Help?
So, um. Hi! I'm Dana, I'm 23, and currently living in Chicago, IL. I say currently because in five weeks and two days, I'll be moving to Orlando, Fl (YAY!). This is something I've wanted for three and a half years, and I'm absolutely freakin ecstatic that I'm finally doing it.
My issue is that I am so broke it isn't funny. I don't have to worry about housing, since I'm actually going to be living in company housing (I'm going to be working for Disney on their college program alumni thing) until August and will then be moving in with a friend who needs a roommate, as well as switching from intern to full-time. I haven't worked since late February due to being fired because my manager hated me (I'm so not kidding, she was an evil bitch who actually assaulted me and when I filed a report, HR did nothing). However, once I get down to Disney and go through orientation and all that, I'm going to be working at least 30-40 hours a week, guaranteed, and will be able to pick up as many extra shifts as I want, so I'm not worried about the hours. I'll be working custodial in the parks, and they always need people to do that. So basically, I'm looking at working 50, maybe even 60, hours a week until I get back on my feet financially. It's easier (and more sensible) for me to just pick up overtime at Disney instead of picking up a second job at, say, Publix or a Starbucks or something, because at another company, I'd only be making minimum wage for those extra hours. At Disney, I'd be getting overtime, so $11-12 an hour.
My bills run about $500/month ($340 for a debt consolidation program, $82 for student loans, $50 for another credit card). I have a couple doctor bills that are in collections that I really need to pay off, and I'm going to be doing that with my "economic stimulus" thingy. My mom thinks I ought to file for bankruptcy, but I can't afford the legal fees. I also don't want to be unable to lease an apartment, since some leasing companies won't rent to you if you've filed for bankruptcy. I have a cell phone, but I'm on my parents' family plan. I also have a subscription to Netflix, since I love watching movies, and it's the big plan, so it's $25/month. I'm most likely going to suspend my subscription until I've been in Orlando for a little while. I really should just cancel it period, but I watch a LOT of movies, both with the discs and the online viewing. In the last month, I've watched probably close to forty movies, as well as season 1 of Dexter and the first two seasons of Heroes on their online viewing. So, it's cheaper for me to use Netflix than, say, Blockbuster.
Anyway, I'm flying down from Chicago, so I'm only able to bring a certain amount of my stuff with me. My ticket was $90 thanks to Southwest's little Ding thing. Do you guys think it'd be cheaper to ship the rest of my stuff and replace that which I can't ship, or to come back for it all? The "rest of my stuff" being boxes of books, DVD cases (I'm bringing the discs with me in a CD binder), and my CD's (all my music is on my laptop and iPod). I also have things like board games and the like. I'm not bothering with things like my furniture because my friend's roommate is actually moving out in May, so I'll be able to collect things off Freecycle and keep them in the apartment until I actually move in. Besides that, most of my furniture is inherited anyway (with the exception of two of my bookcases, which are homemade), so it doesn't bother me to leave them behind. I can't remember the last time I bought a movie, and the last time I bought a CD was at a show (I actually got it and a poster for $8 instead of $15 because of my "old school" shirt, hee!).
If it would be easier to just come back and get all my stuff, I'd try to schedule it around the time that my cousin is getting married. I don't know when that is, though. Two of them are getting married later this year, but I don't know the dates yet. One's sometime in October and I don't know about the other. I told them I'd try, but I don't know, what with work and everything (plus airfare).
Since I'm planning on working as much as I can during peak season (as well as working during hurricanes, since Disney keeps the parks and hotels staffed even then, although you're not required, it's voluntary), I really won't have much free time to actually go do anything. Which is good, because then I won't be spending my money on stupid shit like going to the movies. The only problem with that, though, is that I'm a total concert junkie. I seriously get antsy if I haven't gone to a show in a while. Between May of last year and February of this year, I didn't go to any, and I was just aching for one. I've been to almost 40 in the last four years, three of which were in the last month. The upside to that, though, is that if I go to a show, it's usually incredibly cheap because I don't really go to "big" shows (like, say, Linkin Park or something). Most of the bands I listen to are up-and-coming and still play at random little bars and stuff. The last show I was at was The Dreaming, and I paid $12. I guess the bright side to being in Florida, though, is that most of the bands I listen to don't go there, LOL. Plus, sometimes, depending on the band, I somehow manage to get on the guest list. I have no clue how it happens, it just does *facepalms*
I used to work at a grocery store, so I'm pretty familiar with grocery budgeting (aka, go to WalMart for food and the dollar store for everything else because most regular grocery stores will rip you off). Up here, I go to a store called Aldi, which is really cheap, but there isn't one in Florida. I've got no problem buying the store brands or holding off on something until it's on sale. The only thing I really insist on buying that's a specific brand is Jif peanut butter just because it's the only one that tastes right to me. I don't really use a whole lot of hair products, just shampoo and conditioner, and I don't normally wear makeup, so I don't have to worry about that. So, yeah. Anyone have any extra budgeting tips? I tend to not carry cash unless I have to, and I've taken to leaving my debit card at home so I don't spend anything.
Also, if you're looking for a cheap car that runs well, how much would you be looking to spend? And in light of that, how much should I put away in order to afford it? I wouldn't be getting it until July or August, and I can't get a loan due to my credit, so I'm just going to get a used car, probably out of the paper or Craigslist or something.
Basically, long story short, I'm looking for "how to move cheaply" tips, budgeting ideas, and a general idea of how much I'm probably going to pay for a used car (and in turn, how much I should put away). I know I'm more than likely going to have a higher insurance premium once I get the car, because of my age (I'm 23, will be 24 by the time I get the car) and also because of my credit, so if you guys have any tips on how to get a lower rate, I'd appreciate that :D
Also, if any of you guys rent apartments in Florida (or other areas where hurricanes come through), is renter's insurance worth the price?
