since i am on disability i have one day a month when i feel flush and the feeling doesn't last long. i started getting my check via paper about a yr ago because with direct deposit i found i would gamble my money almost all before daybreak.
today, since my credits so bad that i can't have a checking acct., i use walmarts money card. they cash the check for a 6.00 fee and then i can deposit the amt i feel will be needed for bills. usually it is a lot less than the check and i really do not feel comfortable walking around with the big amt of cash but the system over all has helped me.
since dad died, we have incurred the added expense of groceries. my brother and i decided to pool 100.00/mo to start to see where we stand. we did this about the time dad died on the 20th of march. we still have 25.00 in our envelope and that's after taking the family to a cafeteria where the bill came to 70.00. we paid because they are always paying for us.
i won't be able to pay the hospital the entire bill this month as planned. in fact because i didn't know how the money would work last month i only added two hundred to the four i had saved and sent it to them. i did tho, call them and ask if i could give them two hundred a month until its paid off. as you recall my copayment was 1225.00. i still owe 625.00. they said that would be fine.
i gambled this month unfortunately...to the tune of 600.00. i was appalled when i added it up today. that's about half of my government check and could have been applied to the hospital bill. additionally, after asking for a new walmart credit card after cutting up the old one a yr ago, i find my balance at 218. without much effort.
as a safegaurd against gambling so much, i believe i will pay as much as possible to my debtors. i thought i could give walmart 200.00 and i also want to restart my charitable donations esp after reading of the earthquake in indonisia tonight. those poor people. i found a good charity that i trust and they even have called me twice to thank me for donating money without soliciting for more! Before the hospital i was able to give roughly 10 percent of my income but i may start of with five this time until i get more secure with my budget after dad's death.
i will have meds this month, of course, and one annual bill of getting my car inspected. it should pass but theres about a 35 dollar fee. oh, yes, this month i must renew my drivers lisence and that will be 25.00.
we figured the house with taxes since i am disabled will be roughly 400./mo each. that includes utilities and i must say since dad died we have all but stopped using the air and heat so there's so money saved there.
well, that's all for now. i hope you are managing your money better than i.
payday
April 11th, 2012 at 10:07 am
April 11th, 2012 at 12:54 pm 1334148884
April 11th, 2012 at 12:56 pm 1334148980
April 11th, 2012 at 01:00 pm 1334149223
April 13th, 2012 at 11:53 am 1334317993
I too would strongly urge you to check out Gamblers Anonymous or a similar group. You won't be able to live a financially responsible life until you get a grip on the gambling. $600 wasted in one month is an awful lot of money.
I give you credit for talking about it openly here.
Please consider whatever inheritance you get from your dad as a one-time lifetime opportunity to take control of your finances and your gambling habit.
I think you will find it easier to overcome the gambling addiction once you become more aware of the underlying thoughts and feelings that feed into it.
April 28th, 2012 at 01:51 pm 1335621077
Jerry