Vent... I don't understand how people do it!

[Gretchen3ajoshmom]

Cut down to one car, and when it's paid off, we will drive it until the wheels fall off

That's us too..... DH has a 1995 minivan...Our cars are paid off- and HD is a mechanic sooo if his wheels fall off he will put them back on...we joke that our 2 year old will be driving the ol' van...

Our goal this month is to completely cut out "extra" food- we eat out a couple of times a month usually....Not in July - only this Friday when we take the kids on an "adventure" day - we are picnicking lunch though...

I was so proud of myself resisting last night -its kids eat free at Chik Fil A- and WE DID NOT GO!!! Saving about 12 bucks...but heah ,12 bucks is 12 bucks!!

 

[gracie1]

Two questions:

1-You make $100 grand as a DOG WAlker???

2-If your family income is $300 grand-why are you on the Budget Board?

I am going to become a dogwalker! Unless the op has a big dogwalking/sitting company that she runs

 

[Tink'linBell]

OP- have you considered selling your house and moving to a (cheaper) apartment? I know that is not ideal, but maybe it would be better than living with the stress of taxes and mortgage payments that drain you.

DVCGirl, I know you didn't mean to sound braggy, but throwing out those kind of numbers on a thread about someone barely getting by is a little braggy.

I'm new here, so maybe I just don't know you all and that's how it is and nobody else thought that but me

 

[mrsklamc]

Two questions:

1-You make $100 grand as a DOG WAlker???

2-If your family income is $300 grand-why are you on the Budget Board?

I think her point was that the cost of living in her area is so high that what seems like an astronomical income to some is only moderate where she lives. No one I know has a 1300 mortgage but I understand that in NJ you probably can't find one for much less than that without an astronomical down payment.

And even if I won millions playing powerball, I would STILL be on the budget board. Just because I CAN spend money doesn't mean that I want to.

 

[rockundergirl]

ITA

There is also a deluxe Disney trip in the OP's signature. That money has to be coming from somewhere.

For many Americans any vacation is not possible after paying all their bills.

It truely sucks when fathers or mothers do not pay their child support. I wish more states would make this a priority to get the kids the money they need and deserve.

I'm lucky enough to have a boyfriend who is very generous, my " deluxe " trip was a gift from him. I placed the word Vent on my post title,, not Judge...

 

[teddygurlkeekee]

OP, has your income decreased? (Forgive me if I missed where you mentioned it) If not, why did you buy a house that was more than you could afford comfortably (with money left to save).

They may have been able to afford it at the time, but new bills and things always come into play. My parents bought a house about 10 years ago that they could comfortably afford and never felt like they were "living paycheck to paycheck." Now with the market going down, their house payment has gone up. they are no longer able to afford it and are having to move into an apartment.

(granted, mom lost her job due to medical reasons, but how does that excuse the house payment going up?)

There are also things that might not have been a factor whenever the OP bought her house. 10(ish) years ago, it wasn't a neccessity to have a cell phone or interent. Nowadays, it is for some ppl. My husband is deployed for a year right now, and I would have no other way to talk to him if it weren't for my cell phone, because I work way too many hours a day - even a phone without all the extras but for sole emergency purposes, i think cell phones are need now. And with internet, so many ppl do schooling online and even small jobs online (ebay, chacha etc etc) that it may be needed.

 

[Disney Darling]

I'm lucky enough to have a boyfriend who is very generous, my " deluxe " trip was a gift from him. I placed the word Vent on my post title,, not Judge...

I get what you're saying, rockundergirl! You're not saying you can't make your bills, I never read that once, you're just saying what many of us feel. We feel the strain of all the money coming in is going right back out. Sure we may have a little to put back for savings and vacation but NOT enough to really feel like we're getting ahead and that's what I think you're saying.

To everyone else, she's not saying she gets assistance or can't pay her bills but has this grand Disney vacation planned. For all we know she could have been saving little by little for 5 years for all we know. Truth is we don't know. But she's not saying she can't pay her bills, she's just saying she's frustrated and it's not without good reason.

And even if I won millions playing powerball, I would STILL be on the budget board. Just because I CAN spend money doesn't mean that I want to.

Amen, Sister!!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

DVCGirl, I know you didn't mean to sound braggy, but throwing out those kind of numbers on a thread about someone barely getting by is a little braggy.