My issue is that I am so broke it isn't funny. I don't have to worry about housing, since I'm actually going to be living in company housing (I'm going to be working for Disney on their college program alumni thing) until August and will then be moving in with a friend who needs a roommate, as well as switching from intern to full-time. I haven't worked since late February due to being fired because my manager hated me (I'm so not kidding, she was an evil bitch who actually assaulted me and when I filed a report, HR did nothing). However, once I get down to Disney and go through orientation and all that, I'm going to be working at least 30-40 hours a week, guaranteed, and will be able to pick up as many extra shifts as I want, so I'm not worried about the hours. I'll be working custodial in the parks, and they always need people to do that. So basically, I'm looking at working 50, maybe even 60, hours a week until I get back on my feet financially. It's easier (and more sensible) for me to just pick up overtime at Disney instead of picking up a second job at, say, Publix or a Starbucks or something, because at another company, I'd only be making minimum wage for those extra hours. At Disney, I'd be getting overtime, so $11-12 an hour.
My bills run about $500/month ($340 for a debt consolidation program, $82 for student loans, $50 for another credit card). I have a couple doctor bills that are in collections that I really need to pay off, and I'm going to be doing that with my "economic stimulus" thingy. My mom thinks I ought to file for bankruptcy, but I can't afford the legal fees. I also don't want to be unable to lease an apartment, since some leasing companies won't rent to you if you've filed for bankruptcy. I have a cell phone, but I'm on my parents' family plan. I also have a subscription to Netflix, since I love watching movies, and it's the big plan, so it's $25/month. I'm most likely going to suspend my subscription until I've been in Orlando for a little while. I really should just cancel it period, but I watch a LOT of movies, both with the discs and the online viewing. In the last month, I've watched probably close to forty movies, as well as season 1 of Dexter and the first two seasons of Heroes on their online viewing. So, it's cheaper for me to use Netflix than, say, Blockbuster.
Anyway, I'm flying down from Chicago, so I'm only able to bring a certain amount of my stuff with me. My ticket was $90 thanks to Southwest's little Ding thing. Do you guys think it'd be cheaper to ship the rest of my stuff and replace that which I can't ship, or to come back for it all? The "rest of my stuff" being boxes of books, DVD cases (I'm bringing the discs with me in a CD binder), and my CD's (all my music is on my laptop and iPod). I also have things like board games and the like. I'm not bothering with things like my furniture because my friend's roommate is actually moving out in May, so I'll be able to collect things off Freecycle and keep them in the apartment until I actually move in. Besides that, most of my furniture is inherited anyway (with the exception of two of my bookcases, which are homemade), so it doesn't bother me to leave them behind. I can't remember the last time I bought a movie, and the last time I bought a CD was at a show (I actually got it and a poster for $8 instead of $15 because of my "old school" shirt, hee!).
If it would be easier to just come back and get all my stuff, I'd try to schedule it around the time that my cousin is getting married. I don't know when that is, though. Two of them are getting married later this year, but I don't know the dates yet. One's sometime in October and I don't know about the other. I told them I'd try, but I don't know, what with work and everything (plus airfare).
Since I'm planning on working as much as I can during peak season (as well as working during hurricanes, since Disney keeps the parks and hotels staffed even then, although you're not required, it's voluntary), I really won't have much free time to actually go do anything. Which is good, because then I won't be spending my money on stupid shit like going to the movies. The only problem with that, though, is that I'm a total concert junkie. I seriously get antsy if I haven't gone to a show in a while. Between May of last year and February of this year, I didn't go to any, and I was just aching for one. I've been to almost 40 in the last four years, three of which were in the last month. The upside to that, though, is that if I go to a show, it's usually incredibly cheap because I don't really go to "big" shows (like, say, Linkin Park or something). Most of the bands I listen to are up-and-coming and still play at random little bars and stuff. The last show I was at was The Dreaming, and I paid $12. I guess the bright side to being in Florida, though, is that most of the bands I listen to don't go there, LOL. Plus, sometimes, depending on the band, I somehow manage to get on the guest list. I have no clue how it happens, it just does *facepalms*
I used to work at a grocery store, so I'm pretty familiar with grocery budgeting (aka, go to WalMart for food and the dollar store for everything else because most regular grocery stores will rip you off). Up here, I go to a store called Aldi, which is really cheap, but there isn't one in Florida. I've got no problem buying the store brands or holding off on something until it's on sale. The only thing I really insist on buying that's a specific brand is Jif peanut butter just because it's the only one that tastes right to me. I don't really use a whole lot of hair products, just shampoo and conditioner, and I don't normally wear makeup, so I don't have to worry about that. So, yeah. Anyone have any extra budgeting tips? I tend to not carry cash unless I have to, and I've taken to leaving my debit card at home so I don't spend anything.
Also, if you're looking for a cheap car that runs well, how much would you be looking to spend? And in light of that, how much should I put away in order to afford it? I wouldn't be getting it until July or August, and I can't get a loan due to my credit, so I'm just going to get a used car, probably out of the paper or Craigslist or something.
Basically, long story short, I'm looking for "how to move cheaply" tips, budgeting ideas, and a general idea of how much I'm probably going to pay for a used car (and in turn, how much I should put away). I know I'm more than likely going to have a higher insurance premium once I get the car, because of my age (I'm 23, will be 24 by the time I get the car) and also because of my credit, so if you guys have any tips on how to get a lower rate, I'd appreciate that :D
Also, if any of you guys rent apartments in Florida (or other areas where hurricanes come through), is renter's insurance worth the price?