Barely Warranted Massage: Pay the handy man for a good corking

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Moneyball: Jul 11, 2005; It's a problem you think we need to explain ourselves.

Hello, and welcome to the Bad With Money Thread 3.0!

I don't have too much to add, so for now I'm going to borrow from last year's

Previous threads:
https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3555678
https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3819120

This thread is BFC's home for poking fun at the wide world of Bad With Money (BWM): six figure earners who live paycheck to paycheck, poetry majors with $120K in student loan debt, Silicon Valley venture capital flops, and everything in between. Well...almost everything. Having solicited feedback from the previous thread, I heard from over two dozen posters about what they'd like this thread to be. It is not my intention to squelch this thread under the weight of a thousand complex rules, but I think providing some basic guidelines offers clarity on how I will moderate this thread.

Therefore, without further ado, here are the BWM thread guidelines:

Things that could get you probated
This list includes actions that could get you probated. I say could because, as always, funny/informative/interesting posts are always welcome in BFC. However, the following types of posts usually don't add enough value relative to the trouble they cause:

Talking about yourself
BFC boasts a wealth of threads for talking about yourself. Have a basic personal finance question? The newbie thread is what you're looking for. More specific questions? Check out the long-term investing thread, the credit card thread, the house-buying thread, the...you get the picture. Want to brag on yourself for a financial achievement? Tell us all about it in the Goons Getting Ahead thread, or challenge yourself to track your financial goals over the course of the year. Just have something small or cool or interesting to share that doesn't fit into another category? Pop in to the general discussion thread. And if none of these threads work for you, I love love love seeing new threads in BFC! You might even get a sticky out of it if your OP is interesting

With so many places to tell us about how good or bad you are with money, there's no need to clutter up this thread with it. We all want to hear about your incredibly opulent/exceedingly frugal wedding, I swear, but not in this thread please! This also goes for asking for advice. Stories about family, friends, and coworkers where you play a bit role are fine, but stories about you belong elsewhere. Of the ~25 people who responded to my call for feedback, ~20 suggested a rule like this. Let's see which one of the 20 breaks it first
Getting the last word
Disagreements are a natural part of this thread. The boundaries of BWM/GWM make for some pretty interesting discussion! There are many ways a disagreement can end, but one of everyone's least favorite is when someone tries to unilaterally end the discussion while also claiming the last word. For example, "I'm done with this derail, but [three more reasons why my opponent sucks and is dumb]" is lame as hell. Don't be that person! If you're done with a line of discussion, just drop it. We're all adults here.
Getting mean
Similarly, there is ample room to disagree without personally insulting your sparring partner. When disagreements turn to insults, the thread turns into an unpleasant mess for everyone else. If you feel like spitting some venom at someone, take a couple deep breaths first.
Complaining about derails without adding content
Derails thrive in a vacuum. Sometimes the thread gets stuck in a derail that most of the posters don't care about. If you see a derail that you don't like, don't just yell at people to shut up. Try steering the conversation in a new direction by posting a new BWM example or responding to a different, more on-topic comment from upthread. If you post new content, you are totally justified in asking people to knock it off and pay attention to your shiny new post.

The one exception to this is our thread mascot and forum hero, the derail bird. Please always feel welcome to post the derail bird at people who are badly derailing the thread. See the end of this OP for your derail bird starter kit. As for those (hopefully rare) situations where people are posting the derail bird at you? That means it's time to drop it or move the conversation elsewhere.

Other guidelines

I received some interesting comments about derails. Generally, it seems like people agree that derails are often good or interesting, or at least drive the thread forward when things are slow. However, derails become a problem when they (a) become too long and/or (b) turn rancorous. If the former occurs, the conversation should definitely keep going! But at that point the BWM thread is not the best home for it. Take it to another established thread, or better yet, start your own new thread here in BFC!
On a related note, I received a few comments on both sides of the "take it to D&D" issue. Some posters feel that deep discussions about the politics and social norms surrounding money are better left in D&D. Others disagree; as one poster wrote to me, there's value in "admit[ting] that money is political." I tend to share the view of this latter group. Even as satisfying and unifying a hate-read as "If You Have Savings In Your 20s, You're Doing Something Wrong" implicates larger societal and political issues. HOWEVA: as noted above, discussions of this type should move to a different thread (if they get too long) or take a break (if people have moved from discussing to yelling).

