Gingerbell's Personal Finance Blog

I left my job of seven years after deciding I didn't like my new boss. I was hired as a unit manager for Waffle House. I trained 12 weeks and was placed in my own unit. I didn't enjoy cooking, because I was basically a short order cook with all the responsibility of running the restaurant as the manager. ( nothing against short order cooks) I didn't like the fast pace and working over 450 degree grill, getting grease and waffle iron burns, and I felt very inexperienced at my job. I quit after 2 months on my own. I was unemployed for three months. I worked on finding a new job and was hired at Marshalls, an off-price retail store as a merchandising coordinator. I had originally applied for assistant manager, but didn't get that position, but am setting my sights for that position. I am starting over, have debt, and just getting back to a steady paycheck. I made the most money of my life with Waffle House, but really hated it. I enrolled in college while out of work, with a goal of earning a certificate in full charge bookkeeping. But, I withdrew, proving I can't do college. I don't understand myself at all. I tried to focus on studying and understood accounting, but felt stressed about not having a job. My head wasn't in the right place. FAILURE is how I feel. my son is now 17 and he knows my struggle. Our struggle. I can't seem to excel and move myself up in my career. I don't understand if I'm not a go getter, and what is missing in my way of knowing how to become an accomplished woman. I wish I knew.

I just added two years to both me and my son's age, and the time I've been at my current job. I'm still here....today I feel as if I'm in the middle of a mid-life-crisis....I'm tired, look tired, grey hair sprouting up, but I'm too distraught to color on the weekend, I feel beat. I've been working, bringing home my income to cover the basic of needs, rent, food, gas for car, car insurance, heat, phone, and a cable tv, internet package (not a need I know)I've aquired one more cat, which makes three cats, one dog and two parakeets. I wonder if this is just how my life was meant to be and that I am here to work and be the mom that I chose to be. Sure, I've tried college which has left me with $69k in student loans, out of Pell Grant funds, and still no degree. Makes me wonder what is my problem? Why do I fail time after time? I try not to have pity parties, and usually don't get so down that I'm crying my eyes out, because I will compare how bad I think my life is to someone that has no indoor plumbing, electricity, medical care, dental care,in the midst of war and genocide. That is how I can feel better and say that I have what I need and I am surviving and feeding my child. I am truly blessed to have health and "a" job. But, then paying the bills and having the basic necessities, isn't enough...I begin to feel, I need a car with a/c, and summer sandles, clothes that are new (not always used) to take my son on a trip, to have investments and financial security and not pay-day-to-pay-day living. I don't feel accomplished yet, I'm stuck and not sure how to get out. I've applied to the police and sheriff departments, hoping to be accepted (it's a long process.) I'm thinking of getting back to college and that is what I need complete to make myself happy. I'm so sick of my current job that I could cry. Plus, I still am barely making the bills. I had a second job for most of last year, cleaning offices, but I quit because I just became so tired of being away from home, the apartment was a mess, I was burnt out. I feel I just don't have the spark I need to get myself up and onward to better opportunities...i've asked for more opportunities at my current job and the president enrolled me in a course to learn more about our industry (commercial roofing)and told me to start there. Well, I don't see where I would move up or if a position would materialize for myself. How do I know if I should stick it out here or start to move on?

