I Need Advice on Preparing to Move

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  • jenboo
    Daycare.com Member
    • Aug 2013
    • 3180

    #46
    First things first, I would log all spending for a month... Every last penny. This will help you to see where money is going. Even if you don't think you sojourns extra, little things that you don't notice might be adding up.
    I did this and was shocked. I thought I want spending extra, I never went to Starbucks or to eat out, but when I did this, I realized that a lot of money ($2 here, $4 there) spent at Walmart was really adding up.

    Comment

    • permanentvacation
      Advanced Daycare.com Member
      • Jun 2011
      • 2461

      #47
      Jenboo,

      I did keep track of my spending for a couple of weeks a while ago. I learned that I really was nickle and dimming myself like crazy; a McDonald's iced tea here, a candy bar there, a Slurpee for my daughter when I stopped to get gasoline. That's when I stopped buying things unless they were on my shopping list, started taking a water bottle with me when I ran errands, and held my ground with telling my daughter 'no' when she asked for little things here and there.

      I haven't been keeping track lately. So I will keep a pen and notebook with me everywhere I go again for a couple of weeks and keep track of my spending to see if I really am not spending extra money.

      Comment

      • permanentvacation
        Advanced Daycare.com Member
        • Jun 2011
        • 2461

        #48
        I made a little progress today.

        I just paid off one of my credit cards with this week's pay!

        I made a small payment on my other credit card.

        I took my cell phone bill to the lowest plan they offer which lowered my cell phone bill by $10 starting next month.

        I canceled my cable which saves me 16.09 per month.

        And I found some food pantries that I can go to.

        I decided not to cancel my house phone because I tried using my cell phone all day yesterday and today and it kept dropping calls. Obviously I don't get a good enough reception in my house to rely only on my cell phone. So instead of saving money by canceling my house phone, I lowered my cell phone bill which I stated above.

        But I only lowered my bills by $26.09/month though. I don't see the point of only $26.09. That's not enough at all!

        Comment

        • LysesKids
          Daycare.com Member
          • May 2014
          • 2836

          #49
          Originally posted by permanentvacation
          I made a little progress today.

          I just paid off one of my credit cards with this week's pay!

          I made a small payment on my other credit card.

          I took my cell phone bill to the lowest plan they offer which lowered my cell phone bill by $10 starting next month.

          I canceled my cable which saves me 16.09 per month.

          And I found some food pantries that I can go to.

          I decided not to cancel my house phone because I tried using my cell phone all day yesterday and today and it kept dropping calls. Obviously I don't get a good enough reception in my house to rely only on my cell phone. So instead of saving money by canceling my house phone, I lowered my cell phone bill which I stated above.

          But I only lowered my bills by $26.09/month though. I don't see the point of only $26.09. That's not enough at all!
          Add that 26 and some change together for 12-18 months hon; may not seem like much but it adds up. There are limited phone plans for house phone too, but I think you have to request them from ATT or whoever you are with. A long time ago I know you could limit it to so many calls then were charged by the call. Are you locked into a cell contract or is it prepaid? can make a difference too. And I totally get the I need to be able to make calls because of where you are.

          Comment

          • permanentvacation
            Advanced Daycare.com Member
            • Jun 2011
            • 2461

            #50
            I like the 'hon'. Yep! you are from up here.

            Yeah, when I told my daughter I only saved $26.09/month and she saw that I thought it wasn't worth it, she added it up and said, 'Well, that's $313.08 for a year." That sounded more worth it.

            I asked Comcast what house phone plans they have. They only have unlimited local or unlimited local and long distance. If you only have local, they charge by the minute for long distance even if you are the receiver of the long distance call. I know I won't remember to pay attention to the number calling me and will wind up getting myself charged up the wazoo if I cut off the long distance. So I didn't cut off the long distance.

            I also applied for a free cell phone with a free calling plan from the government later last night. My girls and I are on Medical Assistance which qualifies us for the free cell phone. If I get approved for that, I will cancel my current cell phone and won't have a cell phone bill. My current cell phone is not under a contract. I can cancel it at any time.

            I really don't feel right getting free services from the government. I have an issue with 'people who live off of the government'. But I am working, not just living off the government. And I plan for this to be a temporary thing so that I can get myself on my own feet and be able to support myself.

