Posted by Penny on August 6, 2003, at 11:11:05
In reply to Re: I'm a spendaholic, posted by Ted on August 6, 2003, at 10:51:11
Dinah,
I totally understand. I am sitting here, right now, at lunch time and can barely stand the fact that I can't go out and grab lunch - that I have to sit here and eat what I brought or eat nothing at all - because I can't afford it. And it makes me cringe to think of all the money I've just purely wasted over the past few years. WASTED. Spent without thinking. Using my credit cards wasn't really a problem for me until I was unemployed last summer - when I ended up living on them. Now I have 3 maxed out cards, a loan that I can't repay (but fortunately isn't a secured loan) and 2 more years of car payments. I won't even go into the student loans, which are currently deferred. All in all, I owe about $30,000, and my salary (before taxes) is only $30,000. I actually bring home about $1500 a month, and $500 goes to rent, $270 goes to car payments, $130 goes to car insurance (high due to my wreck 3 years ago), $60 to cell phone (which I use as my primary phone), $140 to utilities, and that doesn't (as I said before) include food, therapy, doctor visits, medication, vet bills, etc. Right now one of my dogs is behind on her shots and I just don't have the money to take her. I just had to pay my deductible this year for my health insurance, and I just bought heartworm pills which ran me about $50 for a three month supply (2 dogs). My roommate works two jobs - but her second one is as a professional mentor for a little boy and she loves it, so it's not really like a job to her. I tried to get a job at the same place, but they had changed the rules and I wouldn't have been making enough money to justify taking the job. Her gross salary at her full-time job is more than mine too, so she has no problem covering her part of the rent and utilities, but I don't think she understands why I do. I've looked for places where I can cut back, and I just don't see any. If I were living alone, I'd have to pay the utilities on my own, but I wouldn't have cable TV and possibly no house phone, but with a roommate, I don't have that choice.
Suddenly, I'm not hungry anymore. I know I need to eat something - I have some fruit cups and a granola bar, so I may stick to that. I brought soup, but it just doesn't sound appetizing.
I'm so sorry Dinah. I haven't been very optimistic or helpful. Hopefully consolidating the loans will make it easier for you to handle the payments. Something will work out - just try to hang in there.
I think you need another hug:
(((Dinah)))P
poster:Penny
thread:248407
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030727/msgs/248600.html