How to live on $140 a week

[Sceadwian]

Dumpster diving is for the ultimate poor. I cannot go that route as that is just disgusting to me.

Do you have any idea the wealth of electronics components that can be had for free dumpster diving? I have a few of the neighbor kids on the look out for me, in the last month I've netted the working electronics from a 50 inch projection TV including all three projectors) the screen had been broken and the mirror was scratched (someone had a tantrum) My family and friends also keep an eye out for me for old electronics stuff they're throwing out. Most of the cheaper things I take apart usually net me 10-50 dollars worth of passives and many other nifty bits.

 

[colin55]

I took apart an old printer recently and gained 3 stepper motors, gearing, micro-switches, photo interrupter and all sorts of quality components for my son. The motors were high quality multi-pole, slow RPM, and extremely efficient.
Parts that would cost a fortune if bought separately in a hobby shop.

 

[Sceadwian]

Yep colin, I grab anything 'broken' I can get my hands on. All you need to desolder components off the boards is a heat gun and a little bit of practice, categorizing IC's is only a matter of using Google.

 

[shokjok]

Skip the alcohol and pocket the $200 monthly expense. Look for food bargains if you eat out ( you're in Canada, so look for A&W 2-for-1 burgers, and non-franchised outlets that offer healthy foods). Whatever you save for ( credit card amount), its gains are defeated by the prevailing interest rate. Put the $200 monthly expense towards your $5000 credit card invoice, and you will have it paid off in four years.

 

[Frosty_47]

Skip the alcohol and pocket the $200 monthly expense. Look for food bargains if you eat out ( you're in Canada, so look for A&W 2-for-1 burgers, and non-franchised outlets that offer healthy foods). Whatever you save for ( credit card amount), its gains are defeated by the prevailing interest rate. Put the $200 monthly expense towards your $5000 credit card invoice, and you will have it paid off in four years.

My plan is to pay it off before June 2011.

 

[cr0sh]

Have you worked out a budget, so you at least know what your expenses are, what your total income is, and what your discretionary spending vs. needs spending are? If you haven't, then you should. Once you know that information, then you will know for certain whether, at your current income level, you actually can "pay it off before June 2011". You may find that even if you cut your spending to the bone (ie, eating ramen and drinking tap water, no personal trainer to pay, selling your blood, etc), you won't be able to do it. But you honestly won't know that for certain, until you have a budget in front of you.

 

[HiTech]

just marry a rich woman who adores you..... end of financial woes.

 

[transistor495]

Yup..that's a fantastic idea, I second that ..a short-cut method for youngster's woes

 

[HarveyH42]

$3k monthly income, and $5k balance, seems like a good chance, if you are wiling to make a few sacrifices. Set your priorities, look at your monthly bills, and see what you must spend. You need to pay for you housing, or you get kicked on the street. You need utilities, transportation, insurance, phone. These are all the things you can reduce some, but you have to pay regularly, or lose. Food, is the easiest to cut back on, try to steer yourself into the most basic nutritional meals. No harm treating yourself occasionally, but it's just 10 months, shouldn't be too rough, and getting rid of that credit card is going to save you a bundle in the end. Weight lifting, you do sort of need a trainer, or somebody to spot you, or least make sure you don't hurt yourself. Buddies can be scheduled on a regular basis, so you probably can't fire the trainer. Booze, parties, restaurants, and miscellaneous entertainments are expensive, not really vital to your survival, and are probably what ran up the card balance to begin with. These are the things you need to focus on stay away from, while you work on your balance. It's going to hurt some, you have to really want it. You are still going to have friends who will invite you to parties, just be sure you set a firm limit on what it's going to cost you, better to keep it little or no cost. If you live near your parents, they are usually good for a better meal, might even help out, if the see you are committed to getting out of debt. Once you are free of the credit card, you'll have more money in your pocket, but you will also be more aware of how you spend it. Every month, send just as much as you can to pay on the balance, need to be in the $700-$800 range if you hope to get it done in 10 months, depends on the interest rate.

 

[Noggin]

You come out ahead if you die in debt... If you're still driving drunk, then don't bother paying off that Visa

 

[Frosty_47]

$3k monthly income, and $5k balance, seems like a good chance, if you are wiling to make a few sacrifices. Set your priorities, look at your monthly bills, and see what you must spend. You need to pay for you housing, or you get kicked on the street. You need utilities, transportation, insurance, phone. These are all the things you can reduce some, but you have to pay regularly, or lose. Food, is the easiest to cut back on, try to steer yourself into the most basic nutritional meals. No harm treating yourself occasionally, but it's just 10 months, shouldn't be too rough, and getting rid of that credit card is going to save you a bundle in the end. Weight lifting, you do sort of need a trainer, or somebody to spot you, or least make sure you don't hurt yourself. Buddies can be scheduled on a regular basis, so you probably can't fire the trainer. Booze, parties, restaurants, and miscellaneous entertainments are expensive, not really vital to your survival, and are probably what ran up the card balance to begin with. These are the things you need to focus on stay away from, while you work on your balance. It's going to hurt some, you have to really want it. You are still going to have friends who will invite you to parties, just be sure you set a firm limit on what it's going to cost you, better to keep it little or no cost. If you live near your parents, they are usually good for a better meal, might even help out, if the see you are committed to getting out of debt. Once you are free of the credit card, you'll have more money in your pocket, but you will also be more aware of how you spend it. Every month, send just as much as you can to pay on the balance, need to be in the $700-$800 range if you hope to get it done in 10 months, depends on the interest rate.

Thanks, I put together a financial plan, based on above assumption. If I follow it strictly, I should pay off the visa by June 2011 and have $1.5K+ in savings account.

 

[Frosty_47]

You come out ahead if you die in debt... If you're still driving drunk, then don't bother paying off that Visa

I do NOT drive period. That one time was in Cuba and I was driving a god damn moped, kinda hard to hurt someone on a moped.
Your comments are of no help to me by the way...

 

[Noggin]

ONE time? I wasn't going to say anything else in this thread (note smiley face, it was in jest) but since you said "that one time," I thought I'd go ahead and respond. You mentioned three occasions of narrowly avoiding an accident, but the alcohol made you superman and let you do things on a moped which no sober person could do. So, did you almost end up in an accident 3 times in one instance of driving, drive while under the influence three times and almost end up in 3 accidents, or drive under the influence many times and almost end up in 3 accidents? Actually, don't bother answering. None of those options are very impressive.

Here's some helpful advice. Drop the alcohol habit. That solves two problems. DWI (cuba or not) and it costs too much money.

 

[audioguru]

I do not understand why some people spend more than they have.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I do NOT drive period. That one time was in Cuba and I was driving a god damn moped, kinda hard to hurt someone on a moped.

Not at all, a moped is a deadly weapon.

One of our students (he was about 14) was killed by someone on a pushbike.