I need some help with my bills?

Question

I am 21 years old. I have a 300 dollar rent, a total 200 dollar cable/phone/interent bill, a 200 dollar electric bill, 60 dollars every two weeks for my computer, 90 dollars a week for my furniture, 300 dollars for heat a month, plus gas for the car and anything I may have forgot. I work as a crew at burger king and make about 800 dollars per month. I am a college student and am not yet qualified for a better job. Is there anything out there that can help me?

Answer 1

First off, your electric bill is very high ...are you in an apartment? If so, something is likely pulling power off your apartment and running up your electric meter. Things that pull the most power are your air conditioner, refridgerator, electric water heater. Secondly, your cable, phone, and internet should be around $150. Are you able to cut back on your cable package? If you study a lot you may not need cable at all (but that's up to you). How come you are paying for your furniture? Is it on lease? Are you near the end of your lease for it? I would return it and use simple furniture. Do you know anyone in the military? Ask them to take you to their military base and get some discount furniture at their soldier's attic or go to the Salvation Army. $90 a week is very expensive. Why are you paying $60/bi-weekly for your computer? Would you be able to repost with the length left on your leases/revolving payments? I would like to see where you can cut down your expense. Thanks!

Answer 2

First of all, you should not be renting to own anything. That is a total ripoff. I assume that you are renting a computer and furniture. $360/mo for furniture and $120/mo for a computer? That's ridiculous. You should try to buy some used items and eliminate that monthly debt. Do you really need to have all new items? Next $200 cable/phone/int bill--get rid of the expanded cable and premium channels and that will go down $100/mo. $200 for electric and $300 for heat? Are you sure? That seems very, very high. Call your elect/gas provider and see why. You can also get on a monthly program where they will set you up to have the same amount due every month somewhere probably around $150 or $200. This will be higher than what you normally pay in the Summer, but smaller than what you would normally pay in the Winter.
Then, I would start looking for a better paying job. There's plenty of jobs out there and ones that will work around your college schedule. You just need to really apply yourself and set the goal of getting one. You can do it. Just believe in yourself. You won't be in college forever.

Answer 3

You are living WAY above your means. You need to seriously reduce your bills hon. Return the rental furniture and either buy used or get some from family attics. Freecycle lists may also help you get furniture. It won't be the best, but it won't cost you $90 a month either.

Your cost of living amounts are confusing. Your electric bill is nearly as high as your rent, and since you listed heat separately I'm assuming that's gas heat. You need to trim there too. If you aren't using a light in a room, turn it off. No extra tv's or radios in rooms you aren't currently in. You'll be surprised at how much that can help.

cable/phone/internet... what levels of each plan have you selected? You may need to drop your speed a level or three and you really don't need premium channels.

Why so high on the computer? How many months are you paying before it's yours? Rent-to-own usually costs you 3-10 times what you would pay retail. Look at the overall price that you will pay for the computer, then look at Best But and Circuit City. Our old roommates ended up spending $3k for a pc, while we bought BETTER ones for about $400 each. And WE got free printers and scanners with them. If you can use the computers at school, send the PC back and do so. Save up and buy a computer straight out. You will save a fortune.

As for better jobs, they are out there. Night clerks at hotels, some retail stores, data entry and other jobs may well pay you better.

IF your apartment is large enough, you may want to consider a roommate also to help divide the costs. Don't be surprised though if your new roomie refuses to pay for half of the furniture costs or computer if you are going to be the owner.

Answer 4

When outgo exceeds income you either make more money or give up some things, your utility bills are way out of line, I have a ten room house and a $55.00 a month electric bill
ditto your heat, are you burning diamonds? You will have to lose the cable for anything other than basic, after all you are hardly even home. Switch to a cheaper if slower Internet.
Then take on some extra hours at work if you can, or set up your own business doing laundry or babysitting, (here that can go $10 an hour) cleaning dorm rooms or whatever you can. I'm afraid this is all you can do for a while, its may hurt, but bankruptcy hurts more. You really can't ignore it, it won't go away.

Answer 5

Sweetie the first thing I'd do is get rid of your 90 a week
furniture bill thats 360 a month go garage saling and buy some stain or paint fixing up your own stuff is also enjoyable
if you can get a computer online at dell or something for 30 a month these 2 bills alone are 480 a month minus a computer
(which u are gonna pay high interest charges go simple 600-
700 max and pay it off faster. I hope you did not sign a contract with your phone/phone/internet company you might be stuck there.but you should be able to down grade thats alot of money take the cable down to basic.But its still gonna be tuff your spending way out side your budget economize
be thrifty and good luck

Answer 6

i was in a very similar financial situation when i was in college. i was working and going to school part time. then i cut my work schedule back and went to school full time and qualified for financial aid. as long as you are going FT, you can find some student loans and grants. they will usually be enough to cover some living expenses.

your rent is good and cheap but your electric bill and heating bill are crazy high, you should find out why and cut them way down. seeing that you are in college, there is no reason to have a $200 cable/phone/internet bill. i'm sure your school has free internet access and you probably have a cell phone. and let's face it, there's nothing on cable, don't need it right now.
you probably have a credit card. if you do stop using it and don't get any more. if you don't then good.

good luck, easier said than done.

Answer 7

your electric and heat bills should not be that high if you are renting a place, at least not at the same time. Assuming your heat bill is gas the highest bill I've ever had was $250 with 4 weeks of single digit temps or below, and my highest elect bill ever was $200 with 4 weeks of 90+ degrees and I had the air set to 70.

Answer 8

I heard if you work that corner over there.....no no. jj.....How do you do that? You spend more then you earn. You need to find a roomate, and work more which could be hard because you are in school. If you don't get a roomate, or Parents can't help you out....(Try...But Dad, I need my car to get to school, I can't afford it though ) You are going to have to cut somethings out. First off, your cable ets bill shouldnt be 200. Cut off your cable, get basic phone service, no internet either if worse comes to worse. You can always go to the library. Then you wont need to pay for your pc. Let me get this straight....you rent your pc and your furniture?? Why? Weird. Give back your furniture, you needn't live luxuriously. Get Garage saling and visit used places I think you could qualify for a student loan for living expenses. You could try that too.

Answer 9

Your gas bill is 300 bucks, and yr electric is 200 ? I'd keep off the lights, use only cold water, and keep heat on 65 degrees. That'll save u 500 a month right there

Answer 10

A roommate, and/or second job. I would get a cheaper plan with the entertainment, getting rid of the cable. It also sounds like you don't buy things that you can afford, but try to finance everything. Also, if you are a college student, you are qualified for much better than what you are making.