Another way of putting this one is that business, finance, and career related D&D stuff is absolutely welcome in BFC (famous last words ), but the proper home for it usually won't be this thread.
If you're sharing some of that purestrain Reddit BWM, please try to both copy/paste the Reddit OP and include a link. This helps other posters engage more with your thread, as we can go pull followup comments from the Reddit link and don't have to worry about the OP deleting their post in a fit of shame.
Please no internet detective stuff.
Sometimes the BWM comes from elsewhere on SA. You can definitely share those posts here in the BWM thread. Don't go poo poo up other threads, though, and if it gets too helldumpy I'll put the kibosh on it.
Remember that this thread is most enjoyable when it's punching up. It's frequently enjoyable when it's punching sideways or down too! It's depressing when it's punching the mentally ill and addicted. Let's leave this last category alone.
Please feel free to report things! Before I became a mod, I thought reports were only for stuff that deserved a probation. Perhaps this is the case in other forums with heavier report loads, but BFC is a pretty easy forum to mod. It is totally OK to report a post for any number of reasons, e.g. "funny possible thread title", "potential for this derail to get out of hand", etc. Just make sure you include a note about why you're reporting it.

The Derail Bird Resource Center

Old thread names, missed a few

it's not solicitation if you use counterfeit money
holy moly I'm gettin PAID why don't I own a boat yet
so that's how I ended up living in this giant hot dog car.

Moneyball fucked around with this message at 23:42 on Sep 2, 2019

# ? Jan 2, 2019 23:39

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 2, 2024 08:42

Spokes: Jan 9, 2010; Thanks for a MONSTER of an avatar, Awful Survivor Mods!

Poor 2018 BWM thread, thought of paying taxes on trading crypto and died.

# ? Jan 2, 2019 23:42

TrueChaos: Nov 14, 2006

Spokes posted:

Poor 2018 BWM thread, thought of paying taxes on trading crypto and died.

And yet, the 2019 thread is here, born again for more tragic stories.

# ? Jan 2, 2019 23:53

Weatherman: Jul 30, 2003; WARBLEKLONK

Oh hay guys I don't want to derail the conversation any further but <blah blah blah unfunny and boring poo poo about the poster's own mundane situation that nobody cares about>. Now let's end this derail! Here's some content: <blah blah blah boring and unfunny in-name-only BWM content that the OP ripped off the first page of Reddit to try and disguise their lovely selfpost>

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

# ? Jan 3, 2019 00:04

GoGoGadgetChris: Mar 18, 2010; i powder a
granite monument
in a soundless flash

showering the grass
with molten drops of
its gold inlay

sending smoking
chips of stone
skipping into the fog

Nice meltdown

# ? Jan 3, 2019 00:09

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

I just want to remind everyone about the 2018 Industrial Security Clearance Decisions, which are a matter of public record. Truly some bad-with-money gems. When this thread gets derailed, it's a great source or re-railing content.

Also, per apparent thread rules, can we ban the person who got the last word on the 2018 thread? Asking for a friend.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 00:10

Cacafuego: Jul 22, 2007

Let�s break this thread in with a good one:

What to do about my selfish, but aging parents?

quote:

In desperate need of some advice.
My parents are growing older and have 0 savings. They are debt, mostly credit card debt from vacations they go on.
This has caused a lot of contention in my relationship on how to take care of my parents when they are older. For some context, my husband and I both went to college together, we tried very hard to make it, living frugally and carefully.
Now we both have careers. I'm a programmer making around 60k a year, and he is on YouTube making around 30k. We have a combined student debt of 60kand paying it off very quickly because again we are living very cheaply. We also have an 80k mortgage and a 8k car loan.
Together financially we are doing very well. We're saving and paying off our debts quickly.
But we are fighting a lot about my parents. I have also already been in fights with my parents about how they spend money. My husband tells me that they are being wasteful and careless, and that because they have 0 savings, we are going to be paying for all of their expenses in old age as I am their only child. He estimated it likely be around 6-8,000 a month to take care of them.
I understand where he is coming from, but I don't know what to do.
I also feel very upset at them myself. They did not help me financially with school, and when I was younger even tried to tap into a small trust fund for education I had from my grandpa. And now I am going to be subsidizing their selfish lifestyle.
Obviously, besides talking to them, and to a financial advisor... is there anything else I can do? Realistically, how much will they cost me?
My husband wants me to tell them I will do nothing for them in their old age if they don't entirely change their lifestyle right now. I know they will never do this. What do I do?

