Seriously, is there ever any way to get ahead?

[annaraven]

Quote:
Actually, I lived for several months with two babies and no fridge, no washerdryer, and no stove. We had a microwave and an electric wok and a toaster oven. The fridge was the first thing we bought when we had the money. Used, it was $100. Craigslist commonly has fridges for $100. If you gave up on the other rental stuff, I bet you could afford a real fridge and then you could save up for a washer and dryer. We lugged stuff to the laundromat until we could afford to buy a washer and dryer. Bet you could do that too. You even have a car to lug it in. We lugged it 6 blocks there and back again with no car.

There are options. Whether you take them is your choice, but they are options.

Dump the car payments and get a used car. Dump the rental crap and buy a used fridge and washer/dryer.

With $49.11 in the checking account how does one go BUY something? We do not have car payments. My original post says it all - CASH ONLY except for the rent to own stuff. And the rental stuff is not crap, almost paid for too.

Sorry, I misremembered about the cars; for some reason I thought you mentioned during the thread that you were also making car payments.

How much are you paying a month for the rent-to-own stuff, if I may ask? Is it more than $50? Save your lunch money for a month and drop that monthly fee and there's a fridge. Use the "lunch money" to do the laundry for two months and you've got enough for a used washer or used dryer. (You could wash at the laundromat, then bring home to dry it.)

BTW - I recently started a "price book" of prices at all the local stores, including costco, so I know what to buy where. It's helping me reduce my costs as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
With $49.11 in the checking account how does one go BUY something? We do not have car payments. My original post says it all - CASH ONLY except for the rent to own stuff. And the rental stuff is not crap, almost paid for too.

Sorry, I misremembered about the cars; for some reason I thought you mentioned during the thread that you were also making car payments.

How much are you paying a month for the rent-to-own stuff, if I may ask? Is it more than $50? Save your lunch money for a month and drop that monthly fee and there's a fridge. Use the "lunch money" to do the laundry for two months and you've got enough for a used washer or used dryer. (You could wash at the laundromat, then bring home to dry it.)

BTW - I recently started a "price book" of prices at all the local stores, including costco, so I know what to buy where. It's helping me reduce my costs as well.

Hope this helps.

I think at this point, I am not concerned with the washer and dryer because it is almost paid off. The fridge is another story though. Ours look a dump RIGHT when we moved. Oh joy! I have another problem that is a bit embarassing to mention. Ken is TERRIBLE with money. I am going to have to start sneaking money out to another account he has no idea about. Ugh.

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
With $49.11 in the checking account how does one go BUY something? We do not have car payments. My original post says it all - CASH ONLY except for the rent to own stuff. And the rental stuff is not crap, almost paid for too.

Sorry, I misremembered about the cars; for some reason I thought you mentioned during the thread that you were also making car payments.

How much are you paying a month for the rent-to-own stuff, if I may ask? Is it more than $50? Save your lunch money for a month and drop that monthly fee and there's a fridge. Use the "lunch money" to do the laundry for two months and you've got enough for a used washer or used dryer. (You could wash at the laundromat, then bring home to dry it.)

BTW - I recently started a "price book" of prices at all the local stores, including costco, so I know what to buy where. It's helping me reduce my costs as well.

Hope this helps.

My two cents....it is NOT cheaper to go to the laundry mat. I do so on a regular basis. Not because of need. Because of WANT. I do not want to wash heavy comforters and blankets in my washer. I do not want to wash bathroom or kitchen rugs in my washer. I DO NOT wash dog towels or dog blankets in my washer. I go to the laundromat for that. I have NEVER washed that stuff at home.
NO WAY would I want to take our laundry ( about 6-8 loads a week for 3 people) and pay those prices. Just a SMALL washer for dog towels runs me $2 a load. The larger washers run $3.50. That would easily be $30 a week for a large family. NOT COUNTING DRYING! which runs about 50 cents for 20 minutes here - and the dryers do not dry well - 4 dog towels (bath towel size) run me $1.50 at the least to dry.

 

[chickeypoo]

i have a friend whose hubby is awful with money. She actually made an account just for herself cuz he was so awful. It works. Her check goes in there where she needs it and his in his own account. She hasn't had a problem since. I have to admit.. i am pretty bad with money too. but not that bad that we need different accounts LOL. oh well. live and learn . I am getting better.. except today we had a misstep.. we will be better come friday though. I do hope things turn around for ya.. and.. hugs to you.. cuz you need them.

