Financial Challenges Support Group
This community is for people who are struggling to meet financial obligations of any kind. Financial challenges include everything from the day-to-day challenges of making ends meet to managing credit card debt to bankruptcy. Get support from others who are going through similar obstacles on the road back to financial stability.
NO!!! Not medically bleeding, but rather financial bleeding,
Every Friday I do a quick view of my finances and then the last Friday of the month I go more in detail and see where I'm at.
The beginning of 2014 was fantastic. I had seven straight months of growth. That ended in August when I started going to doctors. Then when surgeries started in September, my financial reports totally nose-dived.
From the end of August till November 1st, I spent $3,756.26 more then I earned. It was understandable. I paid hospitals and clinics and was no longer able to work.
Well, November records are done and I gained $326.17.... the first gain in three months. It was another positive step that things are starting to come back together.
Now December? I'm not quite sure where I will be. I will have one check with 53 hours on it. I get paid every other week and the odd amount of hours is one week with four hour days and the other 33 hours was four hour days, plus some vacation time and holiday time.
The last check of the year will take up my last six days of vacation and holiday pay for Christmas. And a yearly bonus check. Usually it is one week's pay... so I'm not sure how they'll figure mine.
Next week, I'll pay two months rent. The electric bill is paid till January and I owe for the internet and cell phone. Which I'll pay before leaving for England. I'll move some money to checking from savings and will have the debit card with me for emergencies, as well as my CC's which are all paid in full.
My first full week of work will start on January 12, 2015. Then it will be back to it hard to rebuild the money I spent on medical deductibles and other things. I also will start a new year, with my deductible back to zero.
So, my challenge is to rebuild my emergency funds while keeping up with new medical bills and everyday living expenses...
Every Friday I do a quick view of my finances and then the last Friday of the month I go more in detail and see where I'm at.
The beginning of 2014 was fantastic. I had seven straight months of growth. That ended in August when I started going to doctors. Then when surgeries started in September, my financial reports totally nose-dived.
From the end of August till November 1st, I spent $3,756.26 more then I earned. It was understandable. I paid hospitals and clinics and was no longer able to work.
Well, November records are done and I gained $326.17.... the first gain in three months. It was another positive step that things are starting to come back together.
Now December? I'm not quite sure where I will be. I will have one check with 53 hours on it. I get paid every other week and the odd amount of hours is one week with four hour days and the other 33 hours was four hour days, plus some vacation time and holiday time.
The last check of the year will take up my last six days of vacation and holiday pay for Christmas. And a yearly bonus check. Usually it is one week's pay... so I'm not sure how they'll figure mine.
Next week, I'll pay two months rent. The electric bill is paid till January and I owe for the internet and cell phone. Which I'll pay before leaving for England. I'll move some money to checking from savings and will have the debit card with me for emergencies, as well as my CC's which are all paid in full.
My first full week of work will start on January 12, 2015. Then it will be back to it hard to rebuild the money I spent on medical deductibles and other things. I also will start a new year, with my deductible back to zero.
So, my challenge is to rebuild my emergency funds while keeping up with new medical bills and everyday living expenses...
So, I was happy to see that it has grown by 10.33% in those two months. It would have been so nice if I could have kept adding money to it when I wasn't working BUT it still grew for me...
This morning I bought a new bedsheet and pillow for my bed; our Cleaner's request; and I am set to begin Step 1 in DA, as well as resume Step 4 in UA.
I am a numbers guy and have been ignoring the Spiritual aspect.
I wish I was in your position financially. But it's gonna take a bit of elbow grease.
The secret isn't numbers or even how much money a person has. It's the spirituality that gets a person to that comfort zone.
It drives me nuts when some does a gratitude list or write about it in a blog and never once do they mention a Higher Power.
They talk about a new couch or a new computer or TV's. 1,001 things on their gratitude list. And that is all it is - things!!!!
Not once do they say "I thank my Higher Power for giving me the opportunity to acquire a couch." Or whatever...
If you can't thank your Higher Power, then "things" and money are your Higher Power..
I enjoy watching TV as much as anyone. I watch it on an old 19" TV, which needs a digital box to work. And it is perfect. While I watch TV, I don't live for TV. I don't need a 40" screen with all the bells and whistles. A TV will not become a Higher Power.
Look at me, having a rant. Sorry.
I just get so frustrated with people who put so much valve into what they own. And the reality of it all? It doesn't matter what you own, what matters is what you owe. If you owe for something, then you don't own it - it owns you...
I spent $85 on new luggage for my trip and a little over $100 on food.
It felt really nice knowing the money was there and I wasn't tapping into emergency funds or savings...
Tonight will be my ultimate reward... a ribeye steak with fries and a lettuce salad with cherry tomatoes, a little onion, a little cheese, and a few black olives...
It is so nice to be back to work...