I want to know more about the children with a $60k/year programming job and a $30k/year youtuber being �GWM�.

OP posted:

Not only did they live for 60+ years and have less money, they started with large inheritances, combined at least half a million. And somehow they do not even have the house paid off, with all the reverse mortgages. meanwhile they pass on $0 to me and even try to tap into my trust fund from my grandpa which was like 70k to buy themselves a car, and also used my grandpa's fund to pay for my dental, medical, and education bills growing up, so that there wasn't much left for college. I don't understand how I'm the one who feels so guilty all the time but somehow I am.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 02:30

Raldikuk: Apr 7, 2006; I'm bad with money and I want that meatball!

Cacafuego posted:

Let�s break this thread in with a good one:

What to do about my selfish, but aging parents?

I want to know more about the children with a $60k/year programming job and a $30k/year youtuber being �GWM�.

How is the answer not a simple "don't take care of them"? If they couldn't bother to save for retirement and if they didn't help you out financially then don't feel obligated to help them.

Also, while their current expenses might be $8k/mo, if they end up having to move in etc, you can clearly cut that down considerably.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 02:38

Enchanted Hat: Aug 18, 2013; Defeated in Diplomacy under suspicious circumstances

They haven't managed to invest anything for their retirement, but they have managed to raise a sucker who will provide for them, so GWM overall.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 02:41

Haifisch: Nov 13, 2010; Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!; Taco Defender

Raldikuk posted:

How is the answer not a simple "don't take care of them"? If they couldn't bother to save for retirement and if they didn't help you out financially then don't feel obligated to help them.

It's worse than that, since they already stole a bunch of OP's trust fund money.

I'd be tempted to go "you already forced a bunch of financial help from me, you're not getting more". But OP probably won't, because her parents gave her brain worms:

OP posted:

i didn't even understand at the time that what they were doing was wrong, because my dad told me growing up that my money was basically his money. It took my husband to explain to me that the whole situation wasn't normal, and then fought with him for years because I didn't understand it.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 03:25

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

My parents made a series of terrible decisions, now want to unload $90k of debt onto me. Not sure how to proceed
https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/abzhpy/my_parents_made_a_series_of_terrible_decisions/

quote:

Going to avoid too much detail, since it won't help me find a way out, and it is frustrating to recount, but a barebones description:

29/M/NYC/making just over 100k/year

My parents took out ~$56k in student loans for two years of my college education of 2007-2009. They initially said they would pay it off for multiple reasons which I will not get into.

Now, they've brought me the news that they never paid it off, and in fact didn't make any payments at all for two years. For reasons, they decided to consolidate this debt along with some other things at an interest rate of 8%, this was maybe 2010.

I've been asking about this debt for years, but since it was repackaged into this debt consolidation loan, they were always evasive on what exactly was still owed for my education.

Fast forward to this week, they've finally broken it down for me, largely out of an inability to pay it off.

My portion of the debt is approximately $90k, and I am in absolute shock and have no idea how to move forward, so here I am.

A few questions:

1) Given the student loan was repackaged, is there is no way for me to write off any of the interest accrued?

2) I cannot borrow money from friends or family, so I will need to apply for a personal loan. Where should I begin? What kind of interest rate can I expect with a good credit score? How do I present the reason for the loan?

3) What else can I do aside from cutting spending to bare essentials and paying this down as fast as possible?

I am a little bit at a loss here, as they never let on how serious this had become. I still haven't even told my wife, I thought I was literally two months away from being debt-free from my other student loans for the rest of my education. Now I feel angry and horrified at the reality of what they did for the past near decade with this debt.

Thank you in advance

EDIT:

Additional details

no, I am not legally on the hook as they are not in my name

One was parent PLUS, the others I don't even remember and cannot figure out b/c they repackaged into this consolidated debt

I have to pay this off, they cannot and my dad is already nearing "retirement"

EDIT2:

it was bundled with a sibling's student loans, they are in the same boat I am (though for a slightly higher amount due to price differences in school)

Yes, I understand this is their foul-up, but the alternatives are just as horrifying. Do they declare bankruptcy? Neither of them has many working years left. If this doesn't get sorted, I'll still be on the hook when the problem is magnified by loss-of-work and their social security check just goes towards the interest on this insurmountable debt in a couple years.