I'm new here, so maybe I just don't know you all and that's how it is and nobody else thought that but me

to the DIS!

I can say with absolute certainty that DVCgirl is not braggy, but I can see where you get that if you haven't read many of her posts. She has the best pulse on the economy of anyone on here, and if you read her posts, you'll see that she regularly offers excellent advice to folks who are struggling financially. I think her point is that if you are cutting back everywhere you can and are still struggling, you need to make more money or move to a lower cost area. In her case, she can afford to live in a higher cost area because they have a good income, but she is not "rich" compared to her clients. It's all about perspective and the cost of living where you are. If you can't cut back anymore, you have no choice but to find a way to make more money.

 

[mrsklamc]

(granted, mom lost her job due to medical reasons, but how does that excuse the house payment going up?)

This confuses me. I thought the only mortgages where the payment changed were ARMs, and if I understand right ARMs should have lower payments right now? (Unless they were renting?)

I want to be clear- I am NOT saying you are wrong because I know it can sound like that on the internet if you question someone. I am just trying to figure out how that happened to your parents.

 

[rockundergirl]

OP, has your income decreased? (Forgive me if I missed where you mentioned it) If not, why did you buy a house that was more than you could afford comfortably (with money left to save).

My husband left me, While I was married the house we had was more then doable. While married I was making about 35 a year and he was making about 60. We had no credit card debt, and actually paid our mortgage down a good amount. When he left, i got the house and half the mortgage. All of the sudden I had to find more work to pay the bills meaning i had to put my son in daycare. My x went and got laid off , so what the courts make him give me is a joke. I had to use credit cards to keep the electric on and buy food. You could argue i could sell the house, but in my area even a one bedroom apartment would cost me about 1600 a month, more then my mortgage is now. Now i make about 62,000 a year with one full time career minded job, and a part time job on the side. I make to much money to qualify for any sort of assistance, but not enough to get ahead,, i hope that clears things up.

 

[RachaelA]

They may have been able to afford it at the time, but new bills and things always come into play. My parents bought a house about 10 years ago that they could comfortably afford and never felt like they were "living paycheck to paycheck." Now with the market going down, their house payment has gone up. they are no longer able to afford it and are having to move into an apartment.

(granted, mom lost her job due to medical reasons, but how does that excuse the house payment going up?)

There are also things that might not have been a factor whenever the OP bought her house. 10(ish) years ago, it wasn't a neccessity to have a cell phone or interent. Nowadays, it is for some ppl. My husband is deployed for a year right now, and I would have no other way to talk to him if it weren't for my cell phone, because I work way too many hours a day - even a phone without all the extras but for sole emergency purposes, i think cell phones are need now. And with internet, so many ppl do schooling online and even small jobs online (ebay, chacha etc etc) that it may be needed.

Pay as you go phones are much cheaper. Libraries has free internet. I think part of the problem in society today is that people convince themselves that these things are necessities and they are not.

Don't get me wrong I love my cell phone and I love my internet, but if something needed to go those would be up there as some of the first things to go.

 

[RachaelA]

My husband left me, While I was married the house we had was more then doable. While married I was making about 35 a year and he was making about 60. We had no credit card debt, and actually paid our mortgage down a good amount. When he left, i got the house and half the mortgage. All of the sudden I had to find more work to pay the bills meaning i had to put my son in daycare. My x went and got laid off , so what the courts make him give me is a joke. I had to use credit cards to keep the electric on and buy food. You could argue i could sell the house, but in my area even a one bedroom apartment would cost me about 1600 a month, more then my mortgage is now. Now i make about 62,000 a year with one full time career minded job, and a part time job on the side. I make to much money to qualify for any sort of assistance, but not enough to get ahead,, i hope that clears things up.

Have you looked into selling the house? (was this discussed in this thread already?)

Well you sound like you have a good head on your shoulders. And you are taking what life threw at you and making do the best possible. That's commendable. Good luck!

 

[rockundergirl]

Have you looked into selling the house? (was this discussed in this thread already?)

Well you sound like you have a good head on your shoulders. And you are taking what life threw at you and making do the best possible. That's commendable. Good luck!

