Thinking out loud, budgeting

[tammy88]

both of us recently lost our jobs, my husband got another job bring home 900 a week, i have 6 weeks of unemployment at 160.00 a week. we are both paid on thursdays.

extra Due June

220.00 back rent
270.00 back ch 13
145.00 back cell phone (by the 25th)
150.00 back water bill (by the 12th)

Regular Bills for June
ch 13 $530.00
expedition $180.00 bi weekly (starting june 13th)
furniture 180.00 (15-18th)
electricity 200.00 (16-22nd)
at&t 130.00 (25th)
comcast $180.00 (28th)
rent $885 (1-5th july rent)
medical $25.00 (automatic w/d) (25th)
summer camp $65.00 (june) $130.00 (july)

owe credit cards money
owe mom $188.00 pay w/n 45 days from today
$100.00 a week in groceries
$25.00 a week in gas
i would like $20.00 every other week for kids summer fun
dog food is $26 a month
want to start savings
want to purchase bissell replacement tank for $39.99 plus $7 shipping

im still working on the order in which to pay everything..would love tips and ideas

[Cricketlegs]

First-how many people are in your family. I see you do have children.

I spend $150 at the grocery and $150 on the dry goods stockpile so a total of $300 a month in groceries for a family of 3 to sometimes 5(when the grown kids roll in from school).

You might could find some extra money from the grocery budget.

I do see a lot of payments that you are making in places that here on the village(and you know it is true) that many will say, Why does she have cable when they are out of work(or were) and are behind on their bills? Why do they have cell phones, summer camps, etc.

You kind of have to expect that here. When you ask, you often times will get more than you want.

Other than the lose what you don't need--cable, cells, camps, kids fun money, tighten grocery budget, watch the utilities etc. I don't have any real advice for you.

I do hope you are able to work through this and wish you and your family the very best.

[tammy88]

First-how many people are in your family. I see you do have children.

I spend $150 at the grocery and $150 on the dry goods stockpile so a total of $300 a month in groceries for a family of 3 to sometimes 5(when the grown kids roll in from school).

You might could find some extra money from the grocery budget.

I do see a lot of payments that you are making in places that here on the village(and you know it is true) that many will say, Why does she have cable when they are out of work(or were) and are behind on their bills? Why do they have cell phones, summer camps, etc.

You kind of have to expect that here. When you ask, you often times will get more than you want.

Other than the lose what you don't need--cable, cells, camps, kids fun money, tighten grocery budget, watch the utilities etc. I don't have any real advice for you.

I do hope you are able to work through this and wish you and your family the very best.

we are 4..2 boys, me and hubby

the cable we have always had it, i tried canceling it once and things didnt go well, lots of gripping. i an do with out it, but i do like when the kids are quiet while they watch it and then my husband comes home and wants to relax and watch tv, same routine every night.

we purchased comcast triple play. everything for 129, that didnt include the boxes and taxes..i didnt realize how high it would be...the actual bill is 168.00 i was rounding it to give me a cushion on the account. its a 2 yr contract. had it before we lost our jobs. i should be getting $200.00 back soon.

ive been with the same cell phone company for 10 years, and always renew the contract. we always pull through and its not something i would like to discontinue. i do a few things on the phone for a small hobby business of mine.

camp - i have never done this, but we are home all day every day there are no kids around here. my son is very active and gets bored very easily. we got a swing set but he gets bored because he doesnt have anyone to play with and i can totally understand that. he also gets in a lot of trouble and i would like to have something that he can earn, like the camp.

kid fun money - i just want to work in something fun for them, i know its rough being home all day every day. i have checked the libraries for some stuff..they only thing they do at the location near here are the story times and they have age limits on them. ( like 3-5 yrs old and 6-24 month, my kids are 4 and 2) i want something more productive, he gets bored to easily..i think he had adhd, but the doc says he is too young for the testing.

electricty is on a yearly budget of 200.00 a month to keep it simple

i can possibly shave some of the groceries, but then i hear that there is nothing to eat..LOL endless cycle

i love the advice i understand that if things were cut it would help. i do have a small plan of cutting out the furniture payment, but i need to find a replacement first, and nothing crappy looking. i have been on CL looking for a week. once i find something i will send the furniture back. i have been fiddling with what order to pay things and so forth off and on all day. was actually leaving to take the kids to the park but its so darn hot!

[ritabelle]

what I would do in this situation is get out my calendar and put down every due date on it. Then when the checks arrive, pay in priority order - rent, absolute necessities food, utilities, phone, past due bills, a little for fun stuff and then credit cards.

you'll be able to see which weeks have heavy payments and which are lighter so you can save a little this week to pay next week, etc. if necessary and if you have a little breathing room you can budget a little extra for snacks. tighten the belt as much as possible and it'll help create more space in the budget a little later.

Hope that helps -- good luck!

[Preston]

The true cost of cable isn't just how much it costs a month.

You are using more electricity by having cable.