            I have to have a phone that works in my house because of doing daycare. My parents have to be able to call me if they need to and we need to be able to speak over the phone without the call dropping and us having to call each other back multiple times.

            Comment

            • permanentvacation
              Advanced Daycare.com Member
              • Jun 2011
              • 2461

              #51
              Kidzeducare,

              You're right. The people on this forum are really nice and give helpful advice. I like being in this group.

              Comment

              • LysesKids
                Daycare.com Member
                • May 2014
                • 2836

                #52
                permanent vacation...

                My youngest dd (now 22.5 years) was born at Harbor. I use to live in the Hood section of East B-more, so yeah, after 8 years up there it sticks, especially since my BFF still lives there - she actually started out as my childcare provider and helped me raise my kids for a few years. I have to blend in when I come back to visit... down here I picked up the slang/accent quickly because I have lived here before too

                Comment

                • permanentvacation
                  Advanced Daycare.com Member
                  • Jun 2011
                  • 2461

                  #53
                  I was raised in Alabama from 4th - the middle of 10th grade. When I came up here, it was a complete culture shock. My Southern accent was VERY heavy! After being in Maryland for a while, I now speak like a Marylander except when I get mad. Then my Southern accent comes out!

                  I also quickly pick up the Southern accent when I have a conversation with someone from the South. I have one friend my age that I still talk to every few months who still lives in Alabama, and my friend who lives in Tennessee who has the Southern accent. Within a couple of sentences on the phone with them, I go straight to my Southern accent and slang. Like they say, you can take the girl out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the girl!

                  I know where Harbor Hospital is. I've driven past it a few times. I was born in St. Agnes Hospital. My older sister lived in the city for years. I don't know which part thought. I don't 'do' the city! I might have visited her a whole 5 times if that throughout the whole time she lived there! I love the Aquarium and the Zoo, but I really don't go that often simply out of fear of the city! My mother had cancer years ago and went to Mercy Hospital every month for Chemotherapy. At the end of her life, she was in the hospital for a month straight and died in the hospital. So I did drive there to see my mother in the hospital. But I was scared the whole way in and out of the city.

                  I get lost in the city like crazy! As nervous as I am being there, every time I get lost, I know I can ask someone driving or walking by and everyone has been very nice in helping me with directions.

                  My sister had a lot of problems raising her kids in the city. She's a single mother and the only place she could afford was the city. She has 4 kids and two of them got really into the drug scene. Her other two didn't get involved in drugs like they did. My one nephew was selling drugs at 12 years old and started making babies in cars by the time he was 15 or so. We still don't know how many kids he has! He's been in and out of jail most of his life. My niece got so messed up with drug dealers that she and another girl were actually kidnapped by them. My sister and her older son had to save her from some guy who had her and another girl held up in a drug house and was forcing them to be sex slaves to the guys that came to the house. There's a lot more that my niece and nephew have done and been through because of living in that life style.

                  Yeah, I don't do the city! I heard enough about the city from my sister living there.

                  My ex husband knows Nick Vaccaro and got my older daughter a job at Vaccaro's in the city a few years ago when she was around 17 years old. I threw a fit about her working in the city, but she kept telling me she'd be fine. One day, she was walking to her car to work and some young kid pulled a knife on her. She handled it really well and offered to buy him some food at Vaccaro's if he'd calm down. He calmed down and went to Vaccaro's with her and she bought him some food. I still don't know how to take that one! I made her quit working in the city the next day.

                  Because of the things I know about living in the city from my sister, I am determined not to have to live there. Middle River is too rough for me. I definitely don't want to have to move to the city. I'm determined to fix my finances and move to a better area.

                  I mean, I can handle myself, I don't want to sound like some pathetic waif, but I am getting too old to have to deal with the violence here. I want the nicey nice area where in the news, you hear of things like the group of ladies in the community center have planted flowers along the roadside instead of a man was shot and killed today while being held up at gunpoint in the grocery store parking lot. Yeah, I'm ready for a Leave It To Beaver type neighborhood.

