Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

re: Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

Ynot — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:30:46 GMT

In a few posts back it was stated that the middle class was being systematically eradicated. Of all the wonderful Ideas and thoughts here I did a quick summary of my debt situation from two years ago vs. today. Two years ago my expenditures was Utilities Housing=55%, Food n Gass=22.6%, Medical=1.9%and Frivolous expenditures =4% for a total of 83.5% of my income spent on necessities.

Two years latter same job new ownership Util/Hous=55%, Food and Gas=35.7%, Medical 8.7%and Friv=4%for a total of 103.4% of my income spent on nacessities.

My pay did not change dramatically in fact the pay raises I received were taken away by increased insurance costs coupled with the exorbitant rises in gas prices which inturn affect food prices. What was seemingly a decent budget two years ago has eroded to what you see here today a negative expenditure. My bills are extremely few Rent, car,power, Child support take up the utilities n housing as these are bills that MUST be met each and every month. Food n Gas exactly that food and gas. Medical is self explanatory and Frivolous is Cell Phones but that actually is a contract that I can't get out of until Jan of next year. Not much room to cut back and I already live al la carte as I pay all my bills in cash and in person.

An increase of 19.9% in two years is a jump of 9.95% per year. I don't think any employer is going to give or help employees with Cost of Living Allowance as 9 times out of 10 it could be missused or abused.

I have cut where I could to include energy use in my home but there is a point that you can't cut back any further without going in the hole such as I have.

For some al la carte is a god send to savings to others its a way of life for survival.

re: Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

georgia — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:37:32 GMT

I 'm guessing that Phil doesn't really grasp what the average family is going

thru right now. If we save a dollar on anything it just goes to cover the rising gas

prices and the overflow of all the other things that familys have to have. No frils,

just grocies alone have went up so much more that you really have to watch your

spending and just buy the basics. So , to live ala carte it may be cheaper for some

to eat out and save money by picking up dinner on your way home .( to save gas)

I don't think family's are able to save anything right now and for most we are in a

survival mode... Yes we all need a cost in living increase........

re: Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

Cheapskate — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:28:54 GMT

We share our garbage can with our next door neighbor, and she slips a $20 into our mailbox every couple months to cover her share. Doesn't work for most people, but if you have the smallest can your garbage company offers and still only fill it halfway every week, ask your neighbors if they are in the same boat. We now only pay every other garbage bill out of pocket.

re: Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

Belinda — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:19:20 GMT

To CJ who posted on 6/20: You gave such mundane advice in a very inspiring way. I am going to use your advice, ver batium, when my son asks for something I can't afford. He is at the age (12) where he wants to keep up on all the latest technology. Thanks!!

re: Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

Narius — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:11:28 GMT

Cable should be free, and so should beer. If we keep our population plugged in to mindless reality TV while giving them lots of beer, they will be well insulated from seeing just how bad things are around them and it will keep them in line. It is time for the people of the United States to take this country back from the rich and powerful who are bent on keeping us down. If you think Obama or McCain are willing or able to do this, you are seriously mistaken. It falls to us! The time for a second American Revolution is at hand! Who will rise up and join us? Anybody?....Bueller?.....Bueller? Oh, never mind, The "Who Wants to Marry an American Idol Top Chef Who Thinks He Can Dance" Results Show just came on, and my beer is getting warm, and they said I don't want to miss it!

re: Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

Belinda — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:09:19 GMT

I switched to basic cable and basic internet service. Also, I don't do Blockbuster any longer. We are on the 2 a month plan from Netflix and we go to the public library for movies and books (sorry B & N!). I cut out my phone service and just use a cell. My son has the pay as you go cell. Being a single mom with student loans to pay off is a financial burden and I'm always looking for ways to save. I took my boy to Disney and we camped in a tent instead of staying at the hotel. We didn't do the theme parks everyday; the campgrounds at Disney really are a theme park in their own right. Next, I need to switch my job and have a Title I school hire me so that I can get some of the loans paid off. No new car in my future!!

re: Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

pay as you go joe — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:08:37 GMT

Pay as you go saves lots of dough. If you charge something, pay it off at the end of the month and collect the credit card bonuses without paying ridiculous interest rates. With few exceptions, if you cannot do this then you cannot afford it yet. I see many folks trying to keep up with "everybody else" because they "think" "everybody else" is doing so much better. They probably just carry more debt.

re: Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

Raven — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:00:27 GMT

If you want a lot of variety of Movies to watch and not pay too much join the BlockBuster DVD club. For about $21.00/month you get mailed three movies at a time, when you send them back they send you three more. It is an ongoing program and you go on-line to update your movie list, you are only sent the movies that you want to watch. This program is cheaper than one of the cable company's plans for their movie programming and you get to pick what you are watching. It is also a lot cheaper than going to the theatre to watch movies.

re: Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

Wayne — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:28:20 GMT

Helpful and encouraging ideas. I wish I had lived by this motto for years - before becoming indebted for things I wanted but didn't NEED.

re: Pay as you go with the 'a la carte method' of spending

Marie — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:57:40 GMT

I'm anotrher "U.S. citizen loosing hope" as well. For the life of me I can never understand why businesses use the gas price increases to increase their fees as well. Unless the business survives heavily on the use of gasoline I do NOT see increases for consumers. An excellent example is our hair salon where my family of four gets regular haircuts. During the first gas price increase many months ago they posted a sign in their shop stating because of gas we're increasing our costs as follows and listed substantial increases in haircuts, etc. Every business seems to take advantage of consumers during these rough times while the middle class isn't getting cost of living increases to compensate for all the other increases. Who's going to pay for all these services and goods if we're all barely surviving? THINK THINK THINK

Also I agree with Sue regarding getting back to the basics. I grew up very similarly and can agree with everything she said. Unfortunately most of our society has forgotten what SIMPLE and BASIC mean if they ever knew to begin with. How about the size of all these mansions going up EVERYWHERE and many of them being built by some of our millionnaire environmentalists who continue to make money from pushing "green" and "protect the environment". Wonder how much electricity they're using--the ones who didn't think green before?

Unless we middle class folks get a break somewhere I don't see MSN Money doing anything but wasting their time telling us how to save when we have barely enough to survive. HELP!!