You are exposed to more advertising and more temptation.

You are also spending less quality time together because the TV gets in the way.

You are less productive. The time watching TV could be spent doing something productive -- like haviing a vegetrable garden... and it would be cheaper.

We have internet and that is how we 'watch TV.' We are about to download shows we like and the computer hooks into the TV no problem.

Never had cable, nor have any desire to... If you ask me, it is a rip off.

It drives me crazy when I visit my parents and they ALWAYS have a TV on. No wonder two of four of us kids have ADD.

[kmonokwe]

If I woke up in your shoes, I'd prioritize and simply pay what you can. Some things MUST be paid, and some things can be forsaken, even if it causes griping and whining. If you don't have the money, you don't have the money, right? No sense going into more debt to keep the cable on, if it comes down to that. I don't mean to say you have to cut cable Just an example.

For me, the most important things are food, shelter, utilities and transportation. According to your list, that would be rent - $1105 including the amount to bring you current and the amount due early next month; water - $150; electricity - $200; expedition payments - $180; groceries - $200-300 (thru the end of the month); gas - $50. Total essentials by July 1: ~$1935. If you got paid yesterday (Thursday, right?), I'd pay your back rent, water, electricity and your car payment TODAY. You've paid your essentials and you've still got two more paychecks before the month is over! Get your groceries and your gas for this week, and set the rest aside for your rent payment coming up.

After that, the priorities (in my opinion - not everyone is the same) are the ch 13 payments, medical, your phone service, and all the little necessaries. The real point is prioritize - take this list and organize it from top to bottom with the things that are vital to your survival at the top and the things that are luxury items at the bottom. And be honest with yourself.

After the essentials, pay what you have the money for, and don't pay what you don't have the money for. I think its admirable that you are working so hard to find things for your boys to do this summer - but making sure your family is financially sound really is more important than keeping them from being miserable for a month or two. Its a short term vs long term issue. Maybe a summer pass to the public pool would be cheaper than summer camps?

Based on your current income, I think you could be totally current on everything by next month, if you're careful. I think its a great idea to dump the furniture for something else, but be careful there, too - only buy what you can pay cash for, or you're swapping one furniture payment for another. I'm not sure what furniture items you have financed, but maybe its something you could simply do without for a month or two? Sometimes its hard to imagine not having a couch or a bed, but honestly? We could all get by watching tv on the dining room chairs for awhile if we had to.

Keep thinking outside the box - you'll make it through! I hope this helps

[tammy88]

The true cost of cable isn't just how much it costs a month.

You are using more electricity by having cable.

You are exposed to more advertising and more temptation.

You are also spending less quality time together because the TV gets in the way.

You are less productive. The time watching TV could be spent doing something productive -- like haviing a vegetrable garden... and it would be cheaper.

We have internet and that is how we 'watch TV.' We are about to download shows we like and the computer hooks into the TV no problem.

Never had cable, nor have any desire to... If you ask me, it is a rip off.

It drives me crazy when I visit my parents and they ALWAYS have a TV on. No wonder two of four of us kids have ADD.

as stated earlier its a contract

[rowdy35]

I would focus on getting a job for you right away. Also you can babysit some other kids for extra money or do something from home to make money too.

The food budget can be slashed quite a bit too by buying sale stuff and cutting back to hot dogs, macaroni, canned fruit & veg till you get caught up on the bills. I wouldn't buy pop, or convenience foods at all till you can get caught up.

It's good you have figured out what you owe, now you just have to set a plan to get the bills paid.

I would focus on increasing income and decreasing expenditures for now.

[tammy88]

If I woke up in your shoes, I'd prioritize and simply pay what you can. Some things MUST be paid, and some things can be forsaken, even if it causes griping and whining. If you don't have the money, you don't have the money, right? No sense going into more debt to keep the cable on, if it comes down to that. I don't mean to say you have to cut cable Just an example.

For me, the most important things are food, shelter, utilities and transportation. According to your list, that would be rent - $1105 including the amount to bring you current and the amount due early next month; water - $150; electricity - $200; expedition payments - $180; groceries - $200-300 (thru the end of the month); gas - $50. Total essentials by July 1: ~$1935. If you got paid yesterday (Thursday, right?), I'd pay your back rent, water, electricity and your car payment TODAY. You've paid your essentials and you've still got two more paychecks before the month is over! Get your groceries and your gas for this week, and set the rest aside for your rent payment coming up.

After that, the priorities (in my opinion - not everyone is the same) are the ch 13 payments, medical, your phone service, and all the little necessaries. The real point is prioritize - take this list and organize it from top to bottom with the things that are vital to your survival at the top and the things that are luxury items at the bottom. And be honest with yourself.

After the essentials, pay what you have the money for, and don't pay what you don't have the money for. I think its admirable that you are working so hard to find things for your boys to do this summer - but making sure your family is financially sound really is more important than keeping them from being miserable for a month or two. Its a short term vs long term issue. Maybe a summer pass to the public pool would be cheaper than summer camps?