I'm equal parts sad and angry, which is why I have not had any further discussions with them on details. I am still quite emotional, and am trying to find the most dispassionate way forward

Parents be scammin'.

Divorce, Truck payments (Ontario, Canada)
https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/abysxn/divorce_truck_payments_ontario_canada/

quote:

u/UpStairsTugRub
Hello all, unfortunately my marriage is close to its end and am seeking advice.

I have a truck I am financing and still have about 24k left to pay off, ownership is under my name, insurance is on my name, loan is 100% coming from me, I am the only driver of this vehicle and only one paying for this vehicle.

Does she have any legal right to this vehicle given all this information?

WHAT IF* I transferred the title and loan to my mother's name before the divorce.?

Thanks in advance.

quote:

Dont know, maybe 28k?

Hiding assets over $4k. Truck owners! Also lol that username.

SiGmA_X fucked around with this message at 04:01 on Jan 3, 2019

# ? Jan 3, 2019 03:50

BEHOLD: MY CAPE: Jan 11, 2004

Cacafuego posted:

I want to know more about the children with a $60k/year programming job and a $30k/year youtuber being �GWM�.

I know SA is populated on an extreme selection bias with computer literate educated 20-30something millenials in the stride of their careers, but for perspective: $90k is significantly above the median household income in the US, and if their mortgage is only $80k they are probably in a below average COL area

# ? Jan 3, 2019 04:35

BEHOLD: MY CAPE: Jan 11, 2004

SiGmA_X posted:

My parents made a series of terrible decisions, now want to unload $90k of debt onto me. Not sure how to proceed
https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/abzhpy/my_parents_made_a_series_of_terrible_decisions/
Parents be scammin'.

Maybe offer to pay the original amount exclusive of fees and excess interest? They should really look into bankruptcy if they have already successfully discharged the student loan hell debt through consolidation, though.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 04:36

Guest2553: Aug 3, 2012

Long read, but The Atlantic took an in-depth look on how to make money drop-shipping cheap Chinese goods over amazon. Spoiler alert: it's by selling people classes on how to make money drop-shipping cheap Chinese goods over amazon.

quote:

It was only after they�d sunk $40,000 and nine months of precious nights and weekends that Jordan McDowell and William Bjork realized how hard it is to make a passive income selling things on Amazon...In late 2016, McDowell and Bjork stumbled across a podcast hosted by Behdjou and Gazzola, normal guys who claimed they were making thousands of dollars working less than two hours a day on Amazon. The pair promised that anyone could do the same�all they needed to do was pay $3,999 for three months of coaching that would teach them everything they needed to know about the business.
...
Amazon changed a seller fee of $39.99 a month, a per-piece fulfillment cost of a few dollars a unit, and a storage fee of 70 cents per cubic foot that increased during the holiday season. Then there was the cost of advertising, which they needed to actually get their product noticed amid the thicket of other people also selling wine accessories, also bought cheap from China, also on Amazon.
...
But if selling things on Amazon is the new internet gold rush, the web abounds with people pledging to help followers find the treasure, for a hefty fee. They have names like Amazing Wealth System and Sellers Playbook, and their pitch is not dissimilar from the various iterations of �make millions working from home� schemes that have cluttered chumboxes since the dawn of the internet. Yet instead of touting shadowy multilevel-marketing schemes or obvious scams, they�re pitching something we can all understand: Amazon, opaque as it is lucrative, and the bottomless appetite of the American consumer, who can�t seem to stop buying wine aerators and meal-prep containers and insulated water bottles.

The companies mentioned charged five-figure for 'coach sessions' and raked in millions a year. It's a deeper read than 'lol @ this truck equity guy', but my favorite line in the whole piece was definitely

quote:

Another man noted that he�d made money in Bitcoin but hadn�t been able to crack Amazon yet, despite trying to sell vitamins for eight months.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 04:48

Haifisch: Nov 13, 2010; Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!; Taco Defender

BEHOLD: MY CAPE posted:

I know SA is populated on an extreme selection bias with computer literate educated 20-30something millenials in the stride of their careers, but for perspective: $90k is significantly above the median household income in the US, and if their mortgage is only $80k they are probably in a below average COL area

The part that'd scare me is relying on youtube income, but $60k is still enough to get by(especially in a low COL area) while the husband finds a another job if/when the youtube money dries up.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 04:56

Raldikuk: Apr 7, 2006; I'm bad with money and I want that meatball!