I've read all the post replys and have done a lot of thinking about me and my spending habits, the way I handle money, and my current problems with money. I have, at home, 5 DVD's from Suze Orman from 1995 ish to her 2011 Money Class DVD, I also have about 7 money books, I picked up at the library. I am currently ready, as fast as I can, Jean Chatky's book Called Pay it Down on $10.00 a day. I'm learning alot. What it boils down to right now, is that I need to find a second job and that doens't seem as easy as it always has been. The part time jobs seem to not get back to me and I'm not sure if it't my description of my current job duties, that seem too much for the part-time job, or why I'm not getting any phone calls. The applications I've tried are for gas stations, convenience stores, department stores, and I'm not getting much feed back. I'm always asked what I'm being currently paid and I wonder if the $15.35 i put in the blank is why I'm shut down. I honestly don't know what the problem is. I usually had not problem finding a part-time job in years before. So, once I find a second job, my plan is to apply the lessons from Dave Ramsey and Jean Chatzky toward my getting out of debt situation. I've cancelled Verizon (but I have a $400.00 cancellation bill to pay) I stopped my home internet and cable. I am going to get a home land line which will be about 42.00 a month and just drop the cell phone completely. I can get a pre-paid for total emergency situations. My bankrupcy chapter 13 was cancelled and I can gather $500.00 to get it re-instated, but I don't have that money. I'm thinking if I get a part time job, maybe I can avoid the chapter 13 and pay all my creditors off. But, I have a looming cloud over my head, as I know the creditors are beginning to call am I'm AFRAID to answer the phone, because I lieterally don't have any money to pay them yet. I don't know if I should try to keep my little chevy aveo, the outstanding loan balance is $15.000, or if I should surrender it. I'm asking for help from all the smart money people out there, because although I don't blog daily or consistantly, I have taken serious thought to all my comments received. I'm going to add all my debt to the debt catagory and maybe someone would lend their insight. Sincerely, me.

I haven't blogged for a while because I haven't had any money in my pocket for a few weeks. Every Monday, after my payday, I look at my bank statement and cringe. I have alot of bills that are due and past due, yet I spend my money during the weekend and justify my purchases at the time as " I deserve this" I have this mind set, that I don't have enough money to pay my bills, because I usually have two month balances or more, so I need to hang on to my money for the next two weeks, because gas and food are so expensive, and $100 doesn't go far with two tanks of gas at $36 and food, but then I end up spending the money I have and I haven't paid one bill. I am in over my head with a cell phone plan, a chapter 13 plan I'm three months behind on and my rent check bounced this month. I don't really know where to turn to get a grip on my pattern of money management. I hope someone can give me advise, because I'm not being responsible with my money.

I'm thinking I should seriously update my resume and start searching for a new job. I don't feel I have enough skills or education to get a really good position, but I might be able to find something more than 32K a year. (20k after taxes and medical deductions) I'm torn, and I've been thinking about a comment on one of my last blogs. I need to examine what I have been doing over and over that isn't getting me where I want to be career wise, financially, and professionally. I've worked and tried to go to college while raising a difficult, boy with ADHD. There has to be something different I need to do. I'm off to working on my resume.

I have planned out how I will spend all my paychecks through December and plan to stick to the Budget. What I really am frustrated about is that I run out of my money right after my pay date. I have $20 going into savings and have accumulated $80 so I have a bit of money out there. But, after the main bills rent, bankruptcy payments, I sometimes don't have money to stretch the next fourteen days. I usually never have cash in my wallet or bank that is discretionary, and I'm really in trouble if my son want's after school money or a school related expense comes up. I've been living in the same rut for the last 13 years, after I had my son, I really didn't think I'd still be so strappd for money. I am going to apply for another part-time job. I want to try to sell some things around my apartment that aren't needed or not used, and I haven't had good luck on craigslist. I feel when I am writing this, that the blog community, thinks I am a real dumb mom, for this continual pattern that I have. I need more money and i'm sure the economy has a part in my money woe's. but, what if I didn't earn half of what I do now? How are other people out there surviving in this nation, today? My son just started 8th grade and if it wasn't for my mom, I would not of been able to buy new shoes or clothes, school supplies, school fee's, and lunch money. This year, I was approved for free and reduced meals at the school, so it seems my income may be below the state or national guidelines. Either I'm going to work two jobs for the rest of my life, or I need to get back to the nursing program asap so I can work my way out of this situation.

The last raise my company gave was in 2008, so now I make about 10.00 more each paycheck. I wrote my total amount of each paycheck that I will bring home and my new plane is to pay my chapter 13 and rent and everything else will have to follow. This week after my payments, I have 60.00 for the next 14 days. Fourteen days is not that long, really.

