Why does everything have to be so hard?

[kherrmann3]

Why can't anything be easy anymore? I have bank accounts, I know how to manage them, but it just seems like every other force in the universe is against me. BOTH of my accounts overdrafted. Why? Because I wasn't told of some one-time-a-year stupid freakin' fee that I get charged in December. I call up the place, and they tell me it's in the contract (that I didn't get a copy of) and to deal with it. Well, it wouldn't be so bad. A $14 fee isn't the end of the world, but when it also adds a $35 overdraft fee, well, you get the picture.

I have a job, I go for orientation on Dec. 30th. It's only making $9.25 an hour and part time. It just seems like everything ran up at once and took all my money. I had to bail Will out a few times, and my savings is gone. I have a CD left, but I won't touch that because it's for a few car and my car is falling apart. Bleh. Thank you, US economy!

 

[Raspberry82]

Yeah, I totally know the feeling!!! I have medical costs for something that I got from a freakin bug bite of all things, lol.. would be seriously funny if it didn't suck so much money up, had to bail out my bf a couple of times so far this year while he's trying to build up his career and got laid off, we had to dump money into mandatory remodeling in my condo because it hates me.. lol.. the windows started leaking and ALL had to be replaced last fall, the bathroom ceiling starting leaking and had to be redone, that was super fun. And I'm trying to save for school next year as well as saving for putting a bunch into my car that is also starting to need some work. YAY. Haha. I think I'm just better off saving up for a new car and driving this one into the ground for the next year. :biggrin2: Oh yeah, and my stocks took a big dive thanks to the economy. Hurray!

Eventually things will turn better, they always do... e v e n t u a l l y.. . Either that or I'm just sickeningly positive.

What bank do you have? I've tried a few diff ones and I'm happiest with Bank of America. Sometimes banks even fee you if your balance drops below a certain amount, the turds!

 

[kherrmann3]

I am at Guaranty Bank, which is where I worked. They are only in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Georgia. They used to be a great bank. Their overdraft fees used to be $32, and they went up to $35. You get one overdraft reversal per year, free checks for the life of the account, no minimum balance, no maintenance fees, no membership fees, etc. It was awesome. Then they got greedy. The fees went up, and they even added a fee for items that are on hold. If you deposit a check and the funds are on hold, and you use some of those funds, you are subject to a $25 fee. That ticked people off. That was the beginning of the end. I am only still there because I ordered 4 boxes of checks before I got canned. Only employees got free "pretty" checks. Other people just got the freebie blue checks. Mine have sea critters on them! I love the manatee one!

 

[Raspberry82]

Wow, that's nuts that they would charge you for spending on hold funds!! I would be POed if my bank did that. Mine charges $25 overdraft fee, but I connect my savings to it for OD protection. That's rotten, though.

 

[Raspberry82]

What kind of new car do you want to get if you could have your pick?

 

[kherrmann3]

If money was no object, I would buy a Mini Cooper and paint it to look like a panda. :biggrin2:

Realistically, I think I am going to wind up getting a used Toyota Corolla or Prius or something.

Right now, I have a Mercury Tracer Wagon (1992) and it only has 60,000 miles on it. It had 32,000 on it when I bought it from my neighbor. I named him Kirk. Yes, I named my car... The license plate has KRC on it, and I tried to figure out how to pronounce it. I got Kirk out of it

 

[Raspberry82]

Haha, kirk, that's funny. especially since it is a station wagon- the most unmanly car to guy's.

A panda mini cooper would be awesome, I've really wanted to try out driving one, but I think a little too small for me. I have a 96 2dr Honda Civic so I'm tired of 2 drs, lol. It's name is Star because it came with 5 pointed star shape chrome rims. It only has 87k, but had a branded title so no resale value . It's still a baby by honda standards I guess. Only 60k on a 92 is amazingly low!

 

[kherrmann3]

Yup, I bought it from our neighbor, Mimi, in 2006. I've put on as many miles as she did (but it took her 14 years!). $1500 for 32K miles? Sold!

She's in her 90's now and just moved into a nursing home this last year. She drove until 2006.

 

[pinksalamander]

Sounds like what happened to my Mum. She had had the same savings account since she was 18 and all her direct debits had always gone out of it. Last year she received about 30 letters all at once telling her they were shutting off her services etc because she hadn't paid. Turned out the bank had decided she could no longer have direct debits out of an account she had been doing so for almost 30 years! Plus that she got charged fees for not paying so lost out on about £200. Our electricity got cut off, our phone, everything.

Fran :hearts :brownbunny

 

[wabbitmom12]

All I can say is, been there, done that, don't want to go back!!! Seriously, it just stinks doesn't it? I have recently been quoted as saying, "I'M SO TIRED OF EVERYTHING GOING WRONG!!!" Sometimes it seems like you just can't catch a break to save your life!

(Dave says forget about "keeping our heads above water"....wehave one nostril up, and IT keeps getting flooded!:?)

 

[kherrmann3]

It just sucks. I mean, I move out of the house when I was 19. The economy was flailing around like a dying fish anyway. Then, it goes belly-up shortly after I loose my job. I don't know how I am chewing through my unemployment. The holidays don't help, I suppose... *pouts*

 

[Bo B Bunny]

It's rough right now - believe me!

We just found out my hubby's work will be closed from Christmas eve to Jan 5. No work = No pay - he's union. His work was slow all year and it killed us. He made less and we had more going out.

I clean 2 houses - cash money. THANK GOD this morning one of them called and asked if I would be interested in another house of a friend of hers! I've cleaned for these 2 homes for 7 years! It started out as a part time extra cash kinda thing. I set my hours and days and I make darned good money doing it. I'm also very good about their homes and stuff.

Anyhow, we've had the samekind of luck lately and it seems like we'll not make it on some days. Hang tough, we might be ok.....

 

[kherrmann3]

I start orientation for my part time job on Dec. 30th, so that will get me out of the house. I am just afraid of losing my unemployment checks because I have the job. I hope I got the full-time one, too. Then I'd be getting $9.25/hour part-time and $9.21/hour full-time plus benefits. I need health insurance... :? It's looking up, it's just taking awhile to get there...

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I believe you will lose anything you make - so unless you make more than unemployment it really doesn't pay to get a job. Check it out online.

So if you get $200 unemployment and make $100 you will get $100 unemployment is how I understand it.

:hug: I hate this stuff too!

Let's hope things get better in the new year!

 

[kherrmann3]

I hope so too. I've spent most of 2008 unemployed. It was great for the first two-three months, then it started getting scary. I was hoping the part time job offered some form of benefits, but they don't. Blah. I haven't had health insurance since summer.