 

[annaraven]

Quote:
Sorry, I misremembered about the cars; for some reason I thought you mentioned during the thread that you were also making car payments.

How much are you paying a month for the rent-to-own stuff, if I may ask? Is it more than $50? Save your lunch money for a month and drop that monthly fee and there's a fridge. Use the "lunch money" to do the laundry for two months and you've got enough for a used washer or used dryer. (You could wash at the laundromat, then bring home to dry it.)

BTW - I recently started a "price book" of prices at all the local stores, including costco, so I know what to buy where. It's helping me reduce my costs as well.

Hope this helps.

I think at this point, I am not concerned with the washer and dryer because it is almost paid off. The fridge is another story though. Ours look a dump RIGHT when we moved. Oh joy! I have another problem that is a bit embarassing to mention. Ken is TERRIBLE with money. I am going to have to start sneaking money out to another account he has no idea about. Ugh.

Youch. That's always hard. (Both the fridge dying and the DH being terrible with money.)

With my xH, we set up a "household account" for the fixed monthly expenses (like mortgage and bills) that always got paid *first* out of any paycheck. Money left over was what we used to save and to spend. We used the envelope method and divided it up so that we knew that this much was for groceries, and *ONLY* what's left is available for "discretionary spending" (like clothes or books or toys or...) If there was nothing left after household account and groceries, well, we knew we weren't buying clothes that month.

We also put some aside (when possible) to save up for stuff. A lot of folks use a coin jar, or a dollar jar. Every night when you have a coin or a dollar bill, drop it in the jar and that's for saving up for "X" whatever "X" is. Put a picture of whatever it is you're saving for on the jar.

Good luck with it!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Sorry, I misremembered about the cars; for some reason I thought you mentioned during the thread that you were also making car payments.

How much are you paying a month for the rent-to-own stuff, if I may ask? Is it more than $50? Save your lunch money for a month and drop that monthly fee and there's a fridge. Use the "lunch money" to do the laundry for two months and you've got enough for a used washer or used dryer. (You could wash at the laundromat, then bring home to dry it.)

BTW - I recently started a "price book" of prices at all the local stores, including costco, so I know what to buy where. It's helping me reduce my costs as well.

Hope this helps.

I think at this point, I am not concerned with the washer and dryer because it is almost paid off. The fridge is another story though. Ours look a dump RIGHT when we moved. Oh joy! I have another problem that is a bit embarassing to mention. Ken is TERRIBLE with money. I am going to have to start sneaking money out to another account he has no idea about. Ugh.

One thing you could do is, you could "pay that new account" first before paying bills with a specified amount, and let him know about it. He might not like discovering a secret account if he discovered it all on his own.

It might be misunderstood, is all I'm saying.

 

[annaraven]

Quote:
Well, when we were dependent on the laundromat, we didn't do 8 loads a week. We did 3, for 4 people (bleach, cold, and everything else), plus a sheets and towels load on occasion. Underwear and socks got changed every day of course, but pants can be worn at least twice and so can some shirts. Hang stuff up immediately after school and wear "play clothes". If it was just sweaty but not dirty, rinse it out and hang it up to dry and it can be re-worn. We didn't own anything like "dog towels" (what in the world IS a dog towel anyway?) or "kitchen rugs". Blankets and comforters don't need to be washed often. Sheets don't have to be washed every week if you shower before bed. Towels for *people* can be re-used. Everyone gets their own color and just uses it again to dry off.

So yeah, if you're dependent on the laundromat, it sucks, but it is doable. Everything is a choice. When you are really broke, you make different choices from when you're "nearly" broke. When you're not used to being broke, it's hard to get used to making those choices, and sometimes it's hard to even recognize them as options. But it is possible.

 

[vebyrd36]

I save money by getting some things from the dollor strore. Also if you have a save-alot store canned goods, dry goods are really cheap at 35 cents a can for vegies.

 

[annaraven]

An onion, a bag of rice and a bag of lentils, and some spices you probably have around the house can go a long way to keeping people fed. If you have backyard chickens, toss some veggies in with the eggs and make a frittata. There's a lot of ways to keep the grocery bills down if you have to.

 

[debilorrah]

Have I mentioned that gas is currently $3.39 a gallon for regular? Ugh.