Freaking out over money! Send some good juju??

[hearts and roses]

I hate freaking out over money [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scared.gif[/img], but here I am on January 2nd doing just that. I usually start my year off fairly secure in my financial situation, you know, doable, able to meet the needs of our family and home, but not a whole heap leftover.

But I am overdrawn on my account!! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/checkwriter.gif[/img] I just had gfg go to one bank and withdraw money and put it into my main account at another bank. I figured out what happened. I sent in a bunch of scripts for me, pc and gfg and figured they'd be one amount and they wound up being a much larger amount. I never even checked my account over the holidays, that's how sure I was that I was okay. But today, I checked in on line and sure enough I was just under $100 overdrawn!! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/23_34_2.gif[/img]

I had this personal item I HAD to buy today and now I can't and I'm basically sc@wed now and I don't know what to do. I don't get paid until the 15th - omg, that's 13 days away! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/slap.gif[/img]

My exh hasn't sent me child support since Sept and up until that point I had been used to getting almost $600/month, so that's a drastic change in income right there. I have all these prior committments and no way to meet them over the next 3 months. I don't want to panic, but I am.

Please send some good positive $$ vibes and juju!! ::

Thanks~I'll be off looking for things I can sell. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/treadmill.gif[/img]

[Star*]

(meditating)

Ohmmmm send da money Ohhhmmmm, Ohmmm send da money Ohhmmm.
::

[4sumrzn]

I'm with you.....freaking out over money stinks! I'll send you the good juju ****$$$$$$$$$$$$ vibes**** and send a couple to myself too ::

[flutterbee]

Ugh! That's such a frustrating, helpless feeling.

My car loan (now paid off) and my checking account are with the same bank. Bank in July, I scheduled a one time payment online. They took it 3 times! I was overdrawn by $800.00 - before overdraft charges.

I thought I was going to puke.

Doing a money dance for you.

[busywend]

If you and DH keep things separate - see if he can help out! It is not worth stressing over if your partner has the ability to help.

Otherwise - sending good juju your way!

I am so numb to the money worry! LOL!

[hearts and roses]

Thanks ladies...BW, I asked H to help me out and that I'd pay him back in March (that's when I expect to see some light) but he said no. He claims that he can't. I know he can, he just won't. He doesn't understand the urgency and I also think that he's still [censored] off at me about buying that time share back in November.

Speaking of which I called them to see if I could get out of it. I hate to give it up because I think it will be something awesome that I will use forever, but now I'm getting nervous, you know? I think I could probably [censored] it up and do it, but now I'm not so sure. God, I hate when this kind of stuff happens. I may have bitten off more than I can chew and H is likely waiting for me to admit it. He eats that kind of stuff up. Ugh.

Waiting for the good $$ juju to happen!

[Dammit Janet]

Oh I money worries more than anything. I get very witchy when I worry about money. That said...I would be spitting nails if H had the ability to get me (US) out of this jam and refused. I mean isnt it in the vows about richer and poorer, sickness and health...yada yada yada? Isnt he supposed to help take care of you and all that jazz?

Sheesh. Its not like you went out and bought dope or gambled the money away or spent it on other men.

[Hound dog]

I'm with Janet. I wouldn't ask dh to help, he'd be expected to help, and if he didn't......well, let's just say he knows better. lol

Nothing can make me a witch with a capitol B faster than money worries. Too bad we have so many of them these days. *sigh*

Instead of thinking of things to sell, would crunching down on the budget help? You know, make sure lights are shut off soon as they're not being used, don't leave water running, cheap meals for dinner like mac and cheese with hot dogs, no fast food....ect. Or would that take to long to help you out of the jam??

I hate bounced checks. Dh used to do it to me so darn much that I haven't written a check in years. If he wants to bounce one, on his head be it. Not mine.

Just, whatever you do, DON'T go to one of those cahs advance places. You'll get caught in a vicious cycle that is harder than heck to get out of. Dh did that to us, took us 6 mos to get out of the hole he'd made. argh!! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Currently I'm worrying over whether we'll have the cash to buy school supplies. My classes start monday.

Sending tons of good vibes your way. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hypnosis.gif[/img]

Hugs

[busywend]

I know some 2nd marriages do this - keep everything separate. It is OK - until something like this comes up.

Don't do anything right now, just see how things go for the next couple months. $100 should be able to be made up by adjusting groceries and entertainment. See how DH likes it when you can't make a pie for a few months...see how fast he helps you then! LOL!

[Marguerite]

Serious suggestion - call ANYONE you have a loan with and explain the situation. Ask if they can re-calculate your loan so you can make easier payments for a while. It is amazing how much they will bend, because they would rather get SOME money from you, rather than nothing because you've gone into receivership.

Also, look at your credit cards - see if you can change to one with a lower interest rate. Or see if you can re-schedule your loan on the time share with someone else for a lower rate.

We have time share. I don't like the hard sell they use to flog the things, I think it's borderline dishonest, but we're happy with our time share and the travel we've been doing. You CAN buy time shares as re-sale, at a fraction of what we're asked for up front. And if THEY say you can't get out of it - get another opinion.
I'm surprised DH is blaming you for buying the time share - in Australia, they won't let you sign up if you're married, they insist on it being a joint decision. And if DH tried to blame me for what is basically a joint decision, he'd be finding his extracurricular activities (ie personal hobbies) very much curtailed. He might even find I "couldn't afford" to get food for him.

Talk to your bank. Maybe they can waive the fees, considering the hardship issue (EX no longer paying child support). Also, a bank charging fees - you can sometimes appeal and get the fees waived. You need to put it in writing, but one way to have a go is to point out that the fees charged are more than offset by the money they make having the use of your money at other times. Also, they often charge far more than the actual costs to them of you being overdrawn. In Australia our banks in general have had to drop some fees totally, after many people complained and the banks were challenged publicly.
Talk to the pharmacist (in case the prescriptions didn't really cost that much and there was an error).

An episode of Oprah on Aussie TV yesterday, was on how to reduce your debt. Some very useful info. You might be able to find some info online, from that episode. I'm fairly sure there were some books being promoted which you might be able to borrow.

We're just clawing our way back from a very bad couple of months. With all the medical bills for PC2/GFG2 and me, our credit cards maxed out. One trip to the paediatrician costs us about $500. When we get another thousand in the same week, more medical bills - we're short for a while. We'll get some of it back (insurance pays for about a third of it) but in the meantime, things get tough. And we've already done what we could to cut our costs back, so we have NO LEEWAY at all...

Do you have anything you could trade? Skills such as cooking? Ironing? Sewing? You might be able to barter with some neighbours or friends, to cover your needs in the meantime. This afternoon we traded some chicken manure for cucumbers. I use the cucumbers to make tzaziki, then I bake a loaf of bread (saves another few dollars and the kids are happy to feast on bread and tzaziki. They think they're in gourmet heaven, not poverty row. Add in some home-made pasta (eggs and flour) and the little (?) tummies are full for very little dosh indeed.

Can you live out of your cupboard for a few days? What do you have in storage?

There are ways... I hope you can manage.

Marg