Doritos

[Minnymouth]

Yeah, I beleive it is spelled Amish..... something like that!!!

Super nice people by the way FOLKS...... will do anything for you to help.............

[sunshine08]

OK OK, I'm here now.

Unless you want a civil suit, sexism isn't an arrestable crime. Besides, it isn't really worth our time to explain (to BK) that we find it offensive. Me, personally, it has to be alot for me to complain because I mainly work around men and don't pay it alot of attention. (for the record - if/when I feel uncomfotable, boy do I let them know it, and if they don't pay attention, I can handle that too, any further,well we won't go there) Women, can be the same way.

Thank Minny for clearing it up about Amish. They do things the old fashioned way. We have Minnites around here, they share some of the same principles. Women wear long dresses, wear their hair up. They guys keep short hair cuts and many have beard. They do have vehicles though. I have a beautiful oak table and chairs that came from the Amish. They make and sell crafts such a quilts, etc.

Many jobs do pay men more. Many jobs are still considered to be a man's job, coal miner, police, fire, etc. Many companies pay their males more than the women by the "job" classification. On the flip side, nurses are tradionally thought to be women, It pays extremely well, (here anyway) Statistic show that single fathers make more than single mothers. NOTE:To BK - many male waiters make more than female waitresses. As far as you dancing, well maybe it was your skill and not your sex. Look at the Chippendales...... (GOT YA!!!)
Living expenses are the same but yet they aren't. You need roof over your head, something to eat, clothes etc. If you are single, there isn't another income or potential sorce of income avaliable like if married/? relationship, I think is what Minny meant. Not some much that there was more money. We all tend to live in our means, like the more you make the more it takes. An example, mom satays at home with the children (look at daycare costs), husband works, for some reason is laid off, etc. Wife could go to work.
I wish I could have been a stay at home mom, as you get older you realize the things you missed out on with your kids. In the worksorce it is still the mon that has to leave work to take care of sick child etc... They are also the ones that have to be out of work due to childbirth. That is also a reason given for the pay disparity. It is alsoa reason for not promoting or hiring females too.

[Kam]

Okay, DH and I bring home about (1700 + 1100) a month = 2800.00

Rent: 700
Heating: 250
Car payment: 250
Auto insurance: 108
Food (family of 4): 600
Gas and Vehicle Maintenance: 250
Sat TV: 60
Cell: 40
DSL + phone: 115
Medical + prescriptions: 100
Misc (pet food, personal care):100
Clothing: 100

Total: 2673 expenses

Before BK we were at least 500.00 in the hole and up to our nostrils to pay day loan and title loan places. We are paying off one title loan place because they own the title to DD's car. These folks have been super nice to us throughout the entire BK process and I told them I would make it right with them after the BK. They did not even charge us interest during the whole process. The other place that held the titles to our other old beaters showed up before I even had a copy of the discharge papers to repo our vehicles! PLUS they were charging exorbitant fees and other charges to boot!


I figured out oldest DD's "expenses" if we insisted she pay room and board since she is now 18:

Rent: 700/4 = 175.00
Food: 600/4 = 150.00
Heating: 250/4 = 60.00
Sat TV/DSL 175/4 = 43.00

DD's "share": $428.00!

Now, our land lord lives next door. Just him. He drops little hints here and there about how "broke" he is all the time. We figure he spends at least $200.00 a month on beer/cigs/chew. He has lots of "friends" who come over and mooch all the time. He has "toys" like a four wheeler, two dirt bikes, a camaro he is restoring, an enormous flat screen tv in the living room, a flat screen tv in his bedroom and a flat screen tv in his kitchen, a riding lawn mower, a boat, camp trailer, etc. Every time we visit he has loads of cookies/cakes/danishes from a local store. He doesn't drink cheap beer like DH does lol! Our landlord is a really nice guy, but he spends a good 1/3 of our food budget on "vices." DH is on a budget when it comes to his "vices." I've got him smoking generic past-date cigs (which he gets for about $1.00 a pack), really cheap chew, and he gets one 30-pack of beer a week.

