Laurisa
06-14-2010, 01:13 PM
ok, i only read the first page, but:
*the $35/week is doable for food. i spend about 100 a month. sometimes 75. however i also bake and grow produce (i live in a warmer climate too)
* it might help to learn auto mechanics. i fix my own car and this is a big $$$ saver. i drive an old car so parts are cheaper and repairs are easier. i dont recommend an old car with michigan's climate and that amount of driving though! investing in tools and a repair manual is worth it for me. however, i have the option of public transit, so i also drive less. it can be worth it to take a night off work to fix the car when you look at the cost of labor.
* as far as a cell phone, you can get cheap plans with tmobile (30/mo, 300 min, no text). i got a used phone and just hooked it up. pretty inexpensive.
* cloth diapers and homemade baby food. many of my friends who are parents poo pooed this until the really factored in the cost of everything.
are you able to move somewhere closer to your work? this will cut down on car repairs and gas. and give you more free time to care for the baby, etc.
hope that helped.
I do know how to do basic repairs on a car. I have a cell phone, being paid for by my family. That's the only bill I don't pay. I don't have a washer and dryer in my apartment so cloth diapers would be more headache than they are worth, and baby food isn't expensive enough to make me want to make it at home. WIC can help with that anyway.
Eventually I will move closer to my work, but not at least until our lease is up in March 2011.
*the $35/week is doable for food. i spend about 100 a month. sometimes 75. however i also bake and grow produce (i live in a warmer climate too)
* it might help to learn auto mechanics. i fix my own car and this is a big $$$ saver. i drive an old car so parts are cheaper and repairs are easier. i dont recommend an old car with michigan's climate and that amount of driving though! investing in tools and a repair manual is worth it for me. however, i have the option of public transit, so i also drive less. it can be worth it to take a night off work to fix the car when you look at the cost of labor.
* as far as a cell phone, you can get cheap plans with tmobile (30/mo, 300 min, no text). i got a used phone and just hooked it up. pretty inexpensive.
* cloth diapers and homemade baby food. many of my friends who are parents poo pooed this until the really factored in the cost of everything.
are you able to move somewhere closer to your work? this will cut down on car repairs and gas. and give you more free time to care for the baby, etc.
hope that helped.
I do know how to do basic repairs on a car. I have a cell phone, being paid for by my family. That's the only bill I don't pay. I don't have a washer and dryer in my apartment so cloth diapers would be more headache than they are worth, and baby food isn't expensive enough to make me want to make it at home. WIC can help with that anyway.
Eventually I will move closer to my work, but not at least until our lease is up in March 2011.