My plan was to get $34.00 in gas and then a 30.00 gift card from the grocery store, to ensure, I'd have gas money. I would have had 10.00 left. But, I went to wal-mart first and spend 20.00, then 10.00 to open my son his own savings account, which I've been needing to get started for his allowance. I put 7.00 in gas and I have and and a new phone charger for 15.00. The clothes are stacked up and need washed, I'm thinking of using my tub to get everything cleaned. I don't like dirty clothes sitting around. I have plenty of rice, beans, and canned food. I am find to eat what I have, but my 13-year old son is picky and thinks he can have fast food every day, which will not be the case. We'll see what happens in the days to come.

I live in a very small condo association where there are renters and owners of one and two bedroom condos. I'v become friendly with the ladies that water the plants and walk their dogs. One lady is retired and does volunteer work for the Salvation Army and we've talked about the economy, the state of how alot of people are going through hard times. She has been bringing me coupons every few weeks and she seems to care about me & my son. She signed me up for food from the SA and when I got home last night, there were two, big, heavy boxes of food! Rice, beans, mac n cheese, even cheese and chicken quarters. It is enough to last at least a month. She was a memeber of the chamber of commerce for many years and knows alot of "stuff" and she is going to ask the owner of a one bedroom right next to me, if I could move into his apartment, as he keeps it for a tax write off and won't rent to anyone buy family. This apartment is $535 and would be such a blessing if I could move and not need to rent a truck or all sorts of man power. Anyway, the more I talk with her the more I realize there is hope for me and many people going through hard times. I'm even going to volunteer at the SA once a month or more, because I want to be a part of something that helps so many families. I feel that life is not a set path and there are people and circumstances that come our way and they change my perspective about my journey in this lifetime. People need to reach out and pull their neighbor up and offer the help because you never know how someone could be suffering.

I really don't know what to do I need rent because my son's father doesn't provide his portion of child support and I still need to pay all my bills this month. I just want to give up...i feel like i don't know where to turn or how to make my life better. I'm just getting tired from work because it's super busy at work and I'm working almost 10 hours a day, so I can keep up with my duties, but for what? I don't have a college education and I make 30k a year, there is not anywhere to move or advance in this job and the only reason I've stayed to long is because i have a steady paycheck, but over the past five years I've learned how this company operates and I don't like it. I work my ass of! I put up with b.s. from my boss and I am sure I'm seen as nothing very important there. My position is a customer service coordinator. From what I know this type of position isn't worth much on the pay scale. I need to make a change, but will it be for the better or the worse? the economy is all screwed up and who knows what will happen next. I feel that my life is crashing down and I can't fix it in time for me to enjoy it. I'm in my 40's and I feel hopeless. I've raised my child for thirteen years with not much support from his dad and I'm just tired. I'm tired of struggling and being the head of a household and working this job and not getting ahead. What is the purpose of working if there's not a goal to work for? I'm just running out of energy. I am not respected at work, I know I'm seen as a low paying position person, my ideas aren't valued and I hate everything in my life right now. I spoke to my son's dad and he's got a job to do work on a residential home that supposedly is going to pay him around 8,000 dollars. he screws with my head and plays games with me by telling me he's going to give me 1,000 dollars that I desperately need, then he dissappears, then he's back, now he's sleeping in his truck, he has no residence, he makes my life hell, because he has never stood up and taken responsibility with his child. He's actually giving his dad money, because, he feels sorry for him. I've raised this child for 13 years and have started college and stopped and I have 58,000 in undergraduate loans and no degree! I have like 48 some odd credits and I still have not managed to complete some education to become financially secure. I've dealt with everything that comes with raising a child and to top it off, he's had ADHD since he was about 4 years old, adding to the challenge of raising a child, I have been drained with medical costs for prescriptions, counseling bills, doctor bills, more counseling bills all to make sure I'm doing everything I can to raise my son with a fighting chance to make it in this world. But, along the way I'm just losing my will and don't know what i should do for my education. I'm so stressed all the time about my situation I can't concentrate at work and have had to stop my last enrollment a year ago,anyway,when my dad died. I don't trust anything anymore, I was going to be a nurse, because it was a secure job and the healthcare field is booming, then I hear that hospitals are short of help, because they won't hire nurses because of the economy. I'm so confused..I don't know what to study.

