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

[DawnM]

Most NJ folks do it by moving to NC!

Sorry, just an observation.....our taxes are about $1,200/year for our house.

The only way we do fine is to live below our means. Smaller house, paid for cars, no frills cell, picking our "extras", coupons/grocery game, doing very little in the way of extra curricular for the kids, etc....

Dawn

 

[JoiseyMom]

You're not "getting it" JoiseyMom. the standard rate is $20 an hour /visit.
Pluto's point is you would have to work 14 hours a day-EVERY single day to make that income. capice?

Yes, I do capice!! I also comprende! She has 14 VISITS a DAY, not 14 hours!! Do you capice?? That would be 7 hours or less a day, since each visit is not an hour long. Has she said she does it alone? No, she might have help..she might charge more for clients when it is pet sitting and not just a walk. We don't know all the details of her job.

I have no reason to doubt her, since she has thousands of posts! And living in the area she lives in, with dual working families, and some having muliple pets that she would walk at one time. Yes it makes sense to my logical non paranoid mind!

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Yes it makes sense to my logical non paranoid mind!

You do realize that having one of those is a total drawback on a message board, right?

 

[Donnainnj]

I would much rather see people working and getting this credit than some other program. That said, despite the name it is still not their money. They are still getting someone else's money in the form of tax welfare. If we are doing this to house and feed the poor, I am all for it. If our social funding crosses into paying for wants and extras I think that is unfair. I can agree with you on where to look for blame.

My thoughts exactly, just expressed much better then I would have...

 

[mrsklamc]

I went to a poverty forum and the problem is that there are people who see their poverty as a temporary state and something to be overcome, and people who see it as a way of life.

If you are the latter, you'd have no reason to not spend your refund on Disney, there's no long term improvement.

 

[JoiseyMom]

You do realize that having one of those is a total drawback on a message board, right?

Yup...but it's been my mind for so long what is one to do??

 

[gracie1]

For me, its just something I've never actually thought about. NJ is not one of the ritzy areas/states we hear about one the news all the time like all the others. Not saying its not a nice place...Im sure it is....but its one of those states you forget about because you dont hear much about it -good or bad. To my knowledge, NJ has no majr theme parks, celebrity communities, or school shootings (thank God) that have made it make the news. When I hear of NJ, I think of Donald Trump in the 80's. I've never been any further North than Kenucky or Virginia in regards to my home state....so I literally have no idea what its like up there.



AMEN! I never, ever participated in one single school activity. Even if they had the money, my parents couldnt take us on trips because my sister had cerebral palsy and couldnt speak, walk, or even feed herself. She passed away in Nov. 1988 at 10 years old and the following May we took our first WDW trip. I was 15 and my parents were broke. We had the vacation of a lifetime (to me) even now that I look back and see that it was a very thrifty trip. It wasn't about the money. My parents had already lost one child and they wanted to make sure me and my brother got to experince WDW before we were grown and moved out. Im sure this is why I am the way I am about taking a trip even though Dave Ramsey would tell me not to.

He is a very smart man, but he is not the father of my children. If taking $1500 trip with my kids will sink me....then I guess I'll go down with the Titanic.

I guess losing my sister warped me, but I can live broke the rest of my life (if it meant I had to) alot easier than I could bury one of my children knowing I had the oportunity to make their deam come true and didn't....all because I'd rather pay off a $1500 credit card versus taking the trip.

I am in no way saying my way is right. I have lost 7 close family members in the last 3 years....and have a constant reminder of what really IS most important to me.

I highly respect those who budget well and have a nice retirement. I highly respect those who are less fortunate and choose to show others the "magic" in this hard world we live in today....and I respect those even more who can do both.

I don't feel anyone should be judged for taking their kids on their dream vacation regardless of if they pay for it with cash, loans, or put it on a credit card that takes them 10 years to pay off. If working parents choose to do that then kudos to them for they have given something that money can't buy.

If a parent is receiving public assistance, food stamps, medicaid - whatever and wants to take their tax refund and use it for vacation then go for it! That family needs a break. I'd rather they do that then waste it on drugs or shiny new wheels for their car. Living in poverty shouldn't mean that you NEVER get to enjoy a vacation with your family. Most people are not in poverty by choice.

I live every day knowing that it could be my last. I want make the most of it.

