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what do you do when your bills are going up

Posted: Jan 26, 2013

your already working almost a double shift. i really don't know what I'm going to do. My paycheck is not going up, but now I'm working extra to pay the bills that just went up (like one bill went from $39 to $160 (increase in cost plus had to turn on the heat cos of winter - wee keep the house at 64), another bill went from 110 to 149. Every bill has gone up at lest 20-30 dollars. I'm already working extra and getting little sleep, but I know this extra is not going to last forever, but even with the extra I'm not sure its enough. We don't eat lavish meals (go to hillbilly housewife to get cheap meal ideas, making 1 pot of chicken soup on Sundays to last 5 days and PB&J sandwisches or oatmeal, cut out all snacks and trying everything to keep our food bill down. I'm getting depressed wondering how I am going to make it. I have no family to borrow money from and now today I got my cable bill (we only have internet and phone cos we can't afford cable TV, plus I work so much don't have time to watch TV) and that just went up an extra 20.93. I'm about to start crying cos I have no idea what I'm going to do. Everything is going up and my pay isn't, plus I'm working til from 9am til 11pm 6 days a week and at least 8 hours the 7th day. Anyone have any suggestions? Are there others in the same boat I am? How do you make it?

;

I feel your pain! - Disgusted

[ In Reply To ..]
My checks are getting smaller and smaller thanks to the increases in taxes being taken out and the bills are steadily going up. And groceries are ridiculous! I spent $70 bucks last week just on baby formula and lucky for me he drinks one of the cheapest ones on the market. I use coupons when I have them but nothing seems to help. It really IS very depressing.

Your pay? - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
My household is cutting expenses lately, but not as much as you have seemed to cut out of yours. According to what you posted, you are working 92 hours per week. If you were only working a minimum wage job with no overtime (two jobs to equal the 92 hours) you would be making over $700 per week. I am guessing that you are making more than minimum wage now? I find it hard to believe that with you living a "minimum" lifestyle that you cannot live on over $700 per week, but who knows.

My advice: If you are NOT making over $700 per week (minimum wage) then find a new job. ANYBODY can make minimum wage and if you are willing to work those kinds of hours, finding a job shouldn't be that difficult.

Good luck.

Your guesses are wrong - and you don't know my situation

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't work on an hourly wage (paid by the line). Rent, gas, electric, sewer, cable/phone, health, loan, taxes, food, school costs. That's it. No movies, no cable, no new clothes, no fur coats or diamonds, no vacations (heck no days off). The only "lavish" thing in my life is buying a package of chicken wings for about $3. and watching how much my cat enjoy them. My "fun" is playing with a string and paper balls with my cat and sleeping. Yeah, I know that's not "minimum" but hey, I'll splurge. Sometimes I go all out and let my cat have 2 paperballs play with.

I am in a situation where I have to work at home. Not going to go into that. On top of that no jobs in my area on the outside.

I asked for suggestions on how are people surviving, what are they doing, are they going through the same thing. I didn't need anyone to tell me they don't believe I'm living on a "minimum" lifestyle. You are not here, you don't see my finances. You don't know me.

I've just lost an hour of work time being put on hold with the cable company just for them to tell me the promotion I had ran out and my new rate (increased over 20, is the best deal I can get). So, after losing time working, knowing I can't get a lower rate, and then reading your message that you find it hard to believe about my lifestyle, all I say is thanks, just put the icing on my cake (so to say - I CAN'T AFFORD CAKE!!!)

Wow, I wasn't accusing you. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I wasn't saying you weren't living a minimum lifestyle. I said that my family as well had been cutting back and not to the extent you are. From reading your post it seemed to me that you WERE in fact living as minimally as possible. With that being said, I couldn't think of any tips or tricks to give you in helping cut your costs, so I was pointing out that if you were working THAT many hours a week, certainly it equals up to at least minimum wage. If, on the other hand, you are "waiting for work" while not getting paid, considering you are on production I was SUGGESTING that if you are willing to commit to 92 hours per week then perhaps it would be better for you to leave the home and work a job, even if it was for minimum wage, because apparently you would be making a better living.

You had not pointed out that you were unable to leave your home and I am sorry you were offended.

your first post did sound - pretty accusatory

[ In Reply To ..]
and unsympathetic to the OPs situation. It sounded to me like you were asking her why she could not live on minimum wage with her minimum lifestyle. That was the "tone" I read, too, and I don't blame her for being upset. Perhaps you should get all the facts of anyone else's life before you start "suggesting" anything in that tone of voice.