SiGmA_X posted:

My parents made a series of terrible decisions, now want to unload $90k of debt onto me. Not sure how to proceed
https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/abzhpy/my_parents_made_a_series_of_terrible_decisions/
Parents be scammin'.

This happens so frequently I wonder if the parents think that it is the student's responsibility to pay. They can choose to defer payments while the student is in school plus 6 months after they leave, so they could easily trick themselves into believing it. Otherwise it is pretty hilarious that the parents exhibit the same behavior as many students where they borrow the maximum they can without a single thought towards repayment.

For this person it sounds like their parents consolidated a bunch of parent plus loans together so bankruptcy wouldn't be an option (unless they have considerable debt elsewhere they could offload). I was really hoping most of the way through they did the one neat trick and consolidate student loans with a personal loan or similar and then discharge that a bit later. But they mention their sister's loans so ya. And 8% sounds about right for 2010 without looking anything up to confirm.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 05:42

Hoodwinker: Nov 7, 2005

Haifisch posted:

The part that'd scare me is relying on youtube income, but $60k is still enough to get by(especially in a low COL area) while the husband finds a another job if/when the youtube money dries up.

Making $30k a year on youtube is pretty impressive in my eyes. There's a hump you have to get over where you're making absolutely nothing to, "actual wage money" and that $30k can grow if the guy's working on his channel.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 06:55

Droo: Jun 25, 2003

BWM 2019: Making $30k a year on youtube is pretty impressive

# ? Jan 3, 2019 07:00

Shipon: Nov 7, 2005

BEHOLD: MY CAPE posted:

I know SA is populated on an extreme selection bias with computer literate educated 20-30something millenials in the stride of their careers, but for perspective: $90k is significantly above the median household income in the US, and if their mortgage is only $80k they are probably in a below average COL area

yeah not everyone went to a top 15 CS school and got 4 offers from the FAANGs in Seattle or the Bay Area straight out of their bachelors degree.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 07:14

Notorious b.s.d.: Jan 25, 2003; by Reene

Hoodwinker posted:

Making $30k a year on youtube is pretty impressive in my eyes. There's a hump you have to get over where you're making absolutely nothing to, "actual wage money" and that $30k can grow if the guy's working on his channel.

You gotta think like a sales guy. That $30k is the annualized rate for the best check he ever got from youtube

In reality, he earned $2500 in one month, once, and the pair of them expect his earnings to return to that level any day now.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 07:55

BEHOLD: MY CAPE: Jan 11, 2004

Hoodwinker posted:

Making $30k a year on youtube is pretty impressive in my eyes. There's a hump you have to get over where you're making absolutely nothing to, "actual wage money" and that $30k can grow if the guy's working on his channel.

There are multiple possible situations here, but if the guy made $30,000 in a year from a YouTube channel full of regularly published content he is probably at about 100k subscribers with an average CPM mix. If that is the case then he is near the inflection point where the income can 5-10x over a year from accelerating subscriber growth of viewers that watch a bunch of his library of videos.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 13:10

Spring Heeled Jack: Feb 25, 2007; If you can read this you can read

Love to get my big 30k check from YouTube, publishers clearinghouse style.

I assume YT doesn�t do any withholding on that income?

# ? Jan 3, 2019 14:24

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Raldikuk posted:

Also, while their current expenses might be $8k/mo, if they end up having to move in etc, you can clearly cut that down considerably.

If the husband is referring to assisted living, $6-8K per month sounds about right. Old folks homes are crazy expensive.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 15:31

Residency Evil: Jul 28, 2003; 4/5 godo... Schumi

RC and Moon Pie posted:

If the husband is referring to assisted living, $6-8K per month sounds about right. Old folks homes are crazy expensive.

This is definitely right.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 15:35

Motronic: Nov 6, 2009

Spring Heeled Jack posted:

Love to get my big 30k check from YouTube, publishers clearinghouse style.

I assume YT doesn�t do any withholding on that income?

