Money's not bad, so why's it so difficult to make a living? I guess I need a second job, or a rich wife.

Question

Income: $16/hr, $400 take-home/week = $1,600/month
Expenses: $750 rent, $300 car note, $150 insurance, $200 food, $150 student loan, not much left for miscellaneous bills and surprises(utilities, vehicle maintenance, speeding tickets, gas) = deficit for savings. Maybe bankruptcy will bring me a little bit of relief. Anybody else having a difficult time?

I wud hope every1 is fixing their car when things malfunction or at least maintaining it to help prevent things from happening. It is a used car and I got it for a good deal, besides the interest that I'm paying on it. Im young and I have a need for speed so I will get the occasional ticket, This is an extra $75-$150 which puts me in a bind. We eqaute a person with a lead foot as a bad driver, but ironically there's those "running the roads" within the speed limits causing more accidents. As a result of my "criminal" record, insurance companys are excessively charging $300+ a month for insurance which if they were the only company available I would have to make a decision between payin my insurance or eating. Gas prices are at $2.89 for 87-octane. Surprised the hell outta me! My $750 rent provides me a "lovely" apartment in a not-so-lovely neighborhood. If I knew God's address, I wud promptly mail him a check for 10% every week guaranteed to never bounce. Til then I'll hold it for him.

What can I say, I like my own ****, so a roommate is out of the answer. Even with so many obstacles in life, Im still a very optimistic person and I treat those obstacles like challenges. I have many things to be thankful for, and I am, becuz things cud obviously be worse. My intention in asking this question was not to receive all these "easy" answers, but to put the idea out there that life for many singles my age aint easy and there aint no easy answer; especially for those who've had to earn everything theyve got. The more we earn and get, the more "they" want to take. Don't look at this as a cry-cry, cuz no matter what it takes, Im going to find a way to make it. As for now, that seems to be getting a second job and working 60-80 hours a week. It's nice to see everyone has an opinion, along with many assumptions, so... thanks.

ctfost82 aka ultima_fost

If u only knew what I had to go through to get the car I have. Dump my car and beg for rides again? Public transportation? Ha! Thats out of the answer. Something isnt paid for until u pay for it. Get it?

Unfortunately, I eat out everyday. I typically will have a big lunch, and not much after work if I can survive. I spend about $4-$10 a day for lunch, alone. Being a single guy not knowing how to cook and too lazy to learn, I spend money that I wish I could keep. I'm almost certain that if I would grocery shop and cook and do the whole leftovers for lunch deal, I would spend just as much, if not, save very little.

Answer 1

You make a good point, the problem is everyone wants to get into your pocket and there is no one that can stop this crazy cycle by themselves. Used to be you would get TV free and phone calls costs10cents or less, a pair pf tennis shoes were $20.00, Now just the stuff I mentioned is one weeks paycheck for you. You need to get a better paying job, maybe for one of these companies that are making all the money, maybe it will balance out. Good Luck

Answer 2

Get a better paying job. You mentioned student loan, are you out of college and only making $16.00 an hour? A rich wife would be nice, but you should marry within your norm, and it sounds like you need to get a roommate first to share the cost of rent and work towards getting a better paying job, maybe a second job. Bankruptcy will only make things worse for you as you won't be able to get any credit and you may still have to pay some of your debts back once you can. Try not and get anymore speeding tickets, think about car pooling, changing some of your spending habits. Did you know that if you save two dollars a day for forty years, that you will have over a million dollars. You don't have to be a high income earner to eventually have monetary security, which most of us strive for by the time we are ready to retire. Also, if you don't get anymore tickets your insurance cost will come down. Maybe you should get a part time job, as well.

Answer 3

You are spending too much in rent. Get room mates. You have no excuse paying that much. I got 500 a month in Mountain View CA, and 700 a month in a luxury apartment in downtown San Jose, CA.

You have no excuse for the car loan. Buy a used car. You can get something good for 3000 total, and insurance will be less. Save the 300 dollar car loan for when you can afford it, because right no you can't.

You're spending too much on food. I got by eating steak and drinking beer for 30 dollars a week, you can too. Cook your own food.

Gas is not a "surprise."

Your problem isn't making a living, it's living beyond your means. You feel entitled to a standard of living you simply can't afford. Cut back.

If you declare bankruptcy based on that, you're a loser. When I made 16 dollars an hour I cut back on my costs and I was still SAVING money.

Answer 4

Been in your shoes...no fun living paycheck to paycheck.

I agree with the idea of finding a more economical apartment. It may not be your desire to find something different, but you may not have a choice.

Bankruptcy, depending on your situation, may not help you much...or even be possible. Rules have changed.

Trim the fat...speeding tickets are something you can control. Insurance rates will go down as well.

How often do you eat out, grab a coffee, ect? You would be amazed what you can save...

Answer 5

Well, can you job share (and therefore work part-time)? Or can you just work part-time or maybe do some work from home? Speaking from experience, this is possible while maintaining a living wage working in the health care industry. (I'm a part-time RN.) That way you can work on honing your craft, be it photography, writing, etc. and eventually give lessons, publish, sell, etc. w/o the pressures of making $ at it right away.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Speeding tickets? Insurance rates?

Perhaps check out "The Cheapest Family in America", or the Debt Diet.

Priorities. Trim the fat. There are things that are impulse and not really a need. If you need to speed and fix your car, and run the roads, then yes, get a second job.

Answer 8

I don't know where you live, but your rent is more than my house payment and I have a 2,500 S.F. home on a acre of land.

At $16.00 per hour x 2080 hours is $33,280.00 a year. That's not bad money, but then I live in Oklahoma where everything is cheaper.

Answer 9

That's a good income-I work a full time at 7.00 an hr & about 6.50+? an hr at my part time job,(I just got this 2nd job) & doubt if I make that much. (1 reason I still live at home but I don't have high bills.)

Answer 10

The goal is not to reduce your budget. The goal is to produce more. A farmer never produce as close to his budget as you are because he plans for storms ruining some, animals and insects eating some, some of it dying, etc. You should produce more.