Ask Me Help Desk - Truck driver Lives paycheck to paycheck, do you relate?

I am an over the road truck driver now and I Live check to check, bad credit, No savings. Overwhelming bills with constant calls you avoid, rent, insurance,mouths to feed,past due on owed taxes, past due car tabs, car payment that has upside down loan, so I cannot sell the car.. I pay most important bills like rent,electric etc. and some other important bills and not others to get by. I pay only minimum to credit cards that I have had for years and years, knowing that it will never get paid off because of the high interest rates, and late charges. You know the game those credit companies play on purpose. They know they are greedy B### just robbing america blind! You also know those greedy B### oil companies charging up the A## for fuel and making billions in profits every year. Oh yes they say they raise prices for this reason or that reason which is a hoax just to rob us all. You just work your ## off trying to get to another month. Do You ever get those letters saying they will accept three thousand instead what you really owe? How funny is that. If I could pay it, I would. Most people don't always share these things with others, but I have a feeling many are in this same situation. I do not choose to sit at home collecting welfare. I choose to work. I work damn hard. I just try not to think of what I really face, and keep on keeping on. I have kids that are shortly coming of age that will need a car, want to go to college. I feel so bad that I cannot do more for them. I love them and want so much for them too. For years and years I never ever get ahead. I always hear that is how the government and big corporations want it. To keep the man down. Anyway, I know there are more fortunate people out there. I always see hundreds of large mansions up on the hills in California, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and other states that I drive. If you would like to support me, go to my profile and send support, if not that is okay too.. Or if you would like to add a related story, I would love to read them. I know that many in the world are worse off than me and many are in the same boat... I really don't need replies that I dug my own hole or whatever. Positive replies are welcome.

I hear you!
I actually did manage to save $50. This month though cause I didn't pay my van insurance because it is going to be broke down until Mar/Apr. I have the decision to use it toward tranny mounts and motor mounts or renewing the insurance in the spring.
I also have an extra $35. In Euro money that my son gave me when he came back from Iraq/Germany.
So now I really feel like I am rolling in the dough:rolleyes:
What adds to the pain is N0T only did Melba Marcos dog inherit $12 million (or billion?)
But I was listening to Wall street on the radio last night and they said that a guy in Hagerstown, Md died and left his mansion to his three dogs and the caretaker feeds them spagetti with meatballs and garlic bread all the time.

Know where I can get a job like that caretaker??

Truck driver I know you work hard and deal with a lot of B.S... Listen to the Dave Ramsey show he can give you some really great suggestions esp. about your credit card problems. He also has a book.

Yes, truck drivers make so much of the world work. You need to work out a written budget, stop using any credit cards that are not needed for your work, and not charging anything that can not be paid off by the end of the month.

And of course credit card companies only want the money they were promised by contract for goods we all buy.

Often we can find that by working on a budget we find we can have money left after proper bills are paid.

Living within your means is a skill that can be mastered at any level of income. However much you make, you can spend more. However little you make, you can save something. The Government and the Big Corporations have nothing to do with it. Take responsibility and take control.

Try to get away from the credit cards. And start a small savings plan; drop ten cents in a jar every time you wash a load of clothes. You know that large oaks started as acorns. On a related situation, I was in a bottle shop tonight. The owner was reviewing price increases on the imported beer; some were marked up twenty percent. He said this is because of the devaluation of the American dollar versus gold and foreign currencies. So, it isn't just beer and wine from overseas; it is also the price of imported oil going up because the value of the dollar is diminishing.

Check out this website:

Money Makes a Difference

It has really worked for us, and it has really taken a big weight off my shoulders, bills are being paid, all of them and on time, money is being saved, I am less stressed. Trust me it really is a great program!

Quote:

Originally Posted by George_1950

it is also the price of imported oil going up because the value of the dollar is diminishing.

Oil is priced in dollars on the world market, so currency exchange rates don't directly affect the price the US pays for oil. However, a cheaper dollar means that a euro or a renmibi or a rupee will buy relatively more oil, i.e. a lower effective price for the rest of the world. This relatively lower price increases world demand relative to the US, which causes the world price to rise further than it would have if exchange rates were stable.

Quote:

douger2006 disagrees: Big Corps like citibank and all those are all crooks and take from the poor by increasing interest rates, late fees. I understand we need to pay them back, but they make it difficult to pay it back by adding so much interest. They are crooks.

If you can't pay the bookie, don't make the bet. The only power moneylenders have over you is what you give them when you agree to borrow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ordinaryguy

If you can't pay the bookie, don't make the bet. The only power moneylenders have over you is what you give them when you agree to borrow.

That is why I refuse to put any money through a bank at all.
My son overdrew .17 and .26cents at an ATM and the bank charged him $35. Twice bounce fee then $10.00 a day until his next check was deposited. They took $400. Out on him and they hadn't even notified him that he was over until days after the overdraft.