I lost the point of what I was saying here....hmm.

I guess it's hard to feel sorry for our land lord when we see so many ways he could cut back on his costs!

[StaciMM]

We bring home about $3340 (annualized and divided by 12, roughly 60% of that is me)...

Rent $1200
Car $295
Car insurance $132
Fuel for the Car $100
Vehicle Maintenance $50
Electric & Gas $250
Water $25
Garbage $15
Cable/Internet $120
Cell (we don't have a regular phone) $60
Student Loan $130
Groceries (family of 5) $500
School lunches, supplies, field trips $75
Cleaning Supplies, House maintenance $75
Clothing, Personal Care, Misc $175*
*Includes cigarettes for Dh, pet food, etc.
Entertainment $50

That comes out to $3252. We're pretty frugal on groceries, Dh smokes Dorals for about $21/carton and that lasts him 10 days. He buys a 24 pack of beer 1-2 times per month, LOL. I take sandwich stuff to work for lunch.

No daycare, as we work alternate shifts. If we had no kids, we could live in a smaller house, pay less in utilities, etc. I'm honestly drawing the conclusion, by the way, that a single person's LIFESTYLE is more expensive-we'd probably spend more on entertainment and eating out, and not necessarily less on Clothing, personal care, etc. But, in crunch times, those things could be cut out...

[bkfiler]

ok why are we all giving this info again?

Income: $0

Expenses:

Entertainment: $1800 strip clubs
Food: buffet free at club with entrace fee paid

[Kam]

You are hopeless BKF.

<smirk>

[SinkingFast]

I am looking so forward to a real haircut. Haven't had one of those in over a year. Trimmed my own bangs until I couldn't stand the rest any more. Wanted to get an appt but the salons here charge $20-$25 and up for a cut!! Son told me the local barbershop had a lady cutting hair and she would cut ladies hair. $11 is all they charge for adults. So I tried it. Won't be going back either. Thank goodness it was a blunt cut. I just wanted length taken off. I can't imagine what she would have done to my hair if I'd asked for something "fancy".

Aahhhhhhh Simple pleasures!!

[sunshine08]

If you have a local community college or hair styling academy, they do a good job for much less.
When I am home alone, I generally eat cereal, macaroni and cheese or ravoli.... (Walmart had Star Wars cereal, buck a box, key word being had, but it was just like Lucky Charms, shapes just different, big hit at my house)

[SinkingFast]

Our Walmart has a bakery clearance rack, back in the Dairy section, that I cruise by every time I'm in there. Sometimes they have stuff I want to buy on clearance. Like french bread/sourdough to go with spaghetti. Sometimes we'll pick up something just to try cause the reduced price makes it more attractive. Right after the holidays was great. We got some "artisan" breads and some snack goodies to add some spice to meals and lunches. Stuff I didn't mind trying for half price, or less, but would never have payed full price for.

I know what you mean about the cereal. I always feel a bit sad when I hit on a deal like that and the supply runs out before the kids get tired of it. It's like, "I coulda had another 2 weeks breakfast for $4" kinda thing. But shoot it's gone.

We're new here so we're still feeling our way around. The girls asked at school about places to get a haircut. We called around the recommended places and found out the prices. One was unreal. I about fainted. They wanted $40. I did check out the community college and they don't do a beauty school. But, we are having a meeting tomorrow night for the girls at the high school. It's for Sophomores and Juniors to help in planning their future. They are gonna discuss dual credit classes where they go to college and get HS credit. They are also gonna talk about their VoTech options and we've learned one is "beauty college". The girls are seriously considering doing that. Evidently you go during summer between Junior and Senior year, and half days during Senior year. About the same time you grad HS, you grad from Beauty College as well. Best part is, everyone says it's like half the price compared to going on your own. They fig they could make more money to go to college doing hair and/or nails than working a reg job. At worst, they'd get flexibility in schedule that would make things easier. I'm thinking, with what happened to us, at least they can get work whenever they want, where ever they want.