Wouldn't that just be the key to all my money problems? Sell a house and make a few thousand dollars!!! I went to a meeting for information that I could use to start working on a real estate license. I know the economy and housing market are rocky and just coming out of a recession. I know there are costs involved and that I might not make a sale for a very long time, and the banks are not lending, BUT, what if I got licensed and began now and maybe in time the market will become stronger and I'll be able to make money!! Keep in mind, I have no financial, economic, business knowledge or know the way our financial work operates, so my terminology here may not be correct. All I know is I haven't had a raise in 3 years, my job is a dead ender, I need to look for another avenue to earn a living, either I go back to college or find a new job. There's so much to think about!

I've began to go through the tubs and boxes of the "stuff" that is "stored" in the closets. I have the typical things most people with kids probably have: old clothes, shoes, sports equipment, toys, stuffed animals, books, baby memorabilia, blankets, comforters, purses, a cordless phone, small american indian figures (I bought at a Pow Wow) an automatic pet timer, and I'm really not sure if people will want this used stuff. I took pictures of my desk, couch, two dressers and need to decide if I should do ebay or craigslist or a sign at work. This took most of my weekend, weeding through everything and that was just my closet. I need to take pictures of all my stuff and get it out there so a potential buyer can see it. So, I haven't had any additional money since my last paycheck. I've read about starting a blog, pet sitting, house sitting, etc. and it all takes time to organize and get my services out to people. I'm a bit overwhelmed. And, when I do make some money, anything, what will I use it for?

Today I had $6.00 to put in my gas tank, that is 1/4 a tank. I have two more days until payday. My mom gave me $100 because she knows I have no money, no gas, and little food. I started out with my $100 and went to Sam's club, because I thought I could get a few items, and stock up for a few days. This is what I put into the cart:
Chicken Breasts: $14
Hamberger: $12
Two lunch meat packs: $12
One pack of (3) tortillas: $4
Cheese: $7
Broccoli: $4
Eggs: (2)pack of 18: $4
Gogurt: $7
Cereal: $9
That was almost $65.00, so I put back everything but, the eggs, Gogurt, tortillas, and cereal.
I spent $23.00.
I went to Wal-Mart and then picked up paper towels, toilet paper, lysol, napkins, cat food, dish soap, and I spent $33.00 there. Since I still needed at least $30 for gas, I couldn't get much. I managed to lose $30.00 from my stop at Sam's Club and Wal-mart.
So I got $6 in gas. I am so tired of always being out of money and necessities.
I then went home without chicken or hamberger, and made something a little creative, here's what I made:
Cooked SPAM in pan with a spicey/sweet sauce, rice in the rice cooker and added some milk, butter, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and curry, which gave it a different good flavor. I fried a few eggs and then boiled frozen peas and carrots. I served my concoction on iceberg lettuce. The best part, my son ate it! I guess I can be creative when necessary. So this week is basically eating odds & ends from the pantry, butter, milk, flour, a piece of bratwurst. Thank God I have spices!

Is gone and I have just enough to pay $700.00 towards rent and will owe the landlord $50.00. I used my checking account to pay my $500.00 Ch. 13 payment and $190.00 to get my internet service turned back on. Both payments I made, knowing the bank would pay and I'd owe NSF fees. I couldn't get money to pay chapter 13 it was either that or the case would be dismissed. I still need to pay $437.00 by June 30th. My bank account is overdrawn $626.00, I owe chapter 13 $437.00 and those are the two biggest debts I need to pay. All Day Sunday I started going through all my "stuff" and began to set up a staging area on my kitchen table to take pictures of my items I want to sell. I'm thinking of putting my items on ebay and Craigslist. I didn't have a truck or the money to get my stuff out to the flea market this past weekend, so that plan didn't pan out. I am really on my own and in a huge financial bind. I can only do so much.

