Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I was unemployed at one period in my life. I got by teaching mandolin lessons for $10 a hour and cutting brush with a chainsaw.
I was advertising my brush-clearing work for $12.50 an hour, and people were balking at paying me that rate. A friend suggested that I figure out how long it would take and tell the people the full price that they would have to pay. It worked. People liked knowing that it would cost, say, $400 for the job, whereas at $12.50/hour they had no idea how long it would take (and whether or not I was lazing on the job). By giving a full-price bid, I ended up making as much as $40 per hour on some jobs!
Later, I talked a lawyer into hiring me as a part-time legal assistant. I told him to pay me $25 per hour, but bill me out at $50-60 per hour. That way, the clients would think that they were getting a good deal: $50-60 per hour for a legal assistant to do photocopying and prepare affidavits rather than $200 an hour for a lawyer to do the same work.
Years ago I was broke a number of times and had to beg, borrow and steal to eat and pay my rent. I have been so poor that I ran out of gas on the way to pick up my paycheck. I have also given my body to science (medicine) to get money to pay for food. I was basically lazy and hated menial work, so I found being broke actually worse than doing a terrible job.
When was the last time you were broke, and why?
Why didn't you move in with your parents if you were so destitute?
Why didn't you move in with your parents if you were so destitute?
Not to sound rude, but it's not always an option for people. Even though I have both my parents close by, I couldn't move in with them. They have small apartments and their own lives, and "strongly encourage" us kids to figure things out on our own.
Not to sound rude, but it's not always an option for people. Even though I have both my parents close by, I couldn't move in with them. They have small apartments and their own lives, and "strongly encourage" us kids to figure things out on our own.
Thanks for explaining.
I know when I move I'll always be welcome back at home. My mom says I can stay here forever I don't like the American over-emphasis on the "independence" of the "individual". Truth is, we're all interdependent, and I see nothing wrong with moving back when times are tough. You save a lot of money that way. This goes with the younger generation accommodating the older, too. Nothing annoys you like elderly parents being too afraid to ask their adult child with the 4,000 square foot McMansion to move in with them.
I know when I move I'll always be welcome back at home. My mom says I can stay here forever I don't like the American over-emphasis on the "independence" of the "individual". Truth is, we're all interdependent, and I see nothing wrong with moving back when times are tough. You save a lot of money that way. This goes with the younger generation accommodating the older, too. Nothing annoys you like elderly parents being too afraid to ask their adult child with the 4,000 square foot McMansion to move in with them.
I think this is one of the biggest problems in our society. If you look at Japan, they have parents, grandparents, and grandkids all living under one roof. And they, along with China, have some of the highest savings rates in the world. Family is supposed to be there to help you out. I just can't help but feel sorry for my friends who's parents forced them out while they are trying to pay their way through college, work full time, and pay bills. It's not a very good way of setting your kids up for success.
I think this is one of the biggest problems in our society. If you look at Japan, they have parents, grandparents, and grandkids all living under one roof. And they, along with China, have some of the highest savings rates in the world. Family is supposed to be there to help you out. I just can't help but feel sorry for my friends who's parents forced them out while they are trying to pay their way through college, work full time, and pay bills. It's not a very good way of setting your kids up for success.
My parents didn't kick me out but I did pay $400 in rent when I lived with them. I also had to let them borrow money when needed. I have my own place now and paid/pay for my own education.
I'm glad my parents weren't able to spoil me and pay for everything when I got older. I feel I'm a better man for it.
I am in better shape than most of my friends right now and I have a healthy savings account that gets bigger by the week. Thankfully.
who's parents forced them out while they are trying to pay their way through college, work full time, and pay bills. It's not a very good way of setting your kids up for success.
That's pretty much what happened to me. I was going to school full time, working 2 part time jobs to pay my way, and I did live at hme for free. Then I was kicked out, had to quit school so I could work a full and part time job to support myself.
