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.
There only a few types of people that are poor through no fault of their own. Most people are poor because they think a certain way. The above bolded describes the people with the "I HAVE TO have this because this is a critical item that my life can’t go on without." So people end up buying things they really don’t need and then complain that modern society has too many expensive "mandatory" items you must have in order to live/make a living. In 90% of the cases you could have done without it.
For example, I don't know why in the world you think only an expensive smartphone can do tasks that you described above. I bought a smartphone for $50 last year that can do everything an employer would consider mandatory in terms of phone functions. Ditto on the laptop. Except for a few specialized jobs, almost everyone could function just fine at work with a $400 laptop. Hell, my sister is using a $300 laptop and she’s in medical school! So your above point holds no real merit.
And just NO to your point last statement regarding a "consumerist economy." That’s a CHOICE, not a requirement in this country. I make a very good living and I still can’t find any justification to this "consumerism argument." My fridge is 13 years old but it looks like I bought it 3 years ago, so why in the world would I HAVE TO have the newest one??
This is the other type of thinking that keeps people from being financially secure. The classic: "I don’t make enough to pay my bills!!!." On a smaller scale it might be the guy that spends $400/month on beer, cigs and junk food complaining that he can’t cover a bill to fix his cars tranny. All the worlds’ bad luck just falls on him and now he can't even get to work because his car broke through no fault of his own. Just bad luck!! Poor guy can’t afford to pay for the repair because "the country just doesn’t have enough good paying jobs...." If he even had the discipline to cut his vices in half he would not be in that situation. But of course it’s not his fault!!
So I'm sorry to say this but if you actually had half to put down on a fully loaded Durango ($40K+) why in the world didn’t you just buy a brand new reliable corolla (or similar) for cash? Then you wouldn’t need to rely on your ex’s alimony payment to afford your lifestyle. The fact that you can’t "afford" to pay your bills has everything to do with the fact that you’re buying a $40K+ car, living in a 5 bedroom house etc. and NOTHING to do with the fact that you make $15/hour.
Point is, most people would have a hell of a lot more than $500 saved for emergencies if they just changed their mindset. This could be accomplished without literally working a single hour more or getting a single raise from their current job.
I drive what I drive because it fits my lifestyle. I have always drove large SUV's. I need awd for where I live and a compact car, does not carry what I need it to. I did pay cash for a brand new Dodge Dart right before the Durango. I did not keep the car 3 months because it was too small and did not fit my needs.
My ex does not pay alimony. He is only court ordered to pay child support and he does not do that.
My estimate is $10K - $14K. A wholesale selloff would generate maybe $1K - $2K to a dealer. Hard to sell locally because the market is limited; eBay opens a national market where you need only one buyer - of course, two or more bidders is better. There are dealers in other parts of the country who will travel to appraise and buy what I have but they pay poorly.
Realizing that higher estimate is also labor intensive, as it requires knowledgeably writing good descriptions and posting good pictures - one reason dealers pay lowball prices. But I could easily make that much if I could sell them online the same way normal people sell.
So you have no way to sell this stuff and have no way to fund a move to where you could sell it. And you continue to pay $2,700 a year to store it?!? The current "value" of this stuff to you, is NEGATIVE $2,700 a year. If you sold it off for the middle range a dealer would give you ($1,500) and then saved the $2,700 a year, you'd make back the supposed middle value of 12K in under 4 years. Then you'd have 12K to move somewhere with a lower COL and no storage cost and you'd use the remaining monies to buy inventory for an eBay business. That seems like a surer bet than continuing to spend a ridiculous percent of your yearly earnings to store stuff you may someday be able to sell if your life unexpectedly changes dramatically for the better.
Good Lord, no wonder you're broke and stuck in a crappy rental. You have no ability to look at a situation for what it is and navigate a way through.
I drive what I drive because it fits my lifestyle. I have always drove large SUV's. I need awd for where I live and a compact car, does not carry what I need it to. I did pay cash for a brand new Dodge Dart right before the Durango. I did not keep the car 3 months because it was too small and did not fit my needs.
My ex does not pay alimony. He is only court ordered to pay child support and he does not do that.
If you need a big SUV why didn't you go used?
You could get a 5 or 6 year old Durango with less than 80k miles for probably a quarter of the price of a new one. A truck that costs more than your annual income definitely isn't the best option and definitely isn't the only SUV that fits your lifestyle. That would be like me saying a brand new Tesla is the car that fits my lifestyle. I have a feeling your parents are pretty wealthy and you had a particularly luxurious childhood.
I drive what I drive because it fits my lifestyle. I have always drove large SUV's. I need awd for where I live and a compact car, does not carry what I need it to. I did pay cash for a brand new Dodge Dart right before the Durango. I did not keep the car 3 months because it was too small and did not fit my needs.
My ex does not pay alimony. He is only court ordered to pay child support and he does not do that.