[sunshine08]

I don't mind saying, clearance is my middle name, if I brought it, 99.9 times out of a 100, I at least got it on sale, (even when I was using cc's). I have already gotten a large jump on Christmas for next year, stocked up at Bath and Body works after Christmas sale. Love coupons, layaways, etc. Also got grandson and nephew toys, one truck before Christmas was $30, I paid $5.... they are happy.
When I get gas I have already looked around for the best prices, when I travel, I write down the prices and the exit numbers too, for the return trip. Love amazon.com and overstock.com.
My mom got my husband a XM radio for Christmas, if you activated it online, no charge and if you signed up for like a year at the time it was cheaper too. Plus I went online for her to find out about them and where to get it at the best price with a rebate...
Love tuna casserole, (my husband doesn't, so I don't fix it when he is around). I am not much into eating out, I either come home or take something with me. Occassionally do the .99 menu at Wendy's or the kids meal at Arby's.

[Minnymouth]

HATE TO SHOP, ESPECIALLY GROCERIES!!! CLOTHES, EVEN WORSE....

Shop once a month, stock up.... no other trips other than maybe milk or bread.

Shop clearance racks (when I do shop), hit reduced bakeries (two in our town), and don't buy what I don't need!!!

Brown bag lunch, take my own pepsi's to work, and eat popcorn for a snack at work..

Girls in my office spend $5-$8.00 a day for meals.....
Guess most of them have not been poor lately.....
Never spent $75.00 for a haircut in my life (never will) but know many that have...

LOVE YARD SALES
Love taking old furniture and refinishing it....... take an old item and making it look new again.

Don't have to have something because the Jone's have it....

Recycle - YES
Love to make something out of nothing!!! Let me count the ways!!!

Do not waste gas, just out poking around..... not the price it is these days...

Do not buy on spur of moment most of the time - especially large ticket items - think about it 24 hours...
often change mind....

Use coupons, watch sale items, buy in bulk if used....
Seldom eat out....

Am realistic, Friends might be able to spend $30.00 at Red Lobster each weekend, I can't....

[bkfiler]

is this a thread on how to save money. i guess i cant figure out whats going on here.

if you want to save money then only shop at walmart and 99 cent stores.

and as minny says do not go out to eat. its way to expensive.

if you are making under a certain amoun then get the lifeline program from the telephone company and the reduced rate program from the electric and gas companys. its a lot cheaper that way.

only go shopping with cash and only take a certain amount.

make it a habit to have cash on hand in your home but dont carry it around.

make it a habit never to use your atm card unless you run out of gas (emergencys). use cash only and only keep $10 in your wallet.

try being a complete and downright cheap ass for 30 entire days. go over board like you wouldnt believe and be so thrifty to make even you think something is wrong lol. during tha time period track how much you saved or how much you spent. you will learn a few things that will last a lifetime and will help your bottom line along your way to financial recovery.

[StaciMM]

The cash vs. debit card is a personal choice. For me, I'm more likely to spend cash while I'm more likely to be careful with the debit card. With cash-there is no record. If I spend it poorly, only I know about it. When I use the debit card, it goes on the bank statement & on the register. I have to be accountable for it. I don't use the debit card like there is no limit.

In general, we stay under $175 per week for spending. That is groceries, cleaning supplies & personal care items, gas, lunch money for the kids, and anything else that might come up. We do go over occasionally-but I work pretty hard to come in under when possible!

[bkfiler]

yes good point. but thats why i said only keep $10 in the wallet and keep the money at home in an envelope.

one strange after effect of this is that i have fun counting my cash, which i keep in $100 bills. i can see it all adding up quick.

and you know it amazes me, how with having a child, your little baby cutie princess doll that i love, that i still have all this extra money

[StaciMM]

That's 'cause you refuse to pay child support even though you claim her as your own.

I'll let you claim Brandi's next baby. If it is a girl, I'll let you choose the name. (She has had 5 boys so far...) No child support needed!