Just curious who else is living super frugal

[Carols Clucks]

Can I just say arrgggg!

The co-worker who writes the pay checks decided that it was late and she would write my check next time she works....in a WEEK. For her the job is just extra cash, for me it is ALL my income. She does not get that it is not cool to do "skip it". Due to a variety of problems, not on my end but the office and person/health etc. this is the 4th Month in a row she decided later was FINE. Thankfully my boss went ahead and manually wrote a check for me. This was after she (the co-worker) was shocked I do not have health insurance and suggest her son pays for his (I think through her hubbys gov job) at only 25% of my check.

Arrgggg.

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

Here you go Chicmom...just for you!

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

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What did your boss say about this? Wow! thats just

 

[chicmom]

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I will stay away from all tunnels now.....

 

[Stephanie739]

I don't really think this place in life is funny (at all) but having a sense of humor over a bad situation is better than crying. Even my kids have learned to make the best of the situation and to look for a light, laugh sometimes. And my kids WANT jobs, but labor laws require them to wait. I got chickens because I worry about not being able to provide for my kids. At least we have eggs. That's frugal

There is a way out of here somehow. I'm looking!

 

[faerielady]

Do any of you have any issues with getting your husband/wife/partner/significant other onboard with living frugal/more frugal?

I swear, it's like pulling teeth to get my partner to do ANYTHING frugal. He'll bust out the "But I don't have any money!" thing like it'll magically make me pay for something, but he has zero, zilch, nada intent or desire to cut corners. His answer when I said that I paid $200 for groceries and I thought I might be short for the month wasn't even to offer money from his own check for groceries (technically, I bring home more money after taxes and with child support than he does, even though he makes more per hour before taxes), his answer was "I guess you'll need to buy more groceries after you get your child support payment". Which, you know, I wanted to buy my child a new (to us) winter coat, new shoes/winter boots (I don't thrift on footwear, but I will shop sales/flyers/ads), and re-string her cello for orchestra.

I dropped off dinner at his work last night (he works nights) and found out later that he decided to chip in and buy pizza with the guys at work. I told him to bring in the leftovers, but when I got up this morning the tupperware wasn't in the fridge so I went out to the truck and retrieved it.

Luckily, it was 35 degrees out so the food didn't spoil.

I know he doesn't like feeling like he has "no money". I know he doesn't like being broke. But this is causing so much friction in our relationship that it's unreal. We've been together 5 years. I've been steadily going under for 3 of those 5 years because he wants to live beyond our means in order to "save face". I just don't know how to approach it without either getting really angry, because it really makes me upset and hurts my feelings that his desire to keep up with his coworkers seems to be more important than being able to stay caught up on bills. Remember, I have a repossession to pay for, medical debt to re-pay, and after I finish my bachelors' I will have student loan debt to repay. I can't afford for him to act like this.

 

[Beekissed]

I can't imagine a marriage that could work when you have the thought of "his money" and "your money" being utilized separately to provide for a home. I'd expect that a percentage of each check(equal percentage and not based on how much anyone earns)is deposited into a joint account from which home bills are paid.

If I couldn't accomplish this, I'd just frugalize all my bills down to nil and live on just what I earn and completely disregard his paycheck as a source of income. Take your name off the cable/dish bill and let him pay for it if he wants it. Same with the cell phone, credit card, etc. That way he can live as large as his paycheck allows and you can live as small as you wish.

Then I'd be looking for my own place....

 

[faerielady]

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The main problem is that we have two houses. Selling my house isn't an option... the market is too soft still and has been for years, and it needs some renovation of one room (it has a converted garage that was not converted correctly by the previous owner, so it has to be converted up to code... which means re-doing the entire conversion). His house is a bit bigger than mine and in a better neighborhood, and therefore costs more. We spend a week at his house and a week at mine, because the weeks that he has his son (he has full joint custody) the daycare and school his son goes to is closer to his house than mine. The school district where my house is, is the better school district, so my daughter goes there... and my animals are at my house because he doesn't "have the space" for my coops and animals.

To be honest, I think this relationship is doomed because he doesn't want to work together. He constantly says we should sell my house because then we'd have more money, but my parents are on my note as co-signers and if I sold the house now I would be selling at a loss AND it would affect them, but he doesn't care. Also, with the attitude he has, I'm not sure I *want* to sell it, if you know what I mean.

 

[Avalon1984]

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I guess it all depends on things. With us, we have 2 houses since hubby travels a lot and uses Chicago as his hub/ office so he has a house there that he pays for. He pays for both mortgages on the house in Chicago and the farm up here. Since I am mostly alone during the week I pay all utilities. I will also dictate if we use too many lights or water. Not in a mean way but I will come up with ways to save such. And it adds up quickly. I also pay for 80% of all the farm expenses but share profits (after all expenses are covered which hardly ever happens) equally. It works great for us. Husband helped me purchase a horse last year and we already made money on the deal that I was happy to split with him. We both splurge at times by going out to dinner and I am working on becoming a better cook so hopefully we’ll start saving more soon.

 

[Avalon1984]

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The main problem is that we have two houses. Selling my house isn't an option... the market is too soft still and has been for years, and it needs some renovation of one room (it has a converted garage that was not converted correctly by the previous owner, so it has to be converted up to code... which means re-doing the entire conversion). His house is a bit bigger than mine and in a better neighborhood, and therefore costs more. We spend a week at his house and a week at mine, because the weeks that he has his son (he has full joint custody) the daycare and school his son goes to is closer to his house than mine. The school district where my house is, is the better school district, so my daughter goes there... and my animals are at my house because he doesn't "have the space" for my coops and animals.

To be honest, I think this relationship is doomed because he doesn't want to work together. He constantly says we should sell my house because then we'd have more money, but my parents are on my note as co-signers and if I sold the house now I would be selling at a loss AND it would affect them, but he doesn't care. Also, with the attitude he has, I'm not sure I *want* to sell it, if you know what I mean.

under those conditions I would totally agree. I was in the same spot for a while but I knew the relationship would last. I was luckily able to rent out my house so I have extra income and somebody lives in my house vs. having it stand empty. I am waiting for the market to come back to sell it. Good luck with your house. I know how frustrating those type of houses are