That's how I feel right now. I sat down and figured out how much money I take home after taxes each month, then added up my monthly expenses, and YOUCH!!! I don't have much money left over. Add in money I'm contributing to the 401(k) plan at work, and money that my company is deducting from my paycheck for medical coverage, and I'm REALLY screwed!! Asking for a raise is out of the question, since I just started working at this company last month. Guess I'll just have to continue to work really hard and hope that the company gives nice raises, because Lord knows, I sure could use one! Oh well, I know I'm not alone, by any means, but it still is depressing.

I feel ya, Psychodelicide.

The chunk I get taken out for medical coverage alone is enough to actually put me in a hospital. but I'm just passing through on this particular gig. I've got other plans.

before i went back to school i constantly felt that way. even after my christmas bonus i still had practically no money. it was very depressing to find out what i was "worth" to my workplace.

Here is a hint.

Paychecks are never enough. It doesn't matter if the paycheck has 5 zeros after the figure. It isn't going to be enough.

The question: What would be enough?

I'd gone without a paycheck for 2+ years because of school, then I got a part time job, didn't have to give most of it to a daycare provider so I was like





Then I got fired, (Long story won't bore ya'll), so now I'm like

psychodelicide said:

Yeah, sometimes... But I think that's normal for most men to feel that way...to just wish it was a liiiiitle bigger, yanno??...







































Hold up, you said "paycheck", didn't you...?...

The problem with larger checks is that you start buying more expensive things. If I had the expenses of five years ago, I would be doing great. But as I make more money, my expenses start to grow.

Lammastide said:

Medical coverage deductions out of your paycheck can really break you, I know what you mean.

JasmineFire said:

I hear ya.

MickG said:

I agree that paychecks are never enough, no doubt about that. A paycheck that would be big enough for me would be one where I could have enough money coming in where I could save to buy a small house (since I hate this apartment style condo I live in). Once I bought the house, it would be nice to have enough money coming in to where I could live comfortably (not high off the hog, so to speak, but comfortable), and where I could save a decent amount of money each month.

Nothinbutjoy said:

Sorry to hear about you losing your job. That sux!

Byron said:

jbchavez said:

So true! The more a person makes, the more they spend.

psychodelicide said:

what really hurts is thinking about all the money I used to blow kickin it and buying shoes and clothes before I became a mommy...

and... I just paid my rent! I thank God that I am able to make the money I do and pay the things that need to be paid but, I still kinda wish that I didn't have to think about money and where it goes. I want to save more.

psychodelicide said:

well, personally i think december is a bad time to take stock of finances. too depressing.

the 'christmas revenues' are a huge part of retailers' annual sales; which sales are considered to be 'growth' when our nation's economists measure our GNP; the 'health' of which is predicated upon the reason-defying assumption that our country will consume more each new year than it did last year....

which all means us economic slaves working folks are simultaneously being pressured to (1) over-consume goods and services to stimulate the economy; and (2) to save money for our futures. the fact is, it's an economic jungle and us stooges working folk are at the bottom of the food chain.

and all the while our government allows itself to go billions of dollars into debt for the war machine while cutting funding for essential services including care of the young and elderly....

i mean it's all insane to begin with.
utter madness!!!!


just my 2c!

jbchavez said:

There is a huge temptation to ratchet up one's lifestyle to match one's paychecks. I remember how, in one month, my ex-wife and I suddenly went from "starving students" to professionals. And we made that mistake.

I never really kept track of where the money was going... I just wrote out a check whenever a bill came in, got cash from an ATM whenever I wanted it, and just didn't think about what we were doing. While we were never in financial trouble, I do wonder how much money we "wasted" during that time.

These days I put a lot more thought into how I spend my money. To be sure, I don't live a life of frugality. I have a nice home, and I do treat myself to some luxuries. But, for example, I decided to sell both of my cars. My monthly transportation costs have plummeted to about $100 ($54 for a transit pass and about $50 for Flexcar, a car-sharing program). I was paying more than that just to insure my two cars!

matt said:

Sometimes I think about reducing my monthly expenses, but then I go out and join the local country club. Can't live without that.

I can't live without a car. The cars are paid for but insurance is greater than the amount you pay a month.

At the end of my money, there's always a little bit of month left.


But we're doing way better in the last couple of years thankfully!

jbchavez said:

In most U.S. cities, living car-free isn't worth the hassle. That's how it was in Indianapolis. (To be sure, I didn't need a new Miata and a BMW. And those were my cars -- my wife had her own -- she couldn't drive either of mine because she didn't know how to drive a stick-shift car.)

I'm lucky to live where I do (Seattle). The public transportation here is among the best in the country. A trolleybus stops at my building every 15 minutes and quickly gets me to work. And if I stick around for about ten years, there will be a subway station a few blocks to the south.

Also, Flexcar is a wonderful thing for those rare occasions when I "need" a car. There are two kept on the next block, and plenty more throughout the neighborhood.
[Edited 1/1/06 1:26am]

psychodelicide said:

It's bad enough that our health care system is tied to employment. Try getting individual health insurance that's better than catastrophic coverage. In some states, if there's anything negative in your responses to the health questions, you'll likely be turned down. In "guaranteed-issue" states, you'll get a policy, but you'll pay a lot for it, and the coverage isn't as good as what you'd get through a group plan.

And now, employers are passing along more of the health insurance costs to their employees. While in my industry (law), it still seems to be the norm for the employer to pay 100% of the premium, I remember that one of past employers decided double the deductible from $500 to $1,000.

U might wanna consider getting a second job.

I was watching an episode of Everybody Hates Chris and at the end, his mom and dad were talking about why she handles all the bills. Apparently Dad opened one of the bills and found out that they still owed money on it so, he paid all of it to them. Which in turn made them short on some other bills. She simply explained that if they didn't owe people, they'd be broke.

purpleizpassion said:

I saw that episode. I love that show.

psychodelicide said:

Tread carefully with buying a house. A lot of expenses come with it, and of course, every last bill that comes in is paid by you and you alone. I bought my house 5 years ago and didn't realize the maintenance and upkeep it would need. A house is like a baby - it always needs something.