How often do you think about your personal finances?

[WillyBrandt]

I think about mine constantly--every day. I've got everything perfectly (read: neurotically) organized. I'm so obsessed with the fact that I owe money, that I'm in debt; and I'm utterly obsessed with getting out of it... argh...

One day...

[wryter2000]

1. Every day

We're doing okay (as long as I keep my job), but we have a killer house payment. They just refigured the escrow, and it went up $600/mo. I think it'll go down again next year. The old payment was doable, but this is a stretch.

[WillyBrandt]

2. I'm sorry about that... two things on my mind are

1. I'm OK so long as my job situation stays stable. It's all looking very good, no reason to worry, but if the unexpected happens things wills suck. I should have all my credit card debt paid off by the end of the year, leaving me with just car and student loans, which are together very manageable (about $500 month combined, with the car loan half way done). Still, debt makes you worry.

2. Why the hell am I wasting all this money on cable? I barely watch TV--I read and BS on the Internet more than watch cable. And it's so expensive...

[WillyBrandt]

3. What's an escrow?

[wryter2000]

6. Escrow account

The mortgage company takes some extra money every month, and then they pay the property taxes and insurance. They estimated how much they'd need to take in advance, but their number was too low, so I owe them money from last year. Plus, it had to be increased to get rid of the problem for next year. I'm hoping things will balance out then.

[Wcross]

16. 600 a month?????

Something is wrong there. I would ask for a full accounting of your escrow account. That is 7200 dollars a year- did your taxes go up or your insurance

[rustydog]

4. Every day since our hospital was bought by a for-profit

We lost everyone (but me) in my department 2 months ago. I get to train contract people. I don't see them keeping me past another year.
If I lose my job, we are screwed.

The Bush economy, you are either with us or you are against us!

[WillyBrandt]

5. Jeez... I'm sorry. So many people are getting screwed by the times...

[wryter2000]

7. Oh, man, that sucks

I work for a hospital/medical group/health plan all combined. We're non-profit. It's a wonderful company, and I know how lucky I am.

I'm so sorry the profit vampires took your hospital over.

[Lukymom]

8. Since Bush became president?

To be honest every awake moment. Sometimes even in my dreams. Or should I say nightmares? Good times are coming back in November!!!

[CrownPrinceBandar]

9. Every friggin' day..............................

I'm 1.5 months out of a 6-month unemployment period, I'm having to pay my utility bills in payments, I see no end to my student loans, I owe my dad $500 for an insurance deductible for an car-wreck that was somebody else's fault (cop decided to call it a no-fault accident) and my current job may not last past the end of October. I have had a really bad year.

[Nikia]

10. Enough to motivate me to go to work

I try not to think about money. I am better off that way since it all seems to disappear. When I think about calling in or leaving early though, I remember how much I get paid for every minute I'm there, not enough to have extra money but enough that every extra minute I'm there is a significant amount. I think that's why they pay me by the hour.

[flamingyouth]

11. Every day

I've always been very retentive about my finances, credit rating, etc. Then after my husband killed myself, I discovered that he had run up a huge credit card debt about which I had no idea. So, I'm trying to settle it now.

I have to say, on the whole, the people have been pretty decent to me about it all. They have all been willing to work with me, at the least.

[SOteric]

12. I track expenses and cashflow pretty much daily

But I really only reconcile twice a week.

I'm fairly thrifty, and I won't pay for cable because I'm not home often enough to get benefit from it, and when I am, I'm usually online.

I also won't pay for a newspaper subscription because they're all online, free but for the cost of an ISP, - and I don't have to put a bunch of trees in the recycle every week.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. As a self-employed person, I think about my finances a lot when

business is bad and not so much when business is good. :-)

[LastKnight]

14. considering the ammount im paying for school.

i think about it more than i think about sex.

-LK

[WillyBrandt]

15. You gave the best reason to get out of debt

When you're in debt, you only feel fucked...

[Jackpine Radical]

17. Money & sex.

[Bertha Venation]

18. Every day.

I'd love to borrow some of your neurotic organization. Our records, hence our finances, are in a shambles. And it's my fault. :cry: We are extremely -- extremely, I say -- fortunate. We own our house. We are both securely employed (unless lawyers stop trying to make money bah! or unless DC gets nuked -- god forbid -- and then what will it matter?).

We are so lucky it's scary. We have to get out of debt so we can start helping other people.