Based on your current income, I think you could be totally current on everything by next month, if you're careful. I think its a great idea to dump the furniture for something else, but be careful there, too - only buy what you can pay cash for, or you're swapping one furniture payment for another. I'm not sure what furniture items you have financed, but maybe its something you could simply do without for a month or two? Sometimes its hard to imagine not having a couch or a bed, but honestly? We could all get by watching tv on the dining room chairs for awhile if we had to.

Keep thinking outside the box - you'll make it through! I hope this helps

Thanks

the furniture is the sofa, i dont have a dinning room set at all right now...LOL i love this sofa but i would totally let it go and find something on CL...im looking every day!

i have so far paid the back rent. the water and plan on paying the back ch 13 and car payment tomorrow...the only other thing past due would be the cell phone, which isnt due until the 25th or 27th of this month. got groceries, spent 107.00 which is what i usually spend..which has gotten better...we went through times last year where we spent about 60-70 but there was hardly anything here, then when we did good and took lunches to work we spent about 150.00 so im kind of happy with the 107.00 but would like to spend less, who wouldnt. havent bought gas yet. but shouldnt need more the 25.00 worth. i dont have a rent payment due till July.

i think we will be current next month, and then i just need to find the right budget plan for us.

THANKS

[ladykemma2]

what everybody else said.

something that has been on my mind. the other day - was it you who left the eggs out? you said the house was at 69? that jumped out at me.

consider turning the a/c to 78 or 80.

[tammy88]

I would focus on getting a job for you right away. Also you can babysit some other kids for extra money or do something from home to make money too.

The food budget can be slashed quite a bit too by buying sale stuff and cutting back to hot dogs, macaroni, canned fruit & veg till you get caught up on the bills. I wouldn't buy pop, or convenience foods at all till you can get caught up.

It's good you have figured out what you owe, now you just have to set a plan to get the bills paid.

I would focus on increasing income and decreasing expenditures for now.

i am def. looking for a job, been looking unfortunately there isnt a lot out there right now, but i am looking and submitting resumes, unemployment also requires that.

i cant babysit for reasons i cant share. trust me they wouldnt want me anyways..LOL
but i would love to find something i could do at home. i got offered to help some one sell a litter of puppies today so that might help. i breed yorkies and i dont have any right now, but someone called asking for assistance selling theirs for a commission.

most of the meats i buy are marked down, ( i do this even when things are great) one of MY many downfalls was eating out so thats been cut...i even DROVE OUT of the drive thru today and went home to make sandwhiches, that was a first ladies!!..LOL

i did stock up on some tp and soap that was on sale.
i really dont buy anything more then the hotdogs, mac n cheese, lettus, tomato, hamburger, some chicken, deli ham, milk, eggs, some fruit, the only junk food i got was some swiss rolls 1.29 and and potatoe chips that were 2.63 (husbands lunches) all the food is the generic brand (except kraft mac n cheese was on sale for .50) peanut butter.

i love the 10/10.00 =)

we'll do fine, i just want to do even better and i really want to find room to save money. thats my main goal.

[tammy88]

what everybody else said.

something that has been on my mind. the other day - was it you who left the eggs out? you said the house was at 69? that jumped out at me.

consider turning the a/c to 78 or 80.

yes ...and the eggs were OK

but the electricity is on a budget plan where its the same every month no matter what we use

[ladykemma2]

your way:

200 x 12 = 2400 a year for electricity

my way:

1600 a year for electricity. monthly, not average billing. houston texas heat.
jan: 60
feb: 60
march 80
april 90
may 150
june 210
july 250
august 250
sep 210
oct 100
nov 80
dec 60

[kmonokwe]

yes ...and the eggs were OK

but the electricity is on a budget plan where its the same every month no matter what we use

How long are you locked in this arrangement? That seems like a great place to cut back. We've got a pretty small place, but we use less than $100/month in the summer time, and we keep our AC at 74-75. If you can break the agreement, that could potentially be another $100 a month freed up!

I was also going to say good for you being willing to let go of the couch. Really, your income is great! DH brings home (after taxes and insurance) $900 every two weeks, so I'd take your income in a heartbeat!! It really is the expenses that are dragging you down.

Keep up the good work looking for a job and whittling away at your expenses, and definitely begin working on that budget plan this weekend. Plan for an ideal month, based on your usage and your current income - not something that will necessarily work this month or next, but something you could try to have installed by August, with or without your new job. Set some small goals for yourself, such as having replaced the couch by a certain date. A plan is really the key to making your money work for you, and I think you're on the right track!

[tammy88]

sadly ours has never been that low, even when we tried all the stuff last year...when i was home, i was home for 2 yrs prior to this layoff and i tried to come down, but its more affordable this way...my lowest are in the 160's and my highest have been in the 400's so this makes it more affordable, we just installed central heat and air too, and my husband is a HVAC guy and he keeps is cold...we fight over the thermostat...trust me!