to reflect his new pay schedule. Balance it out if you can so you pay half at the beginning of the month and half at the end. Some companies you can do it online others you have to call them to set it up. I get paid twice a month as well and my bills are divided in half what I pay at the beginning of the month and what I pay at the end.

It sounds to me that when he got paid every week you had no problem paying them since you always had money so the due dates didn't matter. Unless he is making less now you will still have the same amount of money just at different times. Sounds like all you need is to change the dates they are all due so you are able to pay them on time.
 
There are lots of good tips here, involving budgeting and setting goals, so I won't repeat them. Here are a few others. I apologize in advance if this sounds like lecturing, but since I've been there myself I thought I'd be direct.

--First, make sure you and your husband are on the same page with whatever decisions you make. Otherwise, your plans are much more likely to fail.
--Cut, cut, cut your expenses. Read all the previous suggestions (cable, magazine subscriptions, movies or video rentals, coffee-shop coffee, eating out, cell phones). No new clothes, no trips, no little luxuries for you, your husband, or your kids. Yes, it's painful, but it sounds like you're living paycheck-to-paycheck. And only you and your DH can decide what you can cut; my list simply contains suggestions.
--Establish a strict budget and stick to it. As I've suggested above, the budget has to be for all members of the household. Important mental tip: don't think of it as a deprivation budget. For every dollar of debt you pay down, you're investing in a stable, happier, more rewarding future for you and your family. To help you commit to this budget and attitude, make a big poster that helps you chart your progress. Or a goals list. Or whatever inspires you. But make it real by committing it to paper and making it public (at least within your household).
--Do not play credit-card roulette, using your credit cards to help you manage your debt by juggling the balances. People often think they can play this game just temporarily and, for most people, it just makes the problem worse.
--In fact, if credit cards are a major source of your problem, stop using them altogether. I know this can be easier said than done, but I found it was necessary for me.
--If you can, try increasing your deductibles on your insurance. It's a bit of a risk if you don't have spare cash, but as mentioned above, you already sound like you're living paycheck-to-paycheck and you need to make some drastic changes.
--Once you get into a position to do so, send out your credit-card payments as soon as you get the bill, if not sooner. If you can, send out more than one payment a month. That way, you're chipping away at the principal and earning less interest. (Follow other posters' suggestions on paying off the highest interest card first.)
--Simplify your life and streamline what you can. Sell things, barter things. Trade your car for a less expensive model, if that's a big expense.
--As a full-time student, you might have access to campus jobs that might be appealing to you because they're so part-time, a few hours a week that you might be able to squeeze in. Working in a school cafeteria, for instance, isn't glamorous, but sometimes they'll hire someone for just a few hours a week. Or the library. Or an office. Now, I don't know your schedule, but it's possible you have a break between classes where you aren't taking care of your children, you might be able to get that type of job. Of course, you need to balance that with your studies....
--Also, speaking of college, you might see if various departments are offering a few bucks to participate in various studies--low-risk psych studies, behavioral modification studies, etc. They may only pay $5 or $10, but often take only an hour or two, cash in hand.
--Could you babysit another child or two in addition to your own? I'm not suggesting you start a daycare business as you're in school, but even offering your services to other parents if they want to have a night out might be a way to bring in a few dollars. Or perhaps you could start a babysitting co-op that allows you and other moms to get part-time jobs?
--Last but not least, take care of yourself mentally and physically. This kind of stress wears on you, so you have to be extra careful to do good things for yourself. Get enough sleep, eat healthily, exercise.
 
There is a great internet site called www.creditboards.com that can help you get answers to all of your credit card questions.

What I would do is to carry a small notebook in my purse and write down every penny that you spend, include sodas,coffee, lunch or anything. If you don't know what you are spending then you can't change the behavior. You will be surprised at how much you spend a month that you can cut out without feeling deprived.

Put your credit cards away and don't use them for anything. If you can't pay cash for something then don't buy it.

I would also pay off the highest interest credit card first and then tackle the next highest and continue until all of them are paid off.

Have you considered a part time job? Is it possible for your dh to get a part time job until you all can get these credit cards paid off?

One more suggestion. Call all of your credit card companies and ask for your interest rates to be lowered. Sometimes they will lower them and it never hurts to ask.
 
Hi,
I agree w/the poster that said to pay your bills as soon as he gets paid. Ours naturally worked out about 1/2 for paycheck. That way your bills are paid & the rest is food/gas/spending. At least in our case, we used to see the balance & forget about the $200 payment due next week, etc. and think we had more disposable $ than we really did. I also put them all on our online bill pay, free w/our bank. Makes it very easy to pay & you can see all your account info & total $/# of bills going out all in one place.
 
