25 replies to this topic

[skygtrr34]

I need a few opinions... I have my own.. and I think I know what I am going to do with all of this... but if these were your situations what would you do?


Situation Numero UNO
I work for Mercedes Benz.. I am the lowest on the freaking food chain and make around $9.76CDN an hour.... My rent is 450/month, car insurance is 110/month and gas on average is like 40/month ( I fill it very rarely and throw 10 bucks in every week) so that is approximately 600 a month maybe more including other things I can't think of...
At work I usually get 2 pay cheques a month... each are barely 600 bucks and I am left after paying my bills and whatever amounts to my mum and dad for helping me out with somethings.. with less than 100 to save up for.

I AM QUITTING MERCEDES.... I am so frustrated.. this pay cheque is already gone because of rent...

Situation Numero TWO-O?
Speaking of situation uno.... I am thinking of taking my car off the road for a few months because my insurance company REFUSES to give me my discount for yay amount of years of driving.. i think i have 10 - 15% supposed to be taken off... its been 3 months since I have submitted it and NOTHING has been taken off.. I am moving closer to my boyfriend (not intentional) so he would actually be within walking distance. So with my car off the road I would save myself 150 bucks round about off of my monthly bills..

These may not seem like big issues to whoever is reading this... but this has been going on for... 3 months now and it's taking it's toll on me and I am so frustrated...

[3gencivic]

that is a hard one to desid one but i would go with the 2nd one. bing i know its alot harder to pay for all that if yo ahve no job. so i would find another job FIRST before quitting be cause ei sucks ass. and if you havent workd long at a job ete they rap you. so yea get a job first before tring to quit.

park the car and get a bike from a thrift store or something. for 10 bucks saves incerence and gas.

[ibcnya]

that is a hard one to desid one but i would go with the 2nd one. bing i know its alot harder to pay for all that if yo ahve no job. so i would find another job FIRST before quitting be cause ei sucks ass. and if you havent workd long at a job ete they rap you. so yea get a job first before tring to quit.

park the car and get a bike from a thrift store or something. for 10 bucks saves incerence and gas.

Man riding a bike sux big ole balls...i did that for years. Good exercise and highten sexual stamina but damn that stuff. Ppl honking and yelling at you. Almost hitting you, hell I had a bunch of kids try to hit me with a trash can one night. MFR's but really Sky...get another job, or find you a sugar daddy, just not a old creepy one...ewww!

Edited by ibcnya, 22 December 2006 - 12:49 AM.

[Moose]

Do like i did, pick up a 2nd job...i work part time for a ad agency... doing photo retouches... doesnt pay much, but i do it from home, and i get to drink scotch on the job....

Two jobs sucks, but bills are bills.

[rollz87civic]

like ibcnya said get a sugar daddy

[skygtrr34]

I love the guy I'm with... no suga daddy is gonna replace him


trust me... if i did find one.. id most likely be washing his car AHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I am on the look out for another job... so we'll see how that goes

[vaughan]

that sounds like a lot for insurance. i don't know how it is in cdn. but here in the us i pay about 120 evey six months. seens hi even for beening young. hang in there keep a eye out for a job thing alway seen to work out. back when i was a youngster min wage was like $ 3.35 an hour and that is what i made for a few years . and if you got a good relationship and a good family that is al you really need. good luck

[Sgt. Pepper]

Sky, first thing to do is get another job or find a 2nd one. DON'T quit your current job before you get a new one and NEVER burn bridges. It's nice to know that in a pinch, your old employer would take you back. Keep the car on the road, at least for now, you'll need it to go on job interviews or get to the new job. Look at the rest of your bills and see where you can cut corners. After my divorce I was left with nothing! After bills were paid I had $7 to spend on groceries for a week, and made it work. It can be done, you just hafta be creative and remember it is only temporary. Chin up and hang in there, we're here for ya!

[Omega Mugen]

Sgt. Pepper says it right. He's been around the block. Like he said, find another job before you quit and never burn bridges. Don't have a kid, live with roommates, and try to keep the car because I don't think that you will find one cheaper. I work with a bunch of graduate students who are poor in an expensive city. I know how they get by.

[Airgazm86]

I say don't quit your current job. Work extra hard and someone might notice and suggest a promotion or raise. If not, ask for a raise...the worst you could be told is no.

Call around and get a lower insurance payment.

Buy the lowest octane gas available.

Don't waste money on frivolous things like eating out, clothes, movies, etc.

Have a yard sale and ebay things you don't need.

Buy lots of Ramen Noodles.