Maybe you need to be willing to give up carrying all that stuff with you all the time. You can own a cheaper car as a daily driver and on the occasions where you really need that extra space you can rent it.
Except that I have an interest clock running and to the extent I can choose to pay more interest or less interest, I'd prefer to pay less interest. Also, reducing debt is pretty much the only way I can improve my credit profile.
Why not save up for a move? If you really think it would make it possible to sell your inventory for $12K it is a much better ROI than paying down debt. Of course whether or not you can actually sell it for that is a separate matter. I would say it may be realistic to sell 1/3 of your inventory for full price, and the rest you might not find any takers for. But even in that case, your ROI is better.
Once you get the money, keep it set aside and use it to make monthly payments to rehabilitate your student loans (I think you can do this...but don't take my word for it). Once you do this, you can stop the garnishment and give yourself more breathing room.
My husband and I were watching the BBC production of Sense and Sensibility DVD last night, in which a previously very wealthy mother of three daughters was widowed and left with a very reduced income. After she said that she "supposed" that they could get by in a large (to most people) seaside cottage with "only" two servants (this was early 19th century England) and one of the daughters lamented being so poor, my husband and I stopped the DVD to discuss the relativity of wealth.
We said that if we were to take a huge financial dive, that would mean moving from our comfortable four-bedroom home in a middle-class suburb to a one-bedroom apartment in a modest (but not decrepit) part of town -- but even that modest apartment would be considered luxurious to many people around the world and even right here in the USA, since it would house only two people.
I just think too many people forget that all most people really NEED are good mental and physical health, enough food to eat, adequate shelter, and reliable transportation (even if that transportation is the bus); and I think many people get into trouble when they think of luxuries as being necessities.
You could get a 5 or 6 year old Durango with less than 80k miles for probably a quarter of the price of a new one. A truck that costs more than your annual income definitely isn't the best option and definitely isn't the only SUV that fits your lifestyle. That would be like me saying a brand new Tesla is the car that fits my lifestyle. I have a feeling your parents are pretty wealthy and you had a particularly luxurious childhood.
What was the first car you drove at 16?
Because my last two vehicles were used and. I had lots of issues with them. I didn't want that type of hassle. I owe less than $15k on the durango and driving an almost new vehicle that should last me for a very long time. I am ok with that decision and have no regrets.
I drove a brand new jeep at 16, but I made the payment and paid all the expenses. I have owned a few cars over the years but they were always second cars. I need the big car as my main vehicle. I haul kids and building supplies.
Maybe you need to be willing to give up carrying all that stuff with you all the time. You can own a cheaper car as a daily driver and on the occasions where you really need that extra space you can rent it.
I haul kids and building supplies. I don't haul the same building supplies every day. I use my car to haul supplies all the time. Paying delivery fees is more expensive than just owning the car that I need and fits my lifestyle. Really. I am good with my vehicle choice.
If you all want to solve an issue for me, figure out how to get one high wage earning, dead beat to pay his court ordered child support. Or deported and out of my hair. Either option would be fine.
I drive what I drive because it fits my lifestyle. I have always drove large SUV's. I need awd for where I live and a compact car, does not carry what I need it to. I did pay cash for a brand new Dodge Dart right before the Durango. I did not keep the car 3 months because it was too small and did not fit my needs.
My ex does not pay alimony. He is only court ordered to pay child support and he does not do that.
I think you missed my point. I wasn't saying you shouldn't do what fits your lifestyle or not live the way you want. You absolutely have a right to buy that Durango.
What I was saying is if we purposely live above our means then we have no right to complain about not making enough money. For example, buying a new 75" curved TV for $4K is a choice and one cannot complain if they are struggling after that purchase no matter how much its needed to "fit their lifestyle."
The only people who can truly complain about not making enough are the ones budgeting and still can barely provide themselves/their kids with the bare necessities of life (food, shelter, clothing). Most people on this thread do not fit that criteria.
I haul kids and building supplies. I don't haul the same building supplies every day. I use my car to haul supplies all the time. Paying delivery fees is more expensive than just owning the car that I need and fits my lifestyle. Really. I am good with my vehicle choice.
If you all want to solve an issue for me, figure out how to get one high wage earning, dead beat to pay his court ordered child support. Or deported and out of my hair. Either option would be fine.
I never understood how a guy who is a high wager earner (or even a low wage earner) could get away with not paying support. There is something wrong here. If he is "court ordered" to pay support, and he is not paying, he is in contempt of court and they will throw him in jail for not paying. Trust me...been threatened with that one myself at one point in time because my overtime pay put me in arrears. It's simple, call Domestic Relations and tell them he isn't paying. They will be all over him. I used to have to show my pay stubs every six months so the ex could even get me for support on my Overtime. There is no reason to not be getting paid. No excuse.
As far as Deported, unless he is an illegal that isn't happening. If he is illegal, call ICE.
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.
