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I am going through a very stressful time. I just took a major pay cut, my hubby was laid off, we have a small child and are paying rent ($1400 for a 1br). Debt is mounting, my CC companies are calling, and I'm scared we're going to get evicted. We sold one of our cars, and had a yard sale, but still are having trouble making ends meet.
I told American Express I am trying to pay the bill, and I know it is there and it is not being ignored (it is 9k). They call me about 14x a day though, sometimes I pick up and others I do not.
Please help. We are in a tough financial situation. I can't even put gas in my car and we're struggling to put food on the table. We're living amongst people who look down on you if you're poor, so that makes it harder.
Any and all suggestions are welcomed. What should we do?
I am going through a very stressful time. I just took a major pay cut, my hubby was laid off, we have a small child and are paying rent ($1400 for a 1br). Debt is mounting, my CC companies are calling, and I'm scared we're going to get evicted. We sold one of our cars, and had a yard sale, but still are having trouble making ends meet.
I told American Express I am trying to pay the bill, and I know it is there and it is not being ignored (it is 9k). They call me about 14x a day though, sometimes I pick up and others I do not.
Please help. We are in a tough financial situation. I can't even put gas in my car and we're struggling to put food on the table. We're living amongst people who look down on you if you're poor, so that makes it harder.
Any and all suggestions are welcomed. What should we do?
Can you move to a less expensive apartment? Can your husband do anything to bring in some income?
Do you have friends and family that could help you come up with at least half of the debt amount to settle it? Does Amex have a hardship program? Being laid off could qualify as a hardship.
I agree with Sam 82 moving out to a cheaper area and doing something to earn extra income are good ideas.
First of all you need to find somewhere cheaper to live or move in with relatives. See if your husband can find some kind of job, I know its tough out there right now but anything will help. But first you and your husband need to make sure that your kid is fed and taken care of, then take of the credit card. American Express has the tendency to be hard to deal with at this time. See if you can work out a deal with them to pay. And tell them to stop calling you or you will file a complaint. If you dont have the money right now you dont have the money. You cant pull it out of thin air. Lots of people are having a tough time right now and jobs are difficult to come by, my friend has a RN liscense and cannot find a job right now.
thanks for replying. I did call AX and scheduled a payment for next month. Minimum payment though. I am enrolled in the hardship program which is 0%APR for 9 mos, but I could not make the first payment and was booted out.
We spoke to our LL today and he said we can break the lease for no return of security. Thats what we are doing and we're moving to new haven, which is a little cheaper but not by much in a safe area.
I am canceling our cell phones and we will stick to landline. We fill up once a week in my car, and do all of our weeks errands in one trip, or at least try to. We are relying on family to send us hand-me-downs so that saves us money.
We are in CT, my family is in Portland, OR. We cant move in with them because we need my job. My hubby is out today looking for min wage jobs (convenience stores, restaurants).
Gosh it's hard. CT is so expensive to live on one small salary.
How should I communicate with AX if I dont have the money?
I have never been good with budgeting, and now it is coming to hit me in the rear. Would you guys say I'm in deep doo doo?
I want to say first...you did the right thing. I'm referring to the second to last sentence you put on your last post. You acknowledged where the problem is, and have not blamed it on others. That's the first step to recovery.
Second, you're taking steps to cut costs. I would encourage you to do some deeper evaluation to see where else you can trim fat. You might be surprised at what you find. Look at your television habits (if any), eating out habits (if any), etc.
Third, moving sounds like a good idea. You may have a standard of living that you've become accustomed to, but keep your options open: you may need to sacrifice, as long as it doesn't result in unsafe conditions.
Lastly, the only thing I can suggest with American Express, if you didn't opt for any sort of payment assistance, is to submit a plea offer with them. Let them know what you can pay, 100% confidently. A good faith offer might go a long way - but the key is to at least communicate with them. Leaving them in the dark is the last thing you want to do.
My final suggestion to you would be to ignore what other people think. Negative energy breeds negativity. If you can get to a point where you are willing to sacrifice what you need to get by, albeit temporarily, and take steps to live within your new means, you'll be fine. What others think about you is the last thing that you should have on your mind.
Your landlord cannot only withhold security if he cannot re-rent the apartment, and he has to prove that they are trying to rent it. If I were you, I'd withhold last months rent and tell you don't have the money. What is he going to do? Take you to court? Give him 30 days and tell him he can't keep the security as last month's rent. Tell him you are sorry, but you don't have the money.
Your landlord cannot only withhold security if he cannot re-rent the apartment, and he has to prove that they are trying to rent it. If I were you, I'd withhold last months rent and tell you don't have the money. What is he going to do? Take you to court? Give him 30 days and tell him he can't keep the security as last month's rent. Tell him you are sorry, but you don't have the money.
This is dangerous advice. You do not have recourse to withhold rent, especially when you know you have the money, unless you can substantively prove that there is sufficient cause. Things such as repairs not done timely or at all, mold not resolved, etc. Just because you don't feel like paying is not a valid reason.
You don't want an eviction on your rental record (and you DO have such a record). It will make it that much more difficult when you go to rent in the future.
This is dangerous advice. You do not have recourse to withhold rent, especially when you know you have the money, unless you can substantively prove that there is sufficient cause. Things such as repairs not done timely or at all, mold not resolved, etc. Just because you don't feel like paying is not a valid reason.
You don't want an eviction on your rental record (and you DO have such a record). It will make it that much more difficult when you go to rent in the future.
It's not dangerous advice. The landlord has the rent in the security deposit. I would give 30 days and pay up to date, leave the place in great condition, and move out. Just tell them you don't have the money, which is true, she doesn't. Why should you give someone $1,400 for nothing? The landlord will rent to someone else. She can't even put gas in the car. She needs food for her baby.
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