[skygtrr34]

Heh well I just moved out on my own... I NEED THINGS.. not give them away

My car runs on the lowest which is 89 octane

And the way insurance goes here in victoria is basically you have different companies...but the rates are pretty much so similar (If steve or richard ever read this... correct me if im wrong) heh My car would've been around 300 a month in Ontario for my CRX


And I havent bought myself pants (except for my dress pants and shirt for work parties and what not) in over 8 months lol

[ChrisF-dude]

1. Tell your lazy boyfriend to get a better job so you can stay home and save all your energy for him.

2. Siphon gas from the neighbor's cars'. When they catch you, hold up some Mentos and smile.

3. Don't quit your job until you have something to go over to. A little of somethin is better than a whole lotta nothin most of the time.

4. Offer the dealership to put a magnetic sign on your car from time to time, for a fee, advertising the dealer. Old creepy guys with money love young cute girls, and when he sees the sign on your car he'll stop buy to look for you. Then the salesharks will feed on him.

5. Sell blood.

6. Sell eggs, you have thousands. How many kids you need?

7. Work undercover for the cops selling drugs and skim money off the top. Then take bribes on the trial date to call in sick.

8. get a second job as a waitress. This is no joke. A co-worker of my wife's left her decent job to work at a decent resteraunt. The pay was so-so, but she made a killing on tips. Helps if you're young, cute, flirty, friendly, have a good memory and attention to detail. A southern accent helps too. Check the places policy on their cut of the tips.

9. Grow your hair REALLY long and cut it from time to time to sell for wig makers.

10. Join an online myspace community, with a fake name. Be an 11 year old boy. Fish in some really sick perves, gain their trust. Gather intell. When you have enough, blackmail them to send you money or you'll turn them over to the police, their wife, employer, what ever. Set up a money exchange in which you will never be physically connected to. Paypal to someone, to someone, to you, or cash to a PO Box. Wait at least 2 weeks to get it out. Send someone else to get it. Have him send it to another PO Box in that post office by putting it postage paid into the bin. watch for tails, wear a hat, sunglasses, be discreet but not suspicious.

11. Don't take my advice, and stay out of prison.

[skygtrr34]

LOL

Some of those weren't actually too bad...

I work at a place where there are constantly hookers, drugs and ... COPS

I might actually start syphoning gas from the cars we detail they're behind a curtain.... no cameras... alwasy on premium fuel..BWAHAHAHAHAHA ITS PERFECT

[Omega Mugen]

6. Sell eggs, you have thousands. How many kids you need?

Never sell body parts. This girl at work sold one ovary to pay credit card debt, and it turned out to be one hell of a nightmare. She got really sick from a secondary infection and couldn't work for a long time.

Instead, work harder and work smarter.

[Giltaran]

I'm no expert, but if I remember my high school economics, a "normal" balanced budget looks kinda like this:

Housing 25-33%
Food 10%
Debt 10%
Monthly bills 25%
Entertainment 10%
Savings/investments 5-10%
Transportation 10%

The basic idea is to keep those figures in mind. So, for your 1200CDN, 450 for rent is 37.5% a little over-leveraged but not too bad if you *really* want to live where you're living. Transportation costs are WAY over the line, but that's mostly because of your insurance - which does actually go down as you become less of a risk (get older, don't get in accidents, no citations).

Don't feel like you're getting in over your head. Most young people are seriously out of their depth budget wise. That's a combination of entry level jobs and lack of fiscal responsibility - and unless your family is part of the 5% who needn't worry about money, we've all been there. You've already taken a huge leap forward just by putting a budget together and figuring out where your overages are - now all you have to do is figure out how to put things back together. I.e., don't take on any more debt, cut down on your entertainment budget, learn to cook (ingredients cost a LOT less than prepared food), and definitely learn to find the best price on anything you have to buy - insurance, clothes, food, whatever - if there's a competitive market, make sure you've got the best deal you can get before you spend the money.

Oh, and the parents - treat them like any other creditor when it comes to money. Make it clear that you're paying them back in a way that is designed to keep you from having to borrow the next time - they should understand that.

As for investments, there is one and only one investment that makes any kinda sense when you're young and poor - which is to say, has a high enough payoff to be worth risking your limited resources: Education. Invest in your employability. It'll pay the highest dividends in the shortest time, every time. Step one is the cheapest since it costs nothing - learn how to do your bosses' job. Other ways to learn can actually make you money - moonlight doing a job you're curious about for a few (NOT 30!) hours a week, or on weekends. The local temp agency can help you out there - but never spend money to get a job, like at those "employment brokers".

I'd give you the "renew/reuse/recycle" lecture too, but driving a 20yo car, I figure you've already puzzled that out.

If your net income doesn't rise to meet inflation, you're losing money. Cost of living increases are for real - and if they're not keeping up, you've identified one source of lost income. It is possible MB isn't keeping up - it's also possible going somewhere else puts you in a worse position because you'll have to regain years of seniority to get to the same place you are now.

*ticking points off on fingers*: neither a borrower nor a lender, check, invest in self, check... yeah, I think that's the whole lecture. Hang in there, it does get easier!

-Gil (who knows nothing about economics but A LOT about being poor!)