Money Woes

[Garney]

So in this seemingly never ending struggle to match the incoming with the outgoing I frequently get lost. I bounce ideas off a few friends and ultimately make a stupid decision. Or rather I act impulsively and end up doing something stupid.

Might as well bounce a little more, huh? What can it hurt?

Back in late September my van stopped running properly so I begged a local shop to do a cheap inspection, a run down of all the problems, just give me a list so I can start nibbling one by one at them with my limited, fixed income. They were nice enough to do a free inspection and it came back thus:

To run properly: Tune up for about $250
To stop properly: Brakes for $363 in about 5,000 miles or I run the risk of crashing
Tie-rod: $170 because apparently mine is threatening to pull a wishbone? I dunno
To pass June 2010 inspection: Exhaust system work $800

Looking at this list, it's a lot. But I promised myself to set aside $50 each month to start saving for repairs.

In November, my student loan went default and I was forced to begin repayments that took every bit of my spare income. This depressed me to no end. I had $100 toward the van that was suddenly gone with no hope of getting it fixed. Desperate to have a little breathing room, I cancelled my auto insurance.

On top of that, for a year and a half now I've been making payments on a credit card that I used to pay rent and electric one month and it went insane with late fees and interest, so it currently sits at $411 even after all those payments. $20 a month isn't killing it nearly fast enough.

So for a moment pretend you're me. You file taxes in the hope of getting -anything- back and it says $450ish coming your way. For a moment you brighten, thinking finally some luck! Then you realize how far that has to go. What do you do?

One plan, buy spark plugs and wires and pay someone non-professional to install them to get the van running, then have the brakes done professionally (because that's just something that needs to be done properly). Tie-rod can probably be saved for, but the exhaust work to pass inspection is a serious hurdle, unless we just work on prayer that it'll pass anyway.

Another plan, pay off the hobbling credit card and screw the van because credit card + student loan payment + car insurance just isn't in the budget. Which leaves me with no transportation to even get groceries come August.

And so I've stayed up until near 9am, awake all night troubled by this... because normally I'm just dealing with -simple- problems like paying my $66 electric bill and surviving to the end of the month with only $57 in the bank. Siiiigh.

[YourLoveOnly]

Oh my.. That doesn't sound good indeed =/
I still live at home so luckily I don't have to worry about stuff like that yet..
So I can't really give you advice either. I can give you a hug and hand you cookies and coffee.. \
And if you happen to open USD slots again I'll be sure to grab a few, I think I have $20 or $30 to spare that I can spend on adopties.

[SplitX]

Same! I have about $10-$20 that I earned by doing some house work & I'd be more than happy to buy customs to give you a helping hand, if custom slots open. <3 My thoughts are with you.

[BabyKittenCandy]

I doubt I will be able to afford customs if you take some, we are struggling a lil atm but Im sending you loads of hugs and hoping something good happens for you hun, Situations involving money are never fun.

[bewilderness]

I hear ya.  Sounds a bit like my life.  I got a one year gym membership last year, then got laid off from work not long after and still having to pay the stupid $40/month.  Next month is the last month on that, thank goodness.  The price of groceries is ridiculous.  Gasoline is going back up.  Ugh.

[quyllur]

I would say, if you can exist without the van for now, do it.  I don't know how accessible you are to bus stations, or friends with cars, but it seems like you need to cut down on whatever isn't absolutely necessary so you can pay off the things that are currently accruing interest.

[Silvanon]

Pay off the credit card, the interest on that accures much faster than anything else.  Then take what you were paying on the credit card and save that in the car fund.  The repairs to the van sound expensive.  You may be able to actually find a used car that runs and will pass inspection for cheaper than that.

[Garney]

Thank you all for your replies even if you only gave good thoughts. I like good thoughts very much <3 I am planning customs once I catch up just a little bit more on owed things and Secundi work. I even have a list of what to do first XD

I do have access to a friend with a car and she's been taking me everywhere. But she's moving in August, so this scares me a lot. I need to get this sorted before August. Thankfully that's a bit of time to work things out.

If I had credit enough to try and get a new car, it would be one thing, but with my student loan defaulted I don't even qualify for a $200 limit credit card. Also, I don't have the title to my van, so it isn't like I can try to sell/part it out to get something out of it. I'm responsible for keeping it licensed so it can be on this parking lot. Come June I'll be getting tickets if it isn't licensed.

Repayment on my student loans will take it out of default in 9-12 months, so I can go back and finish my degree. Some credits will age out by then, but I was only 9 credits from graduating when I had to quit. I guess if I do online courses I don't have to have transportation, but there are just so many things my kids want me to take them places for that I feel awful. And I've had this van for twelve years, and my car before that. I've had a vehicle since I was 16 and it just feels so debilitating not to have that freedom.

