When life hands you lemons add alcohol and stir!

[mishka422]

I was just posting to CTH about a strategy for changing his mindset about being alone and being ok with that and mentioned to him the lovely inner monologue I have in my head. The monologue hasn't improved much over time, but it has become shorter in duration. I see that as a small accomplishment. Gotta take the small joys when you see them, right?

So, last Wednesday I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. I know the basics of his principles already from another financial class I took but my church was offering the course on scolarship for those of us who are broker than broke! It tore me out of my blinders on denial I have been living in just trying to make it though. Just the quickie budget that does not include any credit card payments or extras, just the monthly general living expenses has sent me into a complete panic. Blinders are off and just on those things I'm short by over $600 a month. No wonder my savings dried up so darned fast. I kept having the cyphon off of it to pay the bills and buy groceries. This is going to be extra scary going forward. I hope to heavens I can figure out a way to cut some of this but I already have no extras in there. We'll see but the outlook is NOT GOOD! Emergency fund? HA!

Before you say it, I don't qualify for any help from anywhere. I make too much but not enough to pay my bills. Living expenses are just too high. I know I could cut off the cable and have no television (in my area you have to have cable, no antenna pics up the regular TV stations) and the internet (and find a cheap DSL service somewhere but that would require a phone line which I don't have). I can't get out of my cell contract without a massive fee plus it's my only phone since I don't have a home phone. I may be able to get a small discount on my car insurance so I'm going to work on that. It might save me about $20 a month. I had to quit Zumba which makes me very upset but that's $40 a month. Can't quit the gym until next May but that would only be $15 anyway and I use it. I can quit Weight Watchers which would save me another $40 a month. Keep in mind though that none of these things except the car insurance and cable were even part of that quick budget. Any other ideas of ways to cut things or talk my way out of any contracts?

I coupon like crazy so I'm alreay saving as much as possible on groceries. Even with that I'm still spending almost $500 a month! We hardly ever have any meat other than chicken breast (which I get on sale for $1.79-$1.99 a pound). I have no idea what else to do except have Ramen for every meal from now on!:)

Ideas please!!!! I'm desperate!!!

I've also looked for another job but it's impossible to get with my limited availability.