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how do you know she needs the pet? its funny how some people are saying get rid of the pet and some people are saying dont get rid of the pet. just like any advice anyone is giving, we can only suggest she considers it, and she has to decide whether or not its worth the money.
A pet is very necessary to ones health in spite of what some might think.
Keeping a pet (not counting a BIG expensive to feed dog) has been proven to provide necessary company for a person living alone.
So many great responses since I last logged in - thank you! I feel better already just hearing advice from everyone. One thing we all agree on - the CAR! However, I owe more than it's worth, so not sure how I could get rid of it. I agree with some posters about lowering the grocery bill - I was thinking of going vegetarian, anyways - I assume that will be cheaper, too. I'm not getting rid of the cat, lol!
I agree with you all that I will feel much better when the cc's are paid off. I only owe around 1500, so there is light at the end of the tunnel, I guess.
Cars are usually terrible deals... Remember that they are just a tool to get you from one place to another. Too often we overspend, which is always the case when you figure the added interest of a car loan. I would make sure that this is the last time you purchase a car with anything but cash. You never win financially with car payments, as you have found out the hard way. There is more than light at the end of the tunnel... as long as you make smart decisions like following some of the excellent advice you have received from many of these posts.
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Originally Posted by 1brokegirl
So many great responses since I last logged in - thank you! I feel better already just hearing advice from everyone. One thing we all agree on - the CAR! However, I owe more than it's worth, so not sure how I could get rid of it. I agree with some posters about lowering the grocery bill - I was thinking of going vegetarian, anyways - I assume that will be cheaper, too. I'm not getting rid of the cat, lol!
I agree with you all that I will feel much better when the cc's are paid off. I only owe around 1500, so there is light at the end of the tunnel, I guess.
So many great responses since I last logged in - thank you! I feel better already just hearing advice from everyone. One thing we all agree on - the CAR! However, I owe more than it's worth, so not sure how I could get rid of it. I agree with some posters about lowering the grocery bill - I was thinking of going vegetarian, anyways - I assume that will be cheaper, too. I'm not getting rid of the cat, lol!
I agree with you all that I will feel much better when the cc's are paid off. I only owe around 1500, so there is light at the end of the tunnel, I guess.
Sell the car for what you own on it but sell it ASAP! A car is a money pit that will drag you down if your not careful.
The decision to sell the car can't wait it's that important to your well being with your level of income!!
Agree with the others who say shop for different car insurance and get rid of the pet.
You have $131 left over each month. At least you're not digging the hole any deeper - take $100 and pay off the CC's as fast as you can.
I agree with shopping around for different car insurance, but NOT getting rid of the pet. Obviously the people that suggest this aren't pet lovers. I have a cat too, and I would never get rid of him for any reason.
Get rid of your car with the payment, and buy a beater. At least it'll be paid for, your insurance will be less, and you'll only have repair payments. I have a beater minivan, and the Kelley Blue Book value is only $500, but I have at leat $6,000 worth of work in it, plus my mechanic lets me make payments.
The pet should be the last thing to get rid of. You need the company.
Check on lowering the car insurance. It seems really, high, but then I'm in ND, with one of the cheapest rates in the nation. Maybe you are paying a normal rate for where you live, I don't know. If you can't get the insurance down, you may have to get rid of this car & then find a beater and pay cash in a few months. If you have access to decent, safe public transportation, use that for a while to get $$ saved to get the beater vehicle.
Like someone else said, as soon as possible, increase your CC payments. At minimum payments, you're probably looking at 8-10 years to get paid off, even if you never charge another penny on them. I'd just up the pmt on the one with the smallest balance, esp if one balance is considerably less than the others. Then you'd get that one paid off much sooner & then can put the extra $ on your next lowest balance. Even getting one bill totally paid off is an AWESOME feeling!
Oh, and thinking back to my college days when it was just me & my cat and I had $60 for groceries for the month....Pork & bean sandwiches! Maybe add a little fine chopped onion sometimes for something different.
Another $$$ stretcher was to cook up a big pot of rice or potatoes or macaroni or noodles. At meal time put a couple scoops on your plate and pour 1/2 a can of some sort of soup (I liked the beef vegetable, etc) over the rice/noodles/pototoes, nuke it, stir ut up & you're set...instant hotdish!
If you're too tired to cook much sometimes, I have also always liked cottage cheese, even tho it's starting to get a little more expensive (just like everything else). I don't like much dairy but I do like cottage cheese. Anyway, a scoop of cc with some seasoned salt or caraway seed sprinkled on or just some salt & pepper. Best is a couple scoops of cottage cheese and some fresh fruit sliced in or with some canned fruit & juice mixed with the cc.
Last but not least, don't laugh until you've tried it... Buy a loaf of nice fresh generic/store brand bread. I preferred white for this, and just put a nice big squirt ketchup between the slices for a ketchup sandwich. I liked them & still make them occasionally for myself when hubby won't be home for lunch & I don't feel like cooking.
Gosh, the OP already said that she's keeping the cat!
To save money on cat food you can talk to the pet stores and see if they have any busted bags or dented cans they can sell you at a discount. Feed stores and independently owned stores are better for this kind of thing. Some places also offer a case discount if you ask about it. This is how we buy our cats expen$ive pre$cription food. We buy it by the case and get a 10% discount. Every little bit helps.
You can also make your own cat food... there are books with recipes you can check out from the library. I have never tried this so I don't know if it would be more cost efficient or not.
You could also try to get a second job as a kennel cleaner, groomer, or receptionist at a vet clinic or perhaps at a pet store or feed store. This way you would be earning supplemental income and you might also get a discount on your cat food and other kitty needs.
Last edited by haggardhouseelf; 02-08-2012 at 10:19 PM..
Another $$$ stretcher was to cook up a big pot of rice or potatoes or macaroni or noodles. At meal time put a couple scoops on your plate and pour 1/2 a can of some sort of soup (I liked the beef vegetable, etc) over the rice/noodles/pototoes, nuke it, stir ut up & you're set...instant hotdish!
Maybe I'm weird but I love cold potatoes. I especially love the small varieties, like fingerlings and the purple potatoes... but the red and yukon are good, too.... and I'll settle for a ole' standard russet if I must.
I love to season them a bit with my favorite herbs and spices, drizzle a little olive oil, and bake them. Then I let them cool and stick them in the fridge. When I am hungry but too busy to sit down and have a proper meal, I'll grab a potato for a quick bite!
I also keep hard-boiled eggs already peeled, washed and chopped veggies, and fresh fruit (already washed) in the fridge too for the same reason. Also - plain, nonfat yogurt. A spoonful of this is surprisingly filling.
Eating well doesn't have to be expensive. Watch for what's in-season and what's on sale.
And I have found if I wash it, chop it, prepare it right when you get home from shopping... and keep it front and center in the fridge in easy to access containers... that I don't have as much in the way of spoilage later on. If I just come home and stuff it all into the fridge I inevitably find things that have gone bad a week later because I've totally forgotten about it. Maybe that's just me though!
Watch out for canned goods - like soup and beans. They are often high in sodium and also the prices have really started to go up quite a bit I've noticed. It's healthier and more cost effective to cook your soup and beans yourself. A slow cooker makes this super easy, and then portion it out and freeze it or keep it in the fridge to get you through the week.
The OP wanted advice. I gave mine. Doesn't mean the OP has to take it.
One cat doesn't cost much to support.
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Car deals