I think that I am screwed up with my ideas of how to pay my bills.
I was paid on June 10th - my standard amount of $905.00. I had a negative balance in my account from car insurance and a bank NSF Fee. So, right off the bat I had around $700.00 to pay all my bills and still have the basics (food, rx, gas, and electricity) for two more weeks. So, this is what I did with my money: I paid my electricity (which i'm already on a payment plan for, normally my electricity is around $48 per mo.)
Electricity: 95.00
Taxi gasoline: 25.00
My personal car gasoline: 32.00
Prescripton: 10.00
Unexpected drug & alcohol class for son: 60.00 (that's a whole other story)
Cell phone family plan: 162.00 (workin on this)
Groceries: 45.00
Eating out: 69.00

The problem is I don't have money to pay the most critically important bills I have:
Rent: 750.00
Chapter 13 payment: 500.00 (regular 250.00 + 250.00 late amount)

My Chapter 13 is past due and if I don't pay the $500.00 by today it will be dismissed, and all the creditors in my plan will start garnishing my wages.

And I can't pay my rent until the 24th, which it will then incur a 10% late fee. Rent will be $825.00.
I will have $75.00 left over to use for all the bills and necessities.

I have the taxi driving job, but it costs me money each weak to lease the taxi and if I don't work every night after my day job, I won't make any money from that job. I like driving the taxi, it's a good job. On a Friday and Saturday night I can make about $250.00 (minus the $40.00 for gas) so I think $200.00 for about 7 hours is pretty good money. But, I get tired after working my day job and don't want to leave my (at risk) son at home alone so I don't drive the taxi.

I make the same mistakes and each payday I am in the same situation and I am trying to cut and reduce my current bills (cell phone, car insurance, cable tv & internet) but I feel literally sick right now. I need so much money and I want to be all caught up and not be behind with every single bill, but i don't seem to be able to make it happen.
Last week, sitting and going over my money situation I had a thought: I could sell all my furniture and belongings (except the absolute necessary items) and move into an extended stay hotel for a few months to catch up on everything, I was in such a state of freaking out. I do have an extra couch, a hutch, some old dressers and odds n ends I could try to sell for some type of money, that could work....

I think I've been hiding from the truth that making a home for me and my son is priority, but I can't afford to have the lifestyle that I try to keep. I think I need to face the facts about how much money I earn and do absolutely what it takes to get out of my financial mess. It's easy to avoid the blatent truth about my situation.

I am looking for a new apartment. Most inexpensive apartments don't have a washer and dryer. The ones that do, are higher. Doesn't it all even out at the end of the day? I read online about how owning your own set can cost (these are guesstimates) 10 cents to 50 cents per load. I spend between 30 and 60 each month. Some places will rent a stackable to you for 30 a month. Any thoughts on how to get the best deal? I have my son and me, I wear my clothes more than once but his usually need washed after one wear.

My finances:

Paycheck (every 2 weeks)
Salary $1192
Dental Ins. $23.64
Group Insurance $100.17
Vision Insurance $4.17
SS tax $44.69
Medicare $15.43
Federal Tax $27.17
State Tax $39.00
Life Ins. $6.18
401 (k) was $23.00 - I stopped contributions