Op only provided minimal facts in first post. After - learing more, the person SM

[ In Reply To ..]
who responded apologized and clarified. No reason to respond with a snippy post yourself. Just let it go.

Well, as I said....... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I honestly wasn't trying at all to be accusatory. I just wanted to point out that a person working 92 hours a week would make a pretty good living making minimum wage. Sometimes when we sit and wait for work, we don't realize we could have made more money at a lower paying job. I'm not an accusatory person and I apologized.

I'm sorry if I took it wrong. Reading through tears - The OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I thought you were accusing me of not leading a minimal enough lifestyle or that you didn't believe me. I was on hold for long time and explained my situation to the girl (in tears) hoping they would be sympathetic and give me the rate I've been paying for the last 6 months, but they don't have that anymore and now are charging me the next lowest rate. $21 doesn't sound like a lot of money to them, but that is an extra 2 hours of working for me. On top of that having every other bill jump at least 20 (some more) and that one bill going from 20 something to 160, just really floored me. Then with school expenses and working on paying a loan from a long distance move we just had to make it's just all starting to pile up on me. I'm working late into the night and 7 days a week. I never in my life dreamed that at 55 years old I'd be going through this. I come from a line of hard workers. Starting working in the family farm when in the grammar school and old enough to pick vegetables and weed gardens, been working ever since. My family instilled in me that you do what you have to do. Nothing is glamorous and life doesn't give you anything for free. If you have to work weekends you do, so I'm not afraid of work, but things are getting so out of hand. Now I have to find a way to make an extra 350 a week just to pay the bills (that is if they don't keep going up). I have no idea on taxes, especially with Obamacare and all that. Not saying Im for or against it, just saying I understand my taxes are going to go up, and I also read that my catastrophic health insurance will not be enough and i will have to have some other kind of insurance (don't know how true that is), but if that is true I have no idea what I'll do. I make too much to qualify for food stamps, not old enough for Medicare. I'm praying big time that I paid enough in taxes last year. If not I just don't know.

So just been pretty upset and if I took you message wrong my apologies. Just sounded like I was being accused or something, I'm just really upset right now.

Regarding your internet and phone bill - SM

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't know which service you use, but we have Xfinity/Comcast, and my husband has gotten us very good deals by speaking directly to the Retention department. Their specialty is in (as the name indicates) retaining customers and keeping them happy, and we've been able to barter down the prices and get better packages for less money per month than competitors were offering. We've also gotten free upgrades on our internet speed and various and sundry freebies on the cable (free DVR for 6 months, free OnDemand movies, free premium channels for 3 to 6 months, etc.).

As I said, I have no idea which service you use for your internet and phone, but see if they have a retention department and give that a try. I feel for you, as a year or 2 ago my husband and I were struggling VERY much so, to the point where we were 5 months behind in our rent. Thanks to a very understanding manager who knew we were dancing as fast as we could, and a new better-paying position I was able to secure, we were able to bail ourselves out and bounce back, which, at that point, we didn't even think would be possible.

As far as the food issue goes, have you googled around to find food banks in your area? You might make too much to qualify for government-assisted EBT, but you might indeed qualify for some food bank help.

In cases of severe hardship, I believe you can contact your local Salvation Army and they have a program where I believe they can give you a stipend for a month or 2 of utilities. Certainly worth a try as that would give you a month or 2 reprieve from utilities that you could apply elsewhere if you qualify.

I wish I could think of other ideas off the top of my head, but hopefully those will help you out at least a little bit. Please hang in there and remember that old saying about "darkest before the dawn." Things certainly turned around for my husband and I when I was nearly ready to throw myself off of a building rooftop, and I'm sending positive thoughts your way that things turn around for you and your family as well.

