payday!!

[Zoe Girl]

OMG it couldn't have come any sooner. I get paid once a month and my rent is just under 50% of my total paycheck. I still get child support for the next 5 months so this month I tried to see how far I could get without it. I went back to tracking expenses again, got down to the last of everything like butter, cooking oil, TP. I found that we created a lot of dirty dishes by cooking and sometimes I felt like I was hungry but usually for junk food. I found that despite many opinions I truly value a starbucks drink once a week but am satisfied with the smallest size. I gave my daughter a lot of birthday money and had a double bill, and borrowed some from savings as well. I think I can refine the spending as well. I hadn't intended this to be the month I started but my ex had some financial issues and I have needed to try this anyway.

I learned that I can probably make it but anything like a car repair or a dental need will push me over. There isn't room for any big things in this budget, for example I need a new coat very much and I want to spend $100 and get a good one rather than stick with the goodwill one in the wrong size. I also very much need a new computer but am using my work laptop at times to fill that gap.

It will be an experiment over the next several months for 2 reasons, to see if I want to apply for a supervisor position in January or if I need to consider a weekend part time job.

[Dhiana]

UGH! That sucks, ZG :(

(((HUGS)))

We're on belt tightening mode here, too. We've chosen to go car-free because as you mentioned, one car repair and you're behind the 8ball.

[rodeosweetheart]

What about possibly doing holiday retail--I see lots of signs where I live and have been considering it.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Too much on rent. Yea I know rising rents are always threatening to eat one's paycheck alive, but nontheless it's too high a %, it's going to be hard as long as rents eat up that much probably.

[jp1]

Too much on rent. Yea I know rising rents are always threatening to eat one's paycheck alive, but nontheless it's too high a %, it's going to be hard as long as rents eat up that much probably.

And that's the conundrum so many people deal with. If I recall correctly, Zoe is already at the pretty low end of rents in her city, short of moving to a distant suburban location that's inconvenient for both her and her son. If they'd done that then car expenses and dependence would be even higher than they are now, likely eating up any savings on rent.

[Zoe Girl]

yes rent it high, i have my son with me of course, and i really don't want him to move before he is really able to do it without being totally poor, so part of this is to see if i need to charge him or if i can go to dad and ask for a small amount as long as a kid is living with me. He has been nice about that type of thing before, oddly.

Also my bills would drop by $200 with my son paying for a couple things that currently use child support money to pay for. i am going to have him pay for these things now and put that money aside to help save for a vehicle.

i don't want to move, i really like it here. and for me actually this is a huge step forward to be able to actually pay my own bills to this extent after so many years with low pay and being the single mom responsible for all the kiddos.