Retro's got it right, you got to really get into it, prioritize, etc. First off, consolidate your debt. Pay off the cards with the lower amounts first, so that you can throw larger chunks at the other cards. Also, get one card with a larger roof and transfer all the balances over to that one, so you only have one bill (that you can pay a larger amount of.) For example: You have 3 maxed cards, $300, $700, and $2000. Each has a minimum monthly payment of 20%, that comes to $600 a month. Get a card with a $5000 roof, then transfer all the balances to it. It would help if this card had a lower interest rate also. So, if you transfer all the balaces to this card, and it has a min payment of say 18%, so you only have to pay $540. But the idea is to pay more than the minimum payment per month, so you continue to throw $600 at it. It'll still take you a while to pay it off, but you'll make more progress on the total debt this way (and not have three different bills to contend with.) What I ended up doing was taking out a loan for my combined credit card debt (which I had slavishly chipped down to $3000 from $8500 over eight years.) The loan has an interest rate of 3%, compared to the credit cards (the highest of which had a 29% interest rate. Fucking Mastercard.) Credit cards are desgined this way on purpose so that you end up paying them until the end of time. Unless you suddenly start making all kinds of money you'll never get rid of them the normal way. Best way is to consolidate and stop playing their game. Of course, you can also work new games/toys into the budget too. Say you limit your spending on such superflous items to $50 a week. So, if you see something that costs $200, you have to save the $50 for a month before you allow yourself to buy it. Also, you can take your alloted amount and get a few envelopes, one marked "games," one marked "toys," "Music," etc and every week divide your "playmoney" up between them. Pretty soon you start to have a decent amount in each envelope, and since you saved this money you can spend it freely outside your normal budeget and not feel guilty. As long as you stick with it, you won't suffer too much for new stuff. What's the point of working your ass off if you can't buy some fun crap once in a while?
Thanks Thanks for all your replys guys! Im thinking of that second bank account idea as a starter, then maybe selling some stuff that i never use anymore (ill have a sort through the weekend and list my unwanted stuff in the marketplace!) The coin jar is another idea (i usually chuck coppers *small change* away) Thank you all!!!! *since im staying in more you should see me more around here* ^v^
Yeah, some more valid points thrown up there - including one of your own..... so you don't get bored not playing games, spend more time on the board With the games ideas, that's an excellent idea. Stick to games with longevity. I've spent a long time on GTA: San Andreas. If you haven't played the GTA games and that's your sorta thing, they're good. Any games with lotsa quests like that. Personally, I'd have fun going back through classic games on N64, such as the Zeldas, Goldeneye, Mission: Impossible, Perfect Dark, Mario... lots of time taken up there! Also, I'd suggest multiplayer games - either games you'll play with friends, or online games. What do you like? Halo? PSO? Maybe a PC game - Battlefield, Counterstrike, Warcraft.... you might well find playing PC games is a good compromise, especially the online ones. Of course, if your PC is a piece of crap, that doesn't help! Bouncing credit cards can be dangerous. However, if you just have the one, then I'd say it might be ok. Find someone who is still doing one of those interest free balance transfers for 6 months deals. Egg do still, I think. Which is attracting more interest - the bank account or the credit card? Whichever it is, put the bulk of that on the new card. And DON'T just let it sit there not attracting interest for 6 months while you spend your money on games... pay it off immediately! It is just a way of taking that debt which you have to pay, and removing or reducing the interest you pay. Anyway, like I said, sit down when you have some free time and make lists. Then see which solution seems most practical. Good luck with it
be hard on yourself, don't buy any "fun" stuff for like 3 months (might not make it through all 3 but its better than nothing) - makes it all the more fun to buy something after that!
I cant think of an excuse to buy 2 or 3 new games each week, even for a collector. Especially not for a gamer, who can probably *not* beat 3 games a week. Im still working on some games I got for Christmas the year before last! If I had the money, I would be tempted, but I dont think I would blow it on newer video games. I would start getting all the cheap games off of my list that I have been working on/worked on, first, and then maybe wait a tad for the "New" games to go down a little. But if you must get games and anime toys and stuff... 1. Download music 2. Dont go to pubs 3. I guess you could not go to the gym, but you would be like the cliche fat guy that likes anime and video games. :smt042 I guess you can lift heavy things around the house, and walk.... :smt023
LOL xD, what gaijinpunch said sounds about right, do what gaijin sais it will work like a charm, but dont sell weed
Hey, you don't *need* the gym to stay in shape, there's plenty of exercise you can do on your own, for free.