Of course not. You aren't a YouTube employee: you are a vendor/contractor, so you get 1099'd as a sole proprietor, or if you are incorporated you get nothing at all.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 15:45

Lockback: Sep 3, 2006; All days are nights to see till I see thee; and nights bright days when dreams do show me thee.

I always like the simple ones.

Capitol One Credit Card Troubles
https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/ac6rwb/capitol_one_credit_card_troubles/

quote:

I have a capital one platinum credit card with $400 needing to be paid off. The max is $500. I have not used the card in months and pay off a little every month. Is there anyway I can stop getting charged interest? I pulled this out when I was freshly 18 and knew nothing about credit cards (and still don�t really).

# ? Jan 3, 2019 16:40

Hoodwinker: Nov 7, 2005

Notorious b.s.d. posted:

You gotta think like a sales guy. That $30k is the annualized rate for the best check he ever got from youtube

In reality, he earned $2500 in one month, once, and the pair of them expect his earnings to return to that level any day now.

This is the BWM thread so I'm not ruling it out, but being familiar with the amount of labor vs. outcome that goes into digital content creation, if he has actually grossed $30k so far, that's a huge step up for a content creator.

BEHOLD: MY CAPE posted:

There are multiple possible situations here, but if the guy made $30,000 in a year from a YouTube channel full of regularly published content he is probably at about 100k subscribers with an average CPM mix. If that is the case then he is near the inflection point where the income can 5-10x over a year from accelerating subscriber growth of viewers that watch a bunch of his library of videos.

Exactly this. The raw number of $30k in a year isn't the impressive part. It's the very real possibility if he's in a stable position that it could balloon up pretty rapidly from there.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 16:49

Bird in a Blender: Nov 17, 2005; It's amazing what they can do with computers these days.

Lockback posted:

I always like the simple ones.

Capitol One Credit Card Troubles
https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/ac6rwb/capitol_one_credit_card_troubles/

Financial literacy in this country is a joke. Something like how credit cards work is so basic, and something I learned back in high school.

Reminds of my college freshman roommate in the dorms. We got U-bills every month, this was for phone charges, and any fees from the university. Very first month he looks at it and goes, "Oh, I only have to pay $10 minimum". I had to explain to him that he gets charged interest for whatever he doesn't pay each month. He had the money, but had no clue it was going to cost him like 10% a month or something for not paying it off. I guess this is why colleges are littered with people giving away free poo poo to sign up for CC's (or at least they were in my day).

# ? Jan 3, 2019 18:29

Raldikuk: Apr 7, 2006; I'm bad with money and I want that meatball!

RC and Moon Pie posted:

If the husband is referring to assisted living, $6-8K per month sounds about right. Old folks homes are crazy expensive.

From what was quoted their parents don't seem to even be close to needing that but assuming they do it sounds like the parents problem. They can sell their assets and apply for state and federal assistance for it top since they'll be destitute.

It is the parents job to create financial security for their family and to impart wisdom on how to do that. They couldn't be bothered to save a dime for the inevitable and in the process stole from their kids. gently caress em

# ? Jan 3, 2019 21:14

Nocheez: Sep 5, 2000; Can you spare a little cheddar?; Nap Ghost

Bird in a Blender posted:

Financial literacy in this country is a joke. Something like how credit cards work is so basic, and something I learned back in high school.

Reminds of my college freshman roommate in the dorms. We got U-bills every month, this was for phone charges, and any fees from the university. Very first month he looks at it and goes, "Oh, I only have to pay $10 minimum". I had to explain to him that he gets charged interest for whatever he doesn't pay each month. He had the money, but had no clue it was going to cost him like 10% a month or something for not paying it off. I guess this is why colleges are littered with people giving away free poo poo to sign up for CC's (or at least they were in my day).

I always remember the saying "Rich people understand interest, poor people pay it."

# ? Jan 3, 2019 21:36

Motronic: Nov 6, 2009

Weekly Motel Sinkhole. (self.personalfinance)

submitted 18 minutes ago by smolphish

https://old.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/ac9rey/weekly_motel_sinkhole/

quote:

I'll try to keep this brief but there are a lot of details.