                  Comment

                  • LysesKids
                    Daycare.com Member
                    • May 2014
                    • 2836

                    #54
                    See when I first lived there I was a private process server for numerous attorneys; I learned how to "fit into" the different sections of the city; no option, ran in and out of courts daytime along with businesses... the night serves were worst because many were child support papers... I pulled some crazy stunts and walked a fine line in some neighborhoods, yes even on the infamous Block! If you have to serve a cop for something like being sued for unpaid debt, and they work 2nd shift on Gay street, you" walk the walk" like the people that work there just avoid standing out (yeah I went to that extreme sometimes)... I wouldn't do it now but it fed my kids at the time... I even went as far as going into a few bars supposedly looking for work (you know the kind I'm talking about) just to serve someone who worked there. I was crazy 25 years ago.

                    Comment

                    • permanentvacation
                      Advanced Daycare.com Member
                      • Jun 2011
                      • 2461

                      #55
                      WOW! You're more courageous than I am! I don't think I could bring myself to do the things you did. I'd be scared to death just walking down the sidewalk.

                      I can blend in with the hood rats if I need to. The longer that I have lived here in Middle River, the more 'hood-like' I have become. There's been a few times when I had to go off on people for messing with my car, starting crap with me, messing with my kids, and other things. I've done and said things to people that made my kids tell me that I'm going to get myself shot. I'm the type that will smack a bull elephant in the face and look at him like, 'and what 'cha gonna do about it?" Then later, I realize I could have gotten myself killed. I can fit right in if I need to. However, I would not even have the guts to try to fit in on the block though. Nope, not going there!

                      But I am getting tired of having to be like that. It's not me. I am tired of having to be 'hard'. I'm tired of having to be 'aware of my surroundings'.

                      Comment

                      • permanentvacation
                        Advanced Daycare.com Member
                        • Jun 2011
                        • 2461

                        #56
                        I went to some food pantries today. They told me that I am allowed to and actually encouraged me to go to all of them. They gave me a list of all of the food pantries in the area. So I went to a couple today. I got so many groceries they wouldn't fit in my pantry! Some of the food pantries allow you to go to them each week, some you can only go to monthly, and one only allows you to go there 6 times per year. If I can go to the food pantries, that will save me a lot in my grocery bill!

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                        • permanentvacation
                          Advanced Daycare.com Member
                          • Jun 2011
                          • 2461

                          #57
                          My daughter was verbally hired a couple of weeks ago and they told her they would contact her after the Thanksgiving holiday. Then days went by without them calling her. But they finally called her yesterday and had her go in today to do the hiring paperwork and gave her her uniform. They said they will call her tomorrow with her schedule. So, she is truly hired and will soon be making her own money! YEAH!!!

                          I am going to go out tomorrow and start looking for a weekend job.

                          Comment

                          • permanentvacation
                            Advanced Daycare.com Member
                            • Jun 2011
                            • 2461

                            #58
                            Does anyone else have any other ideas on how to make more money and save money throughout the next year or so so I can hopefully move in 17 months and be able to support myself once my ex stops paying child support?

                            By the way, Momof4, I have been reading the book you told me about; Financial Peace Revisited. Thank you for suggesting it.

                            Comment

                            • permanentvacation
                              Advanced Daycare.com Member
                              • Jun 2011
                              • 2461

                              #59
                              I have also unplugged the televisions since I have canceled the cable. Just having things plugged in even though they aren't turned on takes power and raises your electric bill.

                              I am also going to unplug the clothes washer and dryer and only plug them in when we use them.

                              Anyone other ideas?

                              Comment

                              • SignMeUp
                                Family ChildCare Provider
                                • Jan 2014
                                • 1325

                                #60
                                Maybe you've already got this covered, but just in case ...
                                When I was pinched for $$ I kept a log of all expected income, and where I planned for that income to go. I think it helped me to see that I would be making progress, and kept me on track. I would do without rather than not meet my goals.
                                I also happyface cheered happyface if any child care parents were late or paid late, because that meant I got a few extra $$ to put toward bills

                                Also, I don't remember how you eat or feed your child care children, but there is plenty to be saved by cooking dry beans in a variety of ways. You can serve nutritious food economically, though maybe with a bit less variety, by using the less expensive fruits and veggies. Eggs are an economical protein choice also.
                                If you have co-ops in your area, they often have less expensive bulk beans, rice and other dry goods than you'll find in a typical grocery store.

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