GadgetRick said:
First, to qualify what I'm going to write, I work for First Horizon selling mortgages so I know a few things about credit.

With that said, do NOT use one of those, "non-profit," credit counseling companies. Why? Because you may get yourself into more trouble than you are in now. Here's how they work:

First, they get all of the bills they'll be paying FOR YOU. They work to lower interest rates and other things which, on the surface, seem great.

Here's the problem, these companies make money (yes, even a, "non-profit," can make money) by collecting money from you to pay your bills. The reason this is a problem is you are trusting them to actually pay those bills for you. However, in many cases, they do NOT pay everyone. There are many reasons for this but the bottom line is it could really hurt your credit and you wouldn't even know it.

The best thing you can do--as daunting as it sounds--is contact all of your creditors yourself, explain your situation and see if they have a program to help you get caught up. Many companies do. They want their money.

Keep the faith. Work on paying things down one account at a time and work to spend less money if you can.

This is not true of all non-profit credit counseling companies. We got out of major credit card debt in 6 years(yes a long time, but the first 5 years we had really low salaries. It would have taken 41 years to pay off just making min payments.) Credit Guard made all payments on our behalf (we sent them a cashier's check each month) on time, negociated reduced cc rates to 0% or at least half of the rate we were paying. During this time, our Credit score improved, and we were able to get a good rate on our Mortgage. We are now cc debt free and it is a good feeling. We made a lot of financial mistakes when we were younger, but going into this program was the best decision for us.

Good luck and many of the posters have wonderful advice. :)
 
We followed Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace plan. The book "Financial Peace" should be available in your local library. He has some very sound financial principles and we learned a lot about how to manage our money. I also agree with many of the above posters. Cut your spending-buy only what is necessary. Pay all your bills as soon as you can. Dave Ramsey has a great idea called a "Debt Snowball." It really works to eliminate your debt. Good luck!
 
Join the club. It really sucks doesn't it. My only advice is one day at a time and hoepfully it gets better. :grouphug:
 
In the last six months my husband and I have finally gotten a handle on our finances. This is due largely to reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. We now have an idea of where our money is going and are determining ahead of time how to spend it.

It is critical for both husband and wife to be on the same page (no pun intended). I would advise both reading it discussing it and seeing if this will work for you. (He is also very funny and the book is enjoyable to read.)
If so, he has some very practical and down to earth steps to get you on track and out of debt.

I know how stressful debt can be and it produces tension in a marriage. We have seen a dramatic improvement in our communication as well as our finances.
 
Let me be the third person to recommend Dave Ramsey! Financial Peace came out several years ago and your library should have a copy. Total Money Makeover is newer, but follows the same basice principles. Total Money Makeover also has a collection of success stories for inspiration. The radio show (you can listen to an hour free online every day ... I like to do this while doing dishes) is chocked full of good advice and inspiration as well. Be prepared for rice and beans, beans and rice and absolutely NO DISNEY vacations until you get things under control. Anyway, good luck! You can do it!!!
 
Barak's Disney said:
The radio show (you can listen to an hour free online every day ... I like to do this while doing dishes) is chocked full of good advice and inspiration as well. Be prepared for rice and beans, beans and rice and absolutely NO DISNEY vacations until you get things under control. Anyway, good luck! You can do it!!!
Actually, you can listen to all 3 hours free everyday, or even go and listen to the archives! :thumbsup2

There is a great free discussion board for Dave Ramey plan followers (Dave's own message board is subscription-only and I refuse to pay, LOL!):

http://www.livinglikenooneelse.com/forum/index.php

You can find LOTS of great advice there!
 
I noticed you said you were a full time student. Are you already taking the maximum amount you qualify for in federal loans? If not, you could take out more in student loans and use that money to pay your credit card debt. Since the interest rates on most credit cards are pretty high, and the interest rates on student loans are fairly low (5% for unsubsidized loans, 0% for subsidized until you graduate) you will save a lot of money on interest. That way, even if you pay the same amount of money you were paying before, the debt will be paid off a lot faster. Since you haven't graduated, you wouldn't actually have to make payments now, but I would recommend sending all the money you can to eliminate that debt as soon as possible. Also, if you used a student loan to pay the debt instead of a credit counseling service, it would help your credit instead of hurting it. Using a company like In Charge will show on your credit report as an inability to handle credit card debt, but taking out a student loan and making payments on it will show that you can manage two different kinds of debt successfully (revolving credit and an installment plan loan). Just a suggestion. :)
 


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