Some backstory, I was kicked out of my mom's a few years ago while I was saving for a deposit on an apartment, because I lost my job. I lost my factory job, working 10-hour days, because they had me work one week from 4pm to 2am, and then had my next week scheduled for 8am to 6pm. I was so exhausted from the switch (and being anemic as well as being a night owl my whole life) that I was falling asleep standing up, which is very dangerous as a machine operator. So my mom kicked me out and I lived in my 2004 VW Passat station wagon. I took it upon myself to travel at that time, to spite my mother for thinking she was doing me any good by pushing me out into the cold with my dog. Couldn't very well get a job and leave my dog in the car for 8 hours a day. Had a lot of fun traveling but couldn't escape feeling like I needed to do something more productive with my life.

*I chose homelessness to keep my dog. I'm sure plenty will have a thing or two to say about this, but please don't. The dog is the obvious encumbrance in this post, but getting rid of her is not an option. She's my best friend and served many years of my life as my only friend. She's the first thing I got with money from my first check at my first job and adoption is forever. There were days where I didn't eat because I bought dog food instead. She's my everything, and she stays with me.

*And before saying how it may not be fair to the animal, believe me, she has always been properly cared for and very happy. She has abandonment issues to the max and would much rather see me every day until her last day, than be taken to another shelter all over again. She would never trust another owner again. I won't do it to her.

Anyway, about where I am now -- I had been living in my 2008 RAV4. It got driven around a lot and was often left to idle for a bit when it got cold at night.

I slept at a Walmart, woke up freezing, and turned on the heat, thinking I'd be up and driving around once it warmed up. Wrong. I fell asleep and when I woke up, hopped up front to drive to the front of the parking lot, to run inside and go pee. I popped it in reverse, backed up, popped it into drive, and the entire engine shook. I turned the car off.

I did NOT have a rod knocking. I know what a thrown rod sounds like. This sounded more like something fell out of sync, and I possibly needed a new timing chain or what have you.

So the car gets diagnosed and the guy who diagnosed it said that he turned it on and just let it run until it shut off. Then when he powered it on again, there was a rod knocking. Well, of course there is, if you just let it run like that??

Anyway, he quoted us at $3,000 for the repair. The car was $8,000 and literally hit 100k miles on the way to that walmart. But now I've lost my house and have to pay a remaining balance of $2,000 on the repair. The initial $1,000 was paid by a neighbor at the motel we were stuck at while the car was being diagnosed. He paid it forward due to a vague past involving drug abuse that he felt he had to make up for. Having experienced the same state of mind before, I was glad we were both able to help one another in the exchange of the $1k gesture.

I've since not been able to pay a single cent, and I can't get a loan because I have no credit. Which is stupid?? Because at least I don't have bad credit, but whatever.

I have a trust, but the person in charge of it won't let me use it for this repair.

I'm currently paying $285/wk plus $50 for the dog, so that's $335 a week. This place has bed bugs in some units and roaches in others. Some units don't have working heaters. Life's a box of chocolates, right?

I make right around $450/wk after tax and work insurance, and overtime isn't really available because I'm limited to the amount of work that needs to be done. I'm a painter's helper at an autobody repair shop and still only make $14/hr which is a massive ripoff when many fast food chains in my state start at $13.

hat leaves me with $115 to pay for food, dog food, cigarettes, and weed. And before anyone says to cut out weed, I can't. I've had a lifelong eating disorder and I have no appetite without marijuana. Even if I can force myself to eat without it, I become so nauseous that it's hard to move without puking. I also have a notably hard time staying asleep without it. Cigarettes could go, but I'm a smoker so I could give you a fistful of excuses or we could both just accept the reality that I perceive cigarettes as a necessity, despite knowing it's a habit I can't afford. Maybe because my mom used to break into mine and my sibling's piggy banks to buy cigarettes when she couldn't afford them, idk. Probably just using her as a scapegoat, but she always said she was too poor to let my sibling and I go to the skating rink or tag along when friends went to the movies, though she always had money when she wanted to do those things or buy herself fancy poo poo. But maybe I'm just bitter.

So dog food is $20, a pack a day for a week is $35 before tax, leaving me with $60 for meds and food.