Please keep us posted on how you fare.

~~~Hugs~~~

How do you work so much without killing your hands? - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I would still be doing transcription if it didn't hurt so much. I was willing to go down with the ship and live off scraps of this profession to avoid working with people again. Yet, here I am having to go back to school!

Don't your hands hurt is my question. Also, sorry you're going through this. I have been there. My husband and I are in a better place now, but the tides could certainly turn. Do you have a spouse? It doesn't sound like you have any downtime to unwind and do something other than transcription.

one thing that would help. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
When we were struggling we were part of a church. They brought us food and also there were opportunities for other assistance. Try to find a Calvary near you, they are the most charitable. They have women's meetings where you can share your woes, just get connected and have others share your load right now.

It's a juggling act, that's for sure! If I don't find - a new job by summer, - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
then likely the U-know-what will hit the fan, interms of my inability to pay for things anymore!

Meanwhile, I keep all the balls in the air this way:

My MT job isn't really good for much else anymore, other than health insurance. (And that's nothing to write home about, either!) So, any other opportunity to make a little CASH, then even if I have to ditch my MT job for a day or two to do it, well, tough titties for the MT company. I do the cash job.

I refuse to buy new clothes anymore. Even if I had more money, I refuse to feed these greedy corporations' wallets. So I support Goodwill, and only buy used. And I "help" my friends clean out their closets, and take any clothing they no longer want.

I've learned to sew, and sometimes I take old clothing I no longer like that much, and make it into something I do like, and will wear. Once in a blue moon, I might get asked to make something for someone else, for some cash.

I work off part of my rent. If things get worse (i.e., if the amount of work I get from this lousy company continues to decrease, and my current job search is still unsuccessful, then I'm going to ask the landlord if I can do MORE work on and around the building, for more of a discount in rent.

I'm very frugal about when and where I run the car. If I can't combine several trips into one, then I do without whatever it is I wanted to get. If I want that item bad enough, then I consider the exercise benefits of taking a REALLLY long bike ride to get it.

I put a mental price limit on certain things at the grocery store. Like cereal, for instance. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to pay $5 for a box of AIR, with a few corn flakes in it. If I can find it for under $1.50 at the discount store, I get it. If not, I do without it. I won't pay more than $3 for a small package of hamburger. (Most places, it's $5-$10.)

I re-use paper to the point of obsession. Paper is expensive. When I get junk mail, or instead of shredding old bills, I cut them into note-sized squares, staple them together, and make a scratch pad out of them. I refuse to pay money for check registers. My checkbook comes with little carbon copies (unnecessary!) behind each check. I tear them out, and with a ruler, I draw in the lines to make my own check-register pages. Then I scotch tape them together and use those, instead. They work just as well, cost nothing.

I don't want to feed my cats purely supermarket-crap cat food, but can't afford the premium stuff 100% of the time. So, I buy both, then mix them, hoping the good ingredients of the premium food will cancel out any bad ingredients in the cheap food! I keep my cats 100% indoors (which keeps them healthier), and stopped vaccinating them. I cut my litter expenses in half by using 4 litter boxes, 2 with litter in them, and 2 with nothing in them. A little messier, but it works, and saves money.

Check with your power company to see if there's a low-income discount. We have one out west where I live, where we have PG&E. It's called "C.A.R.E.", and cut my bills close to in half. Or, if your power company doesn't have something similar, maybe you can get your bills averaged throughout the year, so they don't go 'way up in winter. Save electricity by unplugging EVERYTHING you're not using, except the refrigerator. Unplug the washer, the microwave, the toaster, your space heater, and any appliance with a built-in clock in it when it's not in use.

Even though recycling can take up space and be time-consuming, save and trade in those soft drink cans or plastic bottles for cash.

Save stamps - (the cost is going up again next week, I hear) - and pay all or most of your bills online. Send emails or Facebook messages instead of letters and cards. I'm now down to only my car insurance that I pay by mail, which is because the only online option they have for paying online is automatic payments, and when your bank balance is always as low as mine is, that can get expensive if they deduct money from your account when there's not enough in it, and you have to pay an overdraft fee. I want control of when I pay my bills!

One of my relatives, knowing I couldn't afford plane tickets, bought me a ticket and flew me down to visit her recently. Since it wasn't booked 'way in advance, I figured it would cost a fortune. She said it wasn't so bad, because she booked them on the phone instead of online, which was news to me! I always thought online was the cheapest, but according to her, not when you're booking close to the time you plan to fly. Better still, fly standby.

Find items around the house that are in good shape, that you no longer use or need, and sell them on eBay, or Craigslist. If you do a craft or art of some sort, you may be able to sell that on the side, too. Where I live, people always need petsitters and dog-walkers.