There was once a time when the amount of money I was spending exceeded my monthly income by a fair margin. The bulk of that was due to three stupid decisions: One, Rent-A-Center. Two, traffic tickets. Three, a fly-by-night school that didn't provide me anything near an education. Also other little things - banks that ripped me off, theft from previous relationships, etc. Once the Franchise Tax Board started wage garnishment and refused to allow me to set up a payment plan to avoid it, I made the tough choice to file Chapter 13. Best decision of my life - as it got me into a reasonable payment plan and bought me time.
Since the school went belly up, I got the loan forgiven, and all money I paid into it refunded to me - well over $28,000. Rent-A-Center refused to file a claim, but couldn't collect, so they lost out. Couldn't claim the traffic tickets, but it stopped the garnishment and forced the state to take a payment arrangement when the Chapter 13 was up. I was only in it for 3 years, then it was paid. Got promoted a number of times, my income doubled, and I started paying everything electronically, so I could keep track of what was going on. I took out about 6 different credit cards to help re-establish credit, another smart decision, never missed a payment on any of them. They were "subprime", but without them my credit score wouldn't be as high as it is right now. I just closed my last of that bunch two months ago, and consolidated them into less, but more relevant, cards. Between the time I filed and now, I've financed a total of 3 different cars, never missed a payment on either of them. Every time registration/smog would come up, I'd trade for another car instead of doing it because I knew the smog would fail and I'd end up with a big bill. I'm living proof of the statement that credit is only bad if you misuse it.
A year or so ago the Franchise Tax Board and the IRS both came knocking, looking for money; it seems I didn't file a couple of past years properly, claiming EXEMPT to maximize my take-home when in each case I knew full well that I owed money. I hadn't done that every year, but when I was making barely above minimum wage, it worked out nicely (because in those years I truly didn't owe anything); I just stopped doing it when I started to get bonuses and noticed they tax at 50%. Paying those off hurt for a while - serious money had to be paid - but I paid it all off.
Today I'm at a point where it's actually hard for me to think of things I want to buy because I already have everything I want/need that's worth buying. Money is in a rainy day account, retirement account's value is reasonable considering I've pilfered it a few times, primary account's got spare change in it, drive a year-old car, live in a nice area and I'm stable on my job for now. I also sold some older stock options that I had which will be a pretty nice chunk of change, which based on my estimate should come right around the time I'm considering buying a house. Looking back I can easily say that anyone who's trying to go it alone is going to have a tough time if they're not making at least 40k in this state. Couples who can manage to exceed that but still control their spending can really live comfortably.
Honestly, there are still a few skeletons in my closet that I'm sure will come back and haunt me some day - things that I've chosen not to deal with out of principle - but I can at least say that I'm the one in control.
I am flat broke. I dont even have 1 penny to my name. My sons birthday is tomorrw and i cant even buy him a present. I am tired of crying endlessly. I love to work but have yet to find a job. I have went to 3 interviews in the past week and dont have any luck. I need help desperately. I have applied for loans but my credit is so bad that i cant get any thing. One time my kids were starving and none of my family wanted to help so i had to go to foodlion and buy groceries with a bad check.... I ENDED UP GOING TO JAIL FOR THAT...BUT IN THE END IT WAS OK BECAUSE MY CHILDREN WERE NOT STARVING. i just dont understand that noone wanted to help me feed my kids but they bailed me out of jail right away...anyways... I get government assitance but they cut me off this month. Please someone give me some advice...oh and did i say i just got kicked out of my house. I am currently lliving with my dad and his lazy girlfriend....im just thankful my children have somewhere to sleep at night.
If you are still having trouble with the food, I would look into local churches; they usually have some kind of food pantry program going on. I hope you have found a job by now, but if not, some of the churches have outreach programs that can assist you in trying to find one. I hope things get better for you!
I don't really have much money. I have credit debt that I need to pay off. I don't have my own house or car or anything. But I do have place to stay and hopefully I can get a job myself sooner rather than later.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't like the American over-emphasis on the "independence" of the "individual". Truth is, we're all interdependent, and I see nothing wrong with moving back when times are tough. You save a lot of money that way. This goes with the younger generation accommodating the older, too. Nothing annoys you like elderly parents being too afraid to ask their adult child with the 4,000 square foot McMansion to move in with them.