I spoke about that in my response to you . In this market , if i could even sell the house, it would not be worth it because renting would cost me more then my current mortgage. plus part of my income is renting a room in my home. My home is only worth about 255,000, i would prob have to price it at around 210,000 to get it to sell in this area. i still owe about 100,000 on it after the cost of the selling, and the taxes on the "income" from the sale,, i would be in a much worse spot :-( so yeah i have thought about selling lol

 

[punkin]

If your family income is $300 grand-why are you on the Budget Board?

Even well off people need to budget. You would be very surprised how quickly $300K can pass through your fingers without a budget, particularly if you live in certain NYC suburbs.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
OP- and those just making it - I'm just curious as to what part of the country you live in and what your education/skill set is? Sometimes going back to school and changing careers although an expense can be well worth it in the long run. My husband went back for his masters and it made a huge difference in his salary. He also changed fields from aviation to computer science.

I wish you all well. I just hate to see people who try so hard not getting ahead!

 

[RachaelA]

I spoke about that in my response to you . In this market , if i could even sell the house, it would not be worth it because renting would cost me more then my current mortgage. plus part of my income is renting a room in my home. My home is only worth about 255,000, i would prob have to price it at around 210,000 to get it to sell in this area. i still owe about 100,000 on it after the cost of the selling, and the taxes on the "income" from the sale,, i would be in a much worse spot :-( so yeah i have thought about selling lol

You did and I can't read today. Sorry! Its just good to hear you looked into all your options. Let's cross our fingers the housing market goes up soon! Good luck!!

 

[deb24k]

Pay as you go phones are much cheaper. Libraries has free internet. I think part of the problem in society today is that people convince themselves that these things are necessities and they are not.

Don't get me wrong I love my cell phone and I love my internet, but if something needed to go those would be up there as some of the first things to go.

This may be true for some people but I think it may depend of the job or school requirements a family has. For example, as a sped teacher my job requires me to write reports and progress notes on an internet server. I need to pick up my children from daycare and cannot stay at school late each day to complete reports while the building is open. My husband is going to school via internet classes. The local library has cut it's hours and is closed on the weekends.

We have found a cell phone is needed but we cut out our home phone. This is what is prudent for our family based on our needs to complete job and school requirements. Each family will have to take an inventory as to their owm "needs."

 

[crisi]

Two questions:

1-You make $100 grand as a DOG WAlker???

2-If your family income is $300 grand-why are you on the Budget Board?

You'd probably be surprised at

1) How much you can make self employed with a small business like that in the right market (and a neighborhood of investment bankers willing to pay $100 a week to walk their dog is the right market. But then, someone who is going to get on a train at 6am and get off the train at 9pm at night, probably needs to spend at least that making sure Rover gets his potty breaks and exercise.)

2) How many of us budget boarders have six figure household incomes. Just because someone makes a lot of money, doesn't mean they are interested in wasting it. I think one of the big misconceptions about the budget board is that its filled with a certain income level - that we are all 'struggling.' That really isn't the case at all. Its easy to look at signatures around here and say "they went on a Disney trip every year - sometimes twice - and I can't. How are they doing it!" In some cases its debt. In some cases its frugal living. In some cases people just make quite a bit of money, but enjoy the budget board.

 

[PinkRhombus]

Even well off people need to budget. You would be very surprised how quickly $300K can pass through your fingers without a budget, particularly if you live in certain NYC suburbs.

No kidding. Isn't the going joke that only in NYC is a million dollar house blue collar?


I don't understand why people think others get to be successful and wealthy by throwing away all their money.

 

[rockundergirl]

Hi:
OP- and those just making it - I'm just curious as to what part of the country you live in and what your education/skill set is? Sometimes going back to school and changing careers although an expense can be well worth it in the long run. My husband went back for his masters and it made a huge difference in his salary. He also changed fields from aviation to computer science.

I wish you all well. I just hate to see people who try so hard not getting ahead!

I live in central NJ, I'm 28, I have an associates degree in computer science, a technical certification From chubb for Network Security and administration i"m also a certified personal trainer and a Black belt in mixed martial arts. I'm currently taking one course at a time at county college with the intention to transfer to Rutgers University to earn my bachelors degree when I have the money to afford it /and the ability to provide my son with care while I take classes at night.