Every week is different but typically I choose to use this $60 to buy enough pot to sell some to the neighbors at the motel, to make some money on the side. I do this to where I can profit a minimum of $120 on a $60 purchase, without ripping anyone off. So I basically smoke for free? But then I don't have the $60 lump sum, instead I get it sporadically and in smaller amounts. By the end of the week I usually still end up having to go out and panhandle money to make it to Friday. Food is really expensive when you don't have a fridge or freezer to keep any of it in. We had a cooler but keeping up on ice was proving too expensive.

This means I have saved absolutely nothing for the car repair and it doesn't even seem feasible. There are so many things I could ask but the most important one to me is how the gently caress can I get my car back? I love driving, I need it, and I have plenty of time to drive for Lyft/Uber to generate more funds, it's therapeutic to me, and I'm good at it. I'm small and an easy target and I hate walking long distances at night when I could easily just drive there. I especially hate walking home with a blatantly obvious neon green dispensary bag on me.

If I got my car back, I'd be able to move back into my car for 1-2 months -- putting aside what I'd usually be paying here once a week -- and have enough saved for a deposit on a real studio apartment, with a fridge, and a stove, and I could even pay for internet instead of using someone else's cable login.

I've gone as far as enrolling in clinical trials, but they've all fallen through. Really not wanting to reach for any last last resorts, but I don't know what else to do.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 21:47

AndrewP: Apr 21, 2010

Hey, I�ve been wondering what ole Jim Anchower�s been up to!

# ? Jan 3, 2019 21:55

Enos Cabell: Nov 3, 2004

AndrewP posted:

Hey, I�ve been wondering what ole Jim Anchower�s been up to!

Haha yes! That read exactly like an update from Anchower.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 22:06

Enchanted Hat: Aug 18, 2013; Defeated in Diplomacy under suspicious circumstances

Motronic posted:

Weekly Motel Sinkhole. (self.personalfinance)

submitted 18 minutes ago by smolphish

https://old.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/ac9rey/weekly_motel_sinkhole/

$1,340 a month for his motel? Man, it's expensive being poor.

This one's more Sad With Money, even if it is a perfect example of "spend less on weed and cigarettes" "no"

# ? Jan 3, 2019 22:08

Motronic: Nov 6, 2009

Enchanted Hat posted:

$1,340 a month for his motel? Man, it's expensive being poor.

This one's more Sad With Money, even if it is a perfect example of "spend less on weed and cigarettes" "no"

Her. And from the post history I've gathered that she works as a painter's helper at a body shop and is dating one of the painters who has decided to stop taking his suboxone after being on it for 5 months. Not taper. Stop.

The whole thing is just a sad, sad train wreck.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 22:11

canyoneer: Sep 13, 2005; I only have canyoneyes for you

You'd think a painter would understand the importance of a good taper

# ? Jan 3, 2019 22:20

Harry: Jun 13, 2003; I do solemnly swear that in the year 2015 I will theorycraft my wallet as well as my WoW

Motronic posted:

Her. And from the post history I've gathered that she works as a painter's helper at a body shop and is dating one of the painters who has decided to stop taking his suboxone after being on it for 5 months. Not taper. Stop.

The whole thing is just a sad, sad train wreck.

You can actually assume all the things she's mentioned just from knowing she's living at a weekly motel sadly.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 22:45

incoherent: Apr 24, 2004; 01010100011010000111001
00110100101101100011011
000110010101110010

Dik Hz posted:

I just want to remind everyone about the 2018 Industrial Security Clearance Decisions, which are a matter of public record. Truly some bad-with-money gems. When this thread gets derailed, it's a great source or re-railing content.

Also, per apparent thread rules, can we ban the person who got the last word on the 2018 thread? Asking for a friend.

quote:

Applicant has not mitigated the security concerns raised by his conduct with a pornography actress, whom he paid for sexual activity.

Donald?

# ? Jan 3, 2019 22:53

Motronic: Nov 6, 2009

Harry posted:

You can actually assume all the things she's mentioned just from knowing she's living at a weekly motel sadly.

In my experience I could assume most of them from her working at a body shop. I think it's the fumes because all of the painters I've known were batshit crazy.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 22:53

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# ? May 2, 2024 08:42

UCS Hellmaker: Mar 29, 2008; Toilet Rascal

That's not a joke, paint fumes for cars are neurotoxins and over time make you go insane. It's why it's such a big deal for body shops to have spray booths and protection gear.

# ? Jan 3, 2019 23:49

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Barely Warranted Massage: Pay the handy man for a good corking

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