If you print your own photographs, don't waste your money on the 4x8" pre-cut photo paper: I buy the regular 8.5x11" size, then using my old-fashioned papercutter, I cut it into quarters. The difference in size isn't that great, but the difference in price sure is.

Frozen pizzas are too expensive. Pre-made pizza crusts are too expensive. So either I make my own, or else I use tortillas to make a large, extra-thin crust. I love trail mix, but the price of that is ridiculous. Instead, I buy the bulk ingredients, and mix my own. You get far more, for far less.

At the grocery store, go for the off-brands and generics. Often they're the VERY SAME products, but bought in bulk by the store and labelled with their brand. Their Cheerios taste just as good as the brand-name ones.

If you have a lawn, invest in a manual push-mower. Better exercise, no expenditure on gas or electricity. Best of all, they're QUIET! :)

On your checks with the carbons, next time - sm - XXX

[ In Reply To ..]
you order checks just order the basic w/o the carbon (basic ones are usually no charge)...assuming your bank charges for the checks with carbons (mine does), but mine gives out the check registers for free (I go thru them usually before I run out of checks), just go to the drive-up window and ask for one, a lot simplier than making one, unless you enjoy doing that of course.

You definitely have some great frugal ideas though, given me a few things to try!

Gas and Electric - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Another thing you can do is call your gas/electric people and ask for their budget plan. It will keep your monthly bill at a set monthly rate/averaged for use. Worth looking into at least.

Also, I agree with the other poster regarding your cable/phone--call your providers and threaten (nicely) to leave. Most will offer good deals to make you stay.

Two can live as cheaply as one - L&L

[ In Reply To ..]
It's just me and my cats, and I've been poor 90% of my life.

Since older women are usually single, I wish there was a personal site to pair up compatible older women just to live together to share expenses.

I'm thinking I may eventually ask my brother about moving in with him and his wife to share expenses. His boys have both joined the military and he has a spare room, and I can take what little job I have anywhere.

It really is inefficient to pay overhead of rent, internet, and utilities for just one person.

There ought to be a way to pair up women in our situation.

You could do that! Start your own business - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Thanks everyone for all your input. Much appreciated. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
sorry have not had time to come back to my message. Been working and now coming back. Since writing this I just got another bill in. My utilities have now gone up $59. Oh the fun just keeps on going. Looks like I will be living on just my small desk lamp, night lights and my little oil heater in the corner of my house. I can maneuver around in the dark by night lights and brush my teeth by night lights. I am also leaving the heat totally off (been keep it at 52 at night, but now will just keep it off and hope it doesn't get too cold at nights outside. I will make sandwiches and only use the stove to heat up a can of soup, and I won't do any laundry and hopefully maybe the bill next month will go back down. Haven't had the chance to call cable yet (I have Comcast) to see if they can reduce my package deal or I will find another place that is cheaper. I do have a couple of things my mom gave me when I was last back to see her when she was dying of cancer that I will try to sell. Stuff that's been in the family for years and I remember my grandma had it and I loved it, but we'll see if I can get anything for it. Also going to see if I can sell any of my clothes. Just trying to make it through until we are saved from these maniacs destroying our economy.

Thanks again everyone. Loved all your responses with good tips and ideas.

Can I ask? - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
What state are you in? I believe my state has some kind of utility hardship program available. I think they set your bill based on your income. Might want to see if your state has that too.

Sure - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm in OR. I'll check into the utility hardship program or something for lower income households, along with the other suggestions posters made about the department of the cable company. You know it just seems to get worse and worse. Almost afraid to open my bills anymore. My gas bill stayed the same from last month (which is a good thing because it jumped $120), but it's these ones that keep going up. I'm not doing anything different (at least that I know of). Just is frustrating that the more I work the more unexpected expenses come up. I can never get ahead and it's getting pretty depressing. I don't have an extra income (like spouse's income) to help. It's just me. Yesterday for the first time in my life I started getting chest pains. Thank God it was heartburn that went away with Pepto, but I sat here thinking this is just great, is it hearburn, actual real ch pain, anxiety or what. Thank God for Pepto Bismol.

Anyway...thanks for your suggestion. I'm going to contact them and see what I can do.

Don't know if you found this - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I found this for you http://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/pages/sos_low_income_energy_assistance_oregon.aspx

I know how you feel. Good luck to you!

I think maybe you should see a doctor! - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm not even trying to be mean, I am merely suggesting. You have a full blown pity party going on here and claiming to work all of these long hours, but you will do without laundry? Be PROACTIVE, fix the job situation. Stop putting in so many hours per week if you have to navigate around your home with night lights.

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