Final Net Pay $931.55
Less automatic savings -$20.00
$911.55 x 2 = $1,823.10

Hello. I'm hoping that the wisdom out there on this blog can help me. I make the same mistakes over and over with my money. I can't get ahead with anything. I work and paybills. I am always late by at least a month on many bills. I get NSF's and late fee's. I'm kinda hopeless right now, because I am getting older but my goals of having a good paying job is beginning to become distant. I'm stuck right now, It has been recommended by my therapist that I hold off with my college courses until I have my 13 year old son's school and home life in a stable condition. I'm getting a second job. I constantly borrow money from my sister and mom, "just this once again, I fell behind" I need to figure out where all my problems come from and how to get them under control. Here is my monthly train wreck:
Rent $1000.00 ( I owe the landlord for moving expenses and he lowered my rent a few months when I was being garnished, so now I'm paying it off, almost done in May.
Normal rent is $750.00
Chapter 13 Trustee payment $250.00 (behind 2 months)When I write down my budget, I'm not seeing the right set of numbers. If I write down all my bills and total amounts due, I don't have money to pay them, so I write down what I should be paying monthly if I wasn't behind. I hate making a budget because I'm so over my head right now.

I bought a Verizon phone at Big Lots that I thought was the kind you buy the minutes for increments depending on my usage. It turns out that if I use the phone every day I am charged 1.99, 2.99, or 3.99 which in the end is the same as my cell phone bill of around $100. I don't get it. Anybody know more about these phones?

I live in Denver, Colorado. I make $31K a year. my take home is about $20K I've made dumb money decisions about how much rent I can afford, cell phones, cable tv and internet at home, shopping at whole foods market. my rent is $250 over the %30 housing amount I should be paying. I feel I really need to make some drastic changes to my lifestyle in order to keep my own apartment, food, electricity, the neccesities. My childs father offers nothing much to rely on. My landlord may give me a 3 day notice to vacate because I missed an arranged payment of $500.00 last week. I've exhausted family members and I don't know what to do.

I just can't seem to make ends meet or get ahead. I need a second job. my salary doesn't cut it in this city for me an my son. This has been a struggle for me for 13 years now. Thus the dream of getting my education and a high paying job. I need to find a part time job to supplement my day job. This makes me sad.

Like I stated before, after my health insurance, dental, 401k, and taxes come out of my paycheck, I really only earn 20k a year. That's about 1670.00 after taxes a month. I haven't had a raise going on two years in my industry ( commercial roofing). I am going postal on what I need and don't need.

Need
Rent
Gas for car
Electricity
to pay my chapter 13
Food
monthly prescriptions
phone (cancel verizon go with tracfone
pet food (cheap 1.99 litter)

Don't need
Digital cable TV package
Monthly cell phone bill/contract
Meats and extravagant meal ingredients

I just paid $225 for a cell phone bill for my son and I.
475.00 on electricity that was a few monts overdue
and a partial rent payment of $500.00

I have $20.00 till the next payday and I'll have to pay the a partial rent payment $500.00 and a $251.00 overdaft for the cell phone.

I think the grocery store is a big way to spend alot of money (nothing new right?) I am stuck on making the meals that are balanced and have all the right food groups for my son and I. Well I have also thought of drastically reducing meat consumption, but find it hard to fill that "meat" part of my daily routine. 40 years eating meat and it's just natural to include it. Anyway, I have alot of food in the pantry, canned beans, veggies, rice, noodles, and a few other odds n ends. so my idea is to feed my son and I strickly from what we have and not buy any new food unless its something to enhance the bean, rice, noodle plates.

Maybe the traditional degree isn't for me. I've been working on a degree (I have most general requirements) for a very long time now. I've changed my course several times, Nursing, accounting, teaching, dental, law school. I'm thinking maybe I'm not going in the right direction with a formal education. So now i'm thinking I can go to school for Esthetician licensing. My sister owns (with four other owners) 5 body waxing salons in colorado and it's a business that is doing really good. Even with this economy, her books are full. It seems the traditional requiements to get a degree is taking so long for me an if I can train for a few months I'd be able to start working a new career.

I had filed ch. 13 about 9 months ago, getting it dismissed to only file again so the debts could be dischaged. Well I haven't came up with the $1200 to file and I am being garnished by the karate company $500 a month they have taken. They will be paid in full by the end of August, but there are two more debts that already are ready to garnish me when this one stops. its a banking account. I didn't go to the court date. I did go to another company that i borrowed money from, payday loan, and agreed to pay $100 a month to avoid garnishment. I have about 5 payday loans that I opened, intended to pay, rolled over, and over and then I just couldn't afford it anymore. I owe money to everybody, the dentist, banks for NTE charges, medical bills, its pretty bad. For the first time I felt that I was going to loose everything out from under me. I am not happy and every day is full of going over and over in my head about what am I going to do?

