Financially - Are you doing better than before?

[MoneySavinDiva]

Overall, we're doing much better than we were a year ago. We have an emergency savings, very little debt and a stockpile bigger than I could have imagined with only a years couponing.

At this exact moment though...we're really struggling. We're at about half of the income that we need to be at, and there seems to be no jobs out there :shrug7:

Hubs just made the comment last night "thank goodness for our savings and stockpile, or we'd be in for quite a lot of trouble right now". He is sooo right, we've been having to pull from the savings a little bit each month to finish off bills...and we're going to be surviving off our stockpile for the next two weeks until (**hopefully**) we have replaced that second income that was lost.

Thank goodness for HCW or who knows where we'd be and what we'd be in for!!

[Arolisa]

Our Situation was awful last Summer, I was a Temp at work and Hubby's overtime was cut. We almost lost our home to foreclosure. Last November I was hired on although Hubby's hours have decreased. His job makes almost double of mine. We Lost 10 acres we had on a land contract because we had to pay for heat and food and shelter in the winter. But we saved our home and just are finishing up paperwork for a Loan Modification with an interest rate fixed at .75% and payments at 735.00 per month. Our previous mortgage was at 1200.00 and would reset at 1800.00 in September.

My hope is to learn enough about couponing to save even more and get the debt monkey's off our back. So I am optimistic.


Lisa

[ndsuhy]

You know, I feel so thankful that I've found this site!! In just the past year or so, we've done a complete 180 from the direction we were heading! We didn't drive expensive vehicles, in fact we only had one for a long time; we lived in a tiny 2 bedroom house because that's all we could afford; we never ate out, never did anything fun because we had no money; we never really drove anywhere because gas is expensive. I used to be sooo jealous of my friends and acquaintances that were doing so well, and had nice vehicles and went on fancy vacations and had nice tv's and everything....well, now most of those people have lost their homes and had their vehicles repoed, and have filed bankruptcy.

With the couponing tools that I've learned from this site, along with my own knowledge...we are no purchasing a home, have all of our credit card debt paid off, our vehicles are paid for and our monthly food budget went from $650-$700 a month to about $300 for a family of 4! I feel sooo lucky!!! and smart!

I will never have to wash my clothes in the bath tub again! or magiver a meal because we can't afford groceries! And our income hasn't changed within this year time frame!!

[jjganny]

I was laid off April, 2008 but did not go the unemployment route for personal reasons. Also, I had a part-time job working 13 hours a weekend at a job that I loved. After a few days of cleaning everything within sight, fussing to myself about stuff, etc, I worked a few more hours a week at part-time job(but could only work 28 hours a week). Well that just was not cutting it, so I swallowed my pride & took a job as a temp as custodian at a middle school. Let me tell you, it isn;t that bad. First, I have a great boss, love the kids, work is not that bad. When you think cnas & nurses do alot worse to their patients, cleaning a few toilets isn't too gross. Thank goodness, DH is on disability. Down side to working as temp, when custodians don't work, don't get paid cause of no benefits. However,temp agency had health insurance so that was a bonus. Also possible temp to hire position when available. I did cut corners, stocked up whenever good sales, lots of simple meals, drove less, no real vacation but things WILL get better. LOL

[$saver]

This is very interesting...I just read back through everyone's posts. It would be very interesting to hear back from the posters from last year to see if things have improved from last year to now, or gotten worse. Here's hoping everyone's situation has improved and keeps improving!

[fungirl2727]

doing great husband makes very good money. I have a 1 yr old and 4 yr old and I just got a part time job cutting hair at great clips it doesn't pay that great I make average with tips about 11.00 hr but it helps pay for a new truck. But yes we are doing alot better then last year hubby is bring home 4500 a month on top of the money I make and the child support I get and money I get from my dad so we are doing great.

[OsweetchildrenO]

IMO...It really depends on choices of individuals. There are 'special circumstances' at times...but my work has been laying people off. I am a very dedicated person, I was told by my boss that he would have tried to keep everyone but with the economy, it gave him a chance to weed out the people that were difficult to work with. My hours have been cut back, until we start up some new projects and the company has more cash flowing in. I understand this and it is hurting my cash flow. But at the same time, I drive a nice car with a fat car payment, we use to buy all brand name stuff, and DH and I both have hobby's.
The car was obviously our choice and every month I write a $671 car payment check I vow that this will never happen again. We are not name brand loyal anymore and our hobby's are scaled way back. I went out recently and applied MANY places for a second job. I was drilled in interviews making less than half what I do at my normal job. But I didn't give up, I am starting a new second job this week. I am not excited about it but I need to do what I need to do right now. We still have much debt to pay down from our wedding last year.
We planned on paying down all our debt this summer(his work is the busiest during the summer)....but with my hours being scaled back at work it has really thrown a wrnech into our everyday necessities.
It's really no ones fault but our own ultimately, and we are working ourselves out. It is most definitely a major life experience for us.

[Mrs.Reese]

I've been out of work for a year now. Getting into couponing helps to give me purpose. In some ways this has made me realize that one of us can stay home if we have a little guy. Somehow we were blowing almost my entire salary every month. There were months when we were both working that it was a struggle to pay the bills. Now the bills are paid and we still have a little left over. Not a lot but enough to put aside for the inevtible home repair.

[foggierbard9]

I voted Not really, but we are struggling more than before. Our reasons for struggling are not to do with the economy, but my husband got a job transfer and our rent is $400 more a month than before, that takes a huge chunk out of our money for everything else. With me being a SAHM and just his one income, I sometimes wonder how we manage to make the ends meet, guess its a good thing I am not taking classes this semester, that will save us some money.

[couponmom2008]

I feel that dh and I would be much better off if we actually sat down and worked out a budget together. Everything is seperate with us and I just don't feel like it is working. He has his set of bills that he pays and I have mine but I just feel that it would be better if we took a look at everything overall and combined our paychecks and once a month sat down and worked out the bills together, so that we will know that we are on the same page and that the important bills actually got paid.

Between dh and I we net $3300 monthly and we are still struggling. We don't have cable, we don't have an expensive car, we don't have expensive clothes, etc...
I just feel that we should be further in life than where we are now.
The only 2 expensive things that I feel are not necessary is:
1. My husband's outrageous cell phone bill (because he wants the everything plan)
2. The rent ($250) that my husband pays to share a photography studio. When this should be paying for itself, it doesn't.

My husband borrowed from his 401k because he wanted to purchase another car. I am so upset right now. The last thing we need is another car, we are doing fine with the one that we have.
I have been able to save a little money in a cd account for an emergency. I have been doing really good not touching it. I am just hoping that my dh comes to his senses before he takes the money and buys another car.

I am thankful for what I have but I feel that we could be doing so much better.