I need positive thoughts my way this month please....

I will Jessi! I definitely will. And just think, as hard as it will be, it will be worth it in the long run!!! more money in your pocket every month. So suck it up now, to reap the benefits later. I'm in the same boat with ya girlfriend and this is the attitude I try taking. Its tight but you're getting things out of the way. You can do it girlfriend and when you do, it will soooo be worth it! hugs, shirley

Jessi,

I feel you. There have been several times in my life where I lived on $50 in between paydays. Once upon a time, I did it with only $10. I ate ramen noodles and drank water and didn't drive anywhere I didn't have to. It bit! But you know... I survived it. I don't know "how" exactly... I just did. I don't religiously attend church but I do have faith. I truly believe that God doesn't give us anymore than we can handle. And my gosh... what a RUSH you get when those debts are gone. One or two bad months, but then it's all better than it ever was.

I'll keep you in my prayers. Please put me in yours : )

It will be nice not having that stupid $60 debit each payday..I've been dragging JD around for about 10 months now, and I've got to get rid of that.

That will just leave one payday loan left, and I will be able to get rid of it easier.

I will be spending a lot of time around here in DebtCC land because I won't be able to afford to drive much of anywhere other than work..lol

And I'm going to be living on Ramen noodles here at work for the next while..lol

Just keep the vibes coming. :)

you're doing great Jessi! I'll think positive thoughts for you too! I remember what it's like to have to tighten your belt that much! It's tough and can be depressing at times, but you can do it! The strength you will feel within will be quite rewarding when this is all over! In case you were wondering, I'm about to do the same myself in preparation for paying back my student loans, I'll be your partner in this!

Jessi - sucking it up for 2 weeks will lead to a big reward at the end.

Just some ideas of you need more or want to knock out the payday loans quicker. If you are making car payments then its very easy to get an extension on your loan. If you have say a 5yr loan then they can extend it by a month or 2 so you will not have to make car payments this month.

Also Utilities are very negotiable. You can actually go for 2 months before they start talkig disconnection and can then work out a payment plan with very little overhead ( 2-3$ in late fees ).

also most insurance places will let you go 30 days late before they start talking cancellation.

Just some ideas. All of the above result in minimul late fees.

YAY Ari! LOL Glad I'm not alone in this..hehe

I'm not looking forward to my Ramen diet...Maybe I'll get some veggies or something to add to it to give it some flavor..lol

My car loan isn't due until the 15th, and that's payday. It's with SST (Don't ever use them for your car loan needs..They are horrible. The only reason they are my provider, is Ohio Savings Bank gave them my account..Not because I was late, They just sold it off to SST for the fun of it, I guess. Not a collection agency, they're a financer..But they suck.)

My insurance payment is my renewal payment, so I have to pay by the 31st to get all my discounts and junk.

Once JD is out of the way, it leaves me with 1 left, so they'll be gone before too long.

Maybe since I'll be broke, I'll just spend more time around here and try to rack up some points to wipe out PAA. ;-)

If my accident settlement goes through decently quick, hopefully by the end of summer I'll be completely out of this hole! :) And then it will be all up from there.

By the way, you don't need to completely compromise your diet here! Ramen noodles are not very nutritious anyway. I get salad fixings cheap, peanut butter on wheat is also a good source of protein. Yogurt also tastes goode and provides you with protein and calcium.

but if you insist on the Ramen diet, I won't argue with you! :D

Im sending many good vibes to you.My kids and I have lived on peanut butter and jelly,tuna and koolaid and water for about 6 months now,I am now just starting
to be able to buy a little more.Its been very hard,but we have survived,and Im sure you will too,just think about the reward in the end. :)

I know it will be worth it. Especially since I got "Carlos Santana" to quit charging me interest..lol

And the payday loans will be gone soon, which will be terrific. Right now I'm spending $240/month in fees on them.

I'm going to feel like a millionaire by the end of the summer...lol

I saw that in another topic, this Carlos Santana abides by the fdcpa, even reading the mimi-miranda. While this is good, his choice of an alias counts against his integrity.

Yeah, he follows the rules, and he's not a bad guy. A bad attitude sometimes, but I'll like him more when I don't have to deal with him anymore..lol

I'll see if he changes it back on my next statement. it used to be "Ballon" and now it's "Santana"

Waffling on aliases? Bad idea! How does he expect to be taken seriously! That may explain the periodic bad attitude you get from him! Less than engaging debtors are onto this and they're busting his chops!

I thought about calling and asking for his autograph..lol But I thought better of it, because I needed him to change his mind about the interest thing. I let him get a couple of payments, and then started re-bugging him. (Let me bug him for a change..lol)

Ask him for it after you make your last payment! See if he has a sense of humour comparable to his inventiveness!

I'll ask him if I go to his office in Indiana if we can have a picture together because my mom is a big fan...lol Maybe he'll play at her birthday party..lol

I was thinking today, maybe I'll send him a nice letter, and a copy to his boss about his being helpful..Maybe then he'll be a little nicer to other people. :)

That would be good, I think it would encourage him to lighten up. It may also make you feel good about yourself knowing that you've gained control over the situation. Perhaps if you humoured him about his alias, it would encourage him to take that more seriously.