[BabyKittenCandy]

Just remind your kids that if you cant sort this, they wont be going anywhere or have anywhere to stay either. I bet you feel just terrible refusing them stuff but better that in the long run. August is a long time away yet, so try not to panic too much right now.

I know its horrible to not have a car when you are used to it. The last 6 months ours has been in and out of the garage and cost us over £2000. Now we wish we had just bought a new one. But, we have coped without one, its a pain, but its manageable and maybe by the time august comes you can afford to get it fixed or get a little run around car to hold you over (not sure what prices are like over there)

Again, many hugs and thoughts.

[Taruia]

*huggles ze Garney*

I'm with Silv, pay off the credit card bill first. That's just going to continue being a thorn in your side until you kill it. Also it would totally scratch one thing off the worry list. That is going to help a lot in the "feeling good about things" department.

Then start tackling the car issue. I know right now it seems insurmountable, but if you get caught up with everything artwork wise, you could hold monthly USD customs. Figure you only bring in $200 (20 $10 items) per set, that's still a LOT of money towards the car. You have until June, if you start this month then that's 6 months @$200. That's $1,200 total. That's pretty close to what you need, and if you're not paying the credit card that money can be put towards that as well.

So right now, work on getting owed stuff done, then open USD customs. Things will work out...just keep your head above water right now, and we're all here to help as much as we can. *huggles some more*

[JBGarrison72]

I don't want to insult your intelligence as you may already know this, but just in case I wanted to offer some things i've tried myself; they may or may not work for you.

First, if you call the bank issueing the credit card and ask for them to lower your interest rate, they may comply.  It also might help if you mention to them that if they do not, you're only recourse will be to file bankruptcy.  It's worth a shot especially considering they would get nothing if you successfully filed.  I have had some success in the past negotiating interest rates and waived fees.

Also, look up state food assistance online if you haven't already?  Usually they are offered by state social services.

Also, some utility companies work with local assistance organizations to help with bills.  This usually requires some digging up of info on the local utility or power company's website.  Low income usually qualifies easily.  Kids and low income is usually top of the list. I once got 900 dollars of assistance to pay my electricity for the winter months this way.

I guess if your school loan is in default, you can't fall on their mercy for emergency deferment as it is too late?

[bewilderness]

College credits age out?  I've never heard of that.  When I went back to school the second time, all my credits still counted (it had been about five or six years since I had been in college before).

[Goddesss]

I hope things get better for you.  Here in Nevada there is some sort of government program that will pay for you car repairs to be able to pass the smog test.  You might want to look into seeing if they have that where you live.  I think my sister said it pays the first 600 and then a % of the rest of it.  I will go find the card she gave me and give you the info if you would like.

[Garney]

Van update with a second opinion, woo.

These people said to run properly I need plugs and wires (basically a tune-up like the other guys said) for $262.

So I went to the auto parts store and bought plugs and wires and I'm hoping to find someone I can pay $50 to install them for me, since I could follow the instructions I find on the internet if only I were so brave to stick my hands into an engine.

That will take care of van running issue.

They said my brakes and exhaust were fine, but I should prepare for possibly needing brakes done to pass June inspection, so the $363 is still there but not life-threatening if I need to drive around.

However, the $170 tie-rod issue is actually part of a bigger issue that the first shop did not do that sort of work for. I went back to them and asked about their discrepancy. Since they can't work on the whole front end, that was just a courtesy heads up estimate from what their expertise could handle. So, including the tie-rod, rack & pinion, labor, and alignment, the actual work is $385. This is apparently a major take it apart, replace, and re-align job that I can't just get someone off the street to do.

So! ~$50 or so to fix my 'go' issue, ~$385 to fix my steering issue and then I can drive again.


In happy news, the income tax return neatly covered my credit card bill and that whole thing went away. I feel the relief! And lack of burdening interest rate!

[PonyMama]

I have faith that you could change the plugs and wires yourself.

[Garney]

I probably could if I weren't so very afraid of getting up under a vehicle... I had one drop off the jack with me under it as a child. It didn't hurt me, didn't even hit me since I was so small and it had good clearance, but I've been scared ever since.

[Pinkshadow]

Happy to hear you are closer to the goal Garney, and hope you and your kids
not struggle thaat much more

[Solistia]

OMGosh, I hope you can find a way to come up with the money to fix your transportation! But at the very least, hooray for no more credit card debt! =D

And crossing fingers for you to find someone to help repair your car X3 (I'm guessing you already asked all your friends if they could do it, or if they knew someone who could?)

[Garney]

My one real life friend has an uncle who lives an hour away, she's trying to convince him to come visit one sunny day. He might even take barter instead of money. But he does live on a farm and needs to work quite a bit on that.

I need to work on custammmzzz *flails around*

[PonyMama]

best way to do it is to get a friend who won't charge as per shop rules.  I know when we have car issues we used to fix it ourselves or pay our friends a case fo beer to fix it for us.

So hopefully your firends uncle can come for a "visit"