Being a grown-up sucks

My main rant is that they do not allow me to pay any other way. Their service is ok.

 

Just about done paying off my credit cards. Throw in some loans to a friend who was gambling and trying to keep his house....that's about $40 grand paid off in five years.

No, nothing wrong with moving back in with mom for a while. Also nothing wrong with picking up a part time job. I have 3, one seasonal that allows me to live a somewhat normal lifestyle. Do I wish this profession paid me $60 grand a year, with 3-weeks paid vacations, yes. But I also realize that's not the case and if you want something you have to go out and get it.

 

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the advice on here from everyone. It sounds like moving back home is the answer that I'm probably going to go with.

My car had been a great car since I bought it in 2002. But at 186,000, shits bound to happen I guess. Guess I just didn't expect to have it all happen at once.

 

I went paperless for all of the bills, but I definitely do not have autopay. I don't want anyone taking money out of my bank account.
I pays the bills myself online (and I just started doing it a few months ago after being afraid to dive into this for more than a year).
I have had problems with the e-mail reminders, so I checked out each specific bill and the due date. I pay the bills right around the 1st and 15th each month. Turns out most of the bills are due between the 6th and 12th, and the others from the 20th to the 24th each month.
So, I have a list of the ones I have to pay around the 1st. When I do it, I call up their Web sites, hit the pay button and do it that way.
I have had only a few minor problems. Once, I hit the wrong button and actually made two mortgage payments the same month. I noticed it and had to make a phone call to reverse it.
I think it's turned out to be a pretty good thing.

 

i racked up a few thousand on my credit card when i lived in lexington. had to pay for a bunch of my books because the grant i had wasn't enough. it covered a year of tuition and a book. that was nearly 1K for two semesters of books/supplies.

then i had a couple car expenses come up. had 2 bearings go bad, my radiator busted, had to replace 2 struts, had to replace tires and get 4 rims, and had to get my heating/ac repaired. spent almost 4k total in less than a year.

 

It doesn't sound like this is an option for RHCP, but one thing I'd love to do would be to, instead of getting a reliable car, ditch the car entirely.

Payment = $380 per month.
Insurance = $120 per month.
Gas @ $2.50 per gallon = $150 per month.
Repairs, sock away $100/month just in case = $100.
Parking. $80 / month (which is a bargain compared to a lot of places).

Total: $830 for the privilege of driving my car.

If I paid $200 more in mortgage to live closer to a downtown area with public transportation, and $120 for a monthly transit pass, I'd still save more than $500 a month. Hell, even if I needed to rent a car twice a month for the day to get somewhere, I'd still save $400.

For those of you who can, ditch the cars. They're nothing but drains on your finances.

 

Absolutely. Debt is not a personal failing.

If a person in debt has a realistic plan for getting out, great. If it's just a story of "I refuse to compromise on XXX" while falling further and further, it's just going to make things worse in the long run.

Debt is rarely the problem. Debt is either the symptom of a deeper problem or a temporary setback.

 

The only problem with that, though, is when you need to get 40 miles away for one thing or another and really don't have the means to do so.

It's ideal when living in a big city when all of your family and friends live there and your job doesn't require you to travel. When you're the only one there, though, living in the suburbs in a place like Nashville or Indianapolis - well, that's a little bit more difficult.

 

Being a reporter without a car is darn near impossible outside of the heart of urban areas.

If you just need it to get out of town once every couple of months, renting is better, though.

 

Don't mean to be crass or uncaring, but at 26 you're still learning about a lot of things. If you think your list of troubles has been long at this point in your life, wait until you have a wife, a mortgage, youngsters to feed and your list of responsibilities also includes insurance, retirement and health care.

Get some reliable transportation and do your best to stop living paycheck to paycheck.

Good luck.

 

RHCP, my condolences. I'm a little older, and I've been a massive failure the last two years, only it hasn't been a financial issue.

At some point, one has to come to the realization that the vehicle isn't worth repairing, that it's throwing good money after bad. Great mechanics should be regarded as near-family. If you find one or a good group of folks, don't let them get away and make sure to never hassle them in the process.

I'm sorry for what you're going through ... wish I had something better, more inspirational or more constructive. But my communication skills fail me at this point.

Take care.

 

I will never be without a car again. I went from 19 to 27 without one and never again. I hate having to rely on the bus schedule to do EVERYTHING in my life.