(sorry it was so long)

I also live paycheck to paycheck and this disney trip was totally unplanned. My father doesn't like to travel and my mom has always dreamed of 3 things before she died: a new house, a cruise and a trip to wdw. Since the cost of living here is so high I bought a house and put on their land...yes my parents live with me..but I pay the mortgage etc. They both do have a lot of health problems and sometimes you just need to stop in your tracks and say hey, you never know when your time is up. Last May I took my mom on a cruise (well. she paid her way to) and this trip to wdw is a trip from me. Did I have the cash?? Absolutely not. Will I regret taking this trip? Nope. The memories will be worth it for me. Now I did cut costs by booking half the trip with a 40% off pin code and we are staying at value (POP century). But I know this is a splurge and am happy to be taking it.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Believe me I feel your pain!

We have 1 cell phone and it's $15/mo.

No cable, DISH, DirectTV, etc.

We only ever get the Sunday paper.

I shop at "bent and dent" stores for groceries.

And yet here we are - penniless!

And while this is more for another thread, it adds to my frustration - DS has some new medical issues which means more debt. However, at the same time x has decided he is no longer paying child support or his portion of the medical bills.

Maybe things will turn around soon!

This may sound weird or ditzy, but what is a bent and dent grocery store?
I feel everyone's pain, I went to go get some groceries last night and I had to text DD, we only had $400 left in our account to last us til next Friday. I wanted to verify that everything was paid and the money was taken out of the account (rent, tv, cell, credit card, etc.) before I could take out any money for the groceries I needed for dinner.

 

[crisi]

This may sound weird or ditzy, but what is a bent and dent grocery store?
I feel everyone's pain, I went to go get some groceries last night and I had to text DD, we only had $400 left in our account to last us til next Friday. I wanted to verify that everything was paid and the money was taken out of the account (rent, tv, cell, credit card, etc.) before I could take out any money for the groceries I needed for dinner.

A salvage grocer. They sell things that might be about to (or just past) expiration date, or where the cans got damaged (hence bent and dent). Back when I was broke I shopped a salvage grocer - it was actually one of the closer grocers to my hose - you never know what you might find, but it can be a really good deal.

 

[JoiseyMom]

This may sound weird or ditzy, but what is a bent and dent grocery store?

It's a surplus type of store. All dented cans and boxes of products that the grocery stores won't sell. Some things are expired (or so I have been told), but the items are still good. This is what is sold at a bent and dent store.

 

[HighClass]

Yes, I do capice!! I also comprende! She has 14 VISITS a DAY, not 14 hours!! Do you capice?? That would be 7 hours or less a day, since each visit is not an hour long. Has she said she does it alone? No, she might have help..she might charge more for clients when it is pet sitting and not just a walk. We don't know all the details of her job.

!

The $100, 000 Dog walker quoted in parade magazine spends 40 minutes per dog. So i think allowing 1 hour per visit with travel time is appropriate.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

The $100, 000 Dog walker quoted in parade magazine spends 40 minutes per dog. So i think allowing 1 hour per visit with travel time is appropriate.

The $100,000 dog walker in Parade magazine also lives in St. Louis, MO. Why is it so hard to believe someone doing the same job in NJ makes the same amount, particularly close to NYC where people commute for an hour or more each way and are gone many hours per day? Have you ever actually been to NJ?

 

[crisi]

The $100, 000 Dog walker quoted in parade magazine spends 40 minutes per dog. So i think allowing 1 hour per visit with travel time is appropriate.

And my dog walker makes more than dvcgirl, and spends about 20 minutes with my dog. Why are you assuming everyone who walks dogs has the exact same process? Because it makes it easier to pretend like you know something about a business someone else runs?

 

[cndij]

Cutting cell phones is not an option for us since we have teenagers. It's our direct link to them!

ETA: And we've been trying to get back to DW for a long time now. But something else always comes up!

Check into Kajeet for the teen phones. It only costs you $10 a month and you can program it to limit the numbers that can be called (like yours only) or have them use tracfones with a limited minute budget. There are always ways to cut back on the phone budget.

 

[CC12005]

I'd like to thank everyone that has posted on this thread. With all the action, comedy, drama and romance on this thread, I'll soon be able to save money by cancelling the satellite TV. Who needs a newspaper subscription to read about the economy and political mudslinging when fellow DISers do it so well? My only possible increase in expenditures, may be for a faster internet connection to keep up with all the rapid fire posting. Thanks for the entertainment!

 

[DISdreamin']

I agree with the above post - this is MUCH better than soaps or network TV!!!

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

you would not believe the amount of time i have spent on this thread that i was supposed to be working...its ridiculous really...

edited to say the amount of time was ridicuous not the thread...but wait...

 

[rockundergirl]

im still shaking my head at my budget...

 

[Colleen27]

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.

 

[HighClass]

Actually, the only reason I read here is for occasional amusement.


There once was an infamous thread here where budget homemakers bragged about feeding their familyies for like $3 a day-the food and recipes were a laugh riot.