Jessie - well looks like you will have to suck it up then. At least you don't smoke as thats a real wallet
sucker.

There's some cake in 2 weeks?

And think how nice it will be to re-join the full paycheck club once again!!

What is that worth - cheese cake?

Mmmmm! That sounds nice! How about chocolate-chip cheesecake! To die for! We'll have to get in touch with Mary, she's the forum Cake Lady!

I make a killer Strawberry cream cake...And caramel apple cake. :)

I will be thinking of you Jessi. I wish there was more I could do but I did want you to know that I understand and you will have my best of thoughts! You can do it....look how far you have come already...and think of the result. I don't even know you but I think that you are asking for good thoughts shows how hard you are trying and hey-that's just got to count for something!!! Mary Anne

Hi Jessi: Congrats on your payment plan...You are doing great and will feel better in the long run...I
have SST bank too..they sold my Providian account about 6 months ago and they do suck...they charge so much interest..I cannot wait until I get rid of them..

My interest on my car is pretty low--5.14%, they kept me on my original terms when they took over for Ohio Savings Bank. All I know is they're annoying. I loved having it here local, because I could walk into the office and get a receipt right there, instead of waiting. I'm paranoid like that.

I'll be sending all my positive thoughts your way, Jessi!! Just think, spend all your time here, researching and answering posts, and you will be MAKING money! :) I agree with Ari, ramen is ok, but stay healthy too! There have been a couple times when I definitely had to tighten my belt (married and pregnant with son, bipolar husband on a weird pot-smoking non-working rampage, running a construction company and having to do the work myself with my belly getting in the way just to pay the bills, whoa, big tangent I just went on there!!!) but it's doable and you have all of us here to support you!!

~Mary

Oh Mary! Please tell me your husband either got his act together or you sent him packing! Nobody deserves adult children bogging them down!

Oh, he so got the boot. No self respecting woman should put up with that nonsense!!! And I sure as hell didn't for long. :)

~Mary

Good for you Mary. No one needs that crap. :)

*grin*

~Mary

You go girl! That clown didn't deserve you!

True, true...and 3 years later, he is medicated and still wanting to get back together...LOL! Give me a break :)

~Mary

Well, I've officially changed my name and soon to change my avatar. hehe. Jessi, sending good vibes your way. Do you have an Aldi's near you? That has become my grocery store of choice. Cheap cheap cheap!

Yeah, that's the pathetic ploy! My ex was one miserable, apologetic bawl-bag for weeks until his second wife took over! What a piece of work!

NICE MISHELE!! I don't usually like people changing names, because I am easily confused (LOL) but I think that you couldn't have a more fitting username!!!

~Mary

The hardship of a couple weeks or months really make the end result so much sweeter.

Was on rock bottom once and borrowing $5 bucks to by some toliet paper money was so tight for a couple of weeks. You know there is no money when it comes to that.

Also another good meal that is filling and cheap is a good pot of pinto beans and cornbread if you like them. I have certainly made many a pot to last through a week during those tight times.

Tim

Those are some good ideas, Tim. Congrats on getting out of the hole yourself! And thanks for being here!

Mishele, Mary, Jessi, Shirley, anybody else, would you all think I was a wierdo if I changed my username to Jedi Mistress Ari? I like Mishele's idea in making this fun, but I don't want to seem flaky.

Not totally out of the whole yet by any means but working on it.

Planning on sitting down and putting my story over in the other thread when I get a chance. I am just glad these payday loans didnt exist when I was younger and thinks went sour or else I most likely would have gotten hooked into them.

I have always said Ari "A vacation from reality is good for the senses" have a little fun. Even though I dont have a strange name up I do have my little wizard and it reminds me that there is always magic in the world in children and adults who remember how to enjoy imagination.

Tim

Tell him you'll never be that desperate. :)

Tim, I would love to hear your story!!!
Also I know what you mean about the pot of beans. We were in the military for 20 years on military pay (despite what america might think--its not much) with FOUR kids and getting a check every two weeks. It was HARD---sometimes HARDER than HARD. I look back now and I don't see how we did it. I really don't. But we would eat like that. A pot of beef stew went far (yet the beef for stew has went way up from what it used to cost), make some rice and cornbread to go with it. Homemade vegtable soup is cheap and goes far too. Chicken and dumplings--a big pot of chicken and rice. This is what I could cook to feed everyone and it would stretch out. sometimes we do the pot of lima beans, ham hocks and rice/corn bread. cheap but filling.

J and others - Its also important to focus in on your 1st full ( non-payday loan ) check. Visualize it. Imagine checking your balance and hearing your full check amount in there without any loan fees.

I have not had a payday loan in over 2 months but I was tempted. Just have to imagine the time in the next month or 2 when you will get a full check and imagine how elated you will be. And just in time for the warm season.

A bit of reprogramming yourself here. Anyone can declare that they will not do something again but its going against our human nature not to do something we are used to. Thats where the work comes in.

I think Jedi Mistress Ari is HAWT! Do it :)

~Mary

I like it too Ari! :)

Yes, Glynnie...I am looking forward to that full paycheck, and just having everything dealt with.

It is so nice having a full paycheck. Now we know that the bills will be paid and the loan sharks are filling their pockets with the interest.