The plan is to change my degree from nursing to the accounting field. I've been enrolled at a university for about a year and half right now, and i'm already changing my plan, i've wasted so many years attending college only to change my degree plan and not getting any where. Since I have worked in my current position which includes data entry, accounts recievable, customer service I thought an associate degree in accounting would be my bette bet. But now I'm thinking of taking the dental assisting courses to get a "part time" type of job to add extra income. that means I would not start back at the university until this December. I'm also looking at applying to the State of Colorado for possible opportunities with added benefits. I'm thinking what happens happens, maybe the dental thing could take me to better employment opportunities or I could find a better job with the state. I don't know but I do know I should be trying to find out if there could be more opportunity for me out there.

I don't know what it is about newspaper delivery, but there isn't an opening that I've had a call back for yet! I did sign up to deliver phone books and I'm supposed to start with the info session this week. I also found on Craigslist an 11 week dental training course that will certify me as a dental assistant. I'm thinking that I could take that course, 11 Saturdays from 8-5pm, and then find work as a dental assistant on the weekends to begin paying off debt and help my income situation. The class costs $340 to hold the class and then $275 a month for a year. Is this a good plan or not? Spending money to make money. I've looked into giving plasma for $50 every 7 days, but didn't get the chance to do it yet. I haven't had a raise in my company since 2008.

the credit company took my monthly payments on the Aveo down to $243 a month. I am behind June and July. I've thought about not having the car and taking the light rail, our state has one of the best transit systems in the nation, but yet how can I let go of the car? I owe $7300 still and I just wish I didn't have this extra bill each month. Cutting costs, this would be the first to go. I could save that $243 a month and buy a cheap used car. Makes sense, but why is it so hard to part ways and to acutually do it? Should I try to sell it? Should I involuntarily give it back to the bank?

I have finally made the decision to move from my $825 2 bedroom apartment into one that is $750 a month. The deal is that my son is in 7th grade this August and he has been with the same set of friends since 4th grade. I am really against moving him to another school or area to find cheaper rent, because I know when I was his age we moved many times and it was difficult for me. So in a way I feel trapped in this area, where average two bedrooms are $550 on up. I did move into a $550 2 bedroom a few years ago and had to find out about bed bugs and cock roaches. I worry about living in decent apartments and most of the cheaper ones have no washer and dryer (I think that may be why bugs accumulate - from piles of dirty laundry...maybe) I don't know, but the new apartment doesn't have the washer and dryer, but it is on the ground floor, very cool in 100 degree weather and the landlord pays the Heat. so I will find out if I am saving money with no dryer & wash machine electrical costs, not living on the top floor with vaulted ceilings, and heat paid. And its one my current landlord owns so I dont have to pay the deposits and application fees. We are moving about 2 miles from his current friends that live in the houses around our apartment so I hope he will be able to continue to see them. I worry so much about his stability. I have guilt that I can't afford him the house and that I am seperated from his dad barely making ends meet. I work to pay bills. I work to survive. I have guilt that my son has to grow up in a situation his parents created.

I would like to know if there are people out there that are struggling to pay bills, make ends meet, and have collectors calling for money. I'm interested in knowing the way people have found ways to generate more income to pay all debts down. Especially, the single people with a child (children). What hard decisions did you have to make. What sacrifices did you make? I work 40 hours a week M-F. I know if I worked a second job, I could begin to pay off my debts. It sounds easy, but I also have a 12 year old son that would be home alone or with his grandma while I worked. I worry about not being there for him. I know I can work two jobs, I've done it before, things in life easily get out of control, like the housework, cleaning the apartment, because my energy is drained. I want to but I don't want to. Does that make sense?