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Thread: Too many bills, not enough cash!

  1. #1
    Featured Member Naida's Avatar
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    Dizzy Too many bills, not enough cash!

    I'll be the last to deny that I'm a fairly lazy dancer. I still pull in more than the average paycheck in my area but I've found myself in a sticky spot.

    Cash burns a hole in my pocket. So instead of putting back like I should have, I spent a good deal of my money until the beginning of this week. Then I lost a filling from my molar, forcing me to save for a dental appointment. Right as I was starting to save up to see my OB/GYN for my annual Healthy Woman (or whatever it's called, the pap smear and breast exam) exam. And my semi-annual STI screening. And some talking about an IUD.
    Oh, and rush week is about to start. One of the biggest and most looked-forward to periods at work. And I've some how, thanks to my usually distracted self, managed to work my way down to only one or two outfits and my shoes are on their last threads. Bleh.

    Anyways, I've been doubling up my efforts and thereby doubling up my earnings, but it's still not enough to cover all my issues right now.

    Anybody got some tips to up my hustle and/or pull in some extra cash when the private parties just aren't selling? I'd really prefer not to apply for any kind of government/state aide.
    Exotic dancing is like any other job.
    If you work in an office, you wear dress shoes and a suit.
    If you work in a restaraunt, you wear skid resistant shoes and a uniform.
    If you work in a strip club, you wear 7" stilettos and lycra g-strings.

  2. #2
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    It sounds like you need some real 'incentive'.

    You might consider taking some of your unnecessary luxury items down to the local pawn shop as collateral ! The resulting 'loaned' cash will cover your immediate expenses. Then you will have a very strong 'incentive' to earn enough money over the following several weeks to pay back the loan and recover your items.

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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    Would you consider working a part-time job in addition to dancing? If you could get one with health benefits, it sounds like you can save a lot of money on your medical expenses, in addition to the extra pay you'll be getting. StarBucks offers health benefits to employees who work 20 hours a week. If you don't mind doing physical labor, UPS also offers health benefits to part-time employees.

    Are 26 years old or less? If you are, you may be able to go on your parents' health insurance plan.

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    God/dess Kylea2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    I agree with Melonie & have mentioned pawn shops more than once on SW. Generally you will pay about 20% interest on a pawn lawn, but it will force you to realize not to spend everything you make.
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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    ^^^ Kylea is absolutely correct that pawn loans are now just about the only loans that provide a real incentive to repay in full by the end of the allotted time. The reason of course is that failing to do so will directly cost the borrower the inherent value of the personal items they had to put up as collateral.

    Arguably, between bankruptcy proceedings carrying few long lasting consequences, lenders being willing to enter into reduced outstanding balance 'settlements' on overdue debts, lenders being willing ( or forced by the gov't ) to postpone repossessions and foreclosures, gov't limiting the percentage of future income which unpaid creditors can attempt to garnish in satisfaction of unpaid bills etc., a 'moral hazard' situation has developed over the past two decades where failure to (re)pay bills / debts carries little social stigma. In fact, the 'moral hazard' situation has actually developed to the point where people who fail to (re)pay their bills / debts are often allowed to financially benefit from their financial irresponsibility ( i.e. reduced balance 'settlements', gov't refi assistance, strategic default ) ! These ( gov't ) limited financial consequences plus occasional financial benefits have indeed had an effect on the personal economic thinking of most Americans ... and for some it has arguably reached the point where making a mortgage payment or ( above minimum ) credit card payment this month is 'optional.

    The point of all this, of course, is that said 'moral hazard' has affected many Americans to the point where thoughts of saving money for future emergencies, or even limiting their total spending to something less than their net income after taxes ( i.e. avoidance of personal debt ), is thought of as an 'antiquated' leftover from the 1930's or something. Thus 'cash burning a hole in your pocket' is a fairly widespread phenomenon !

    However, for better or for worse, as the US economy fails to improve, as US gov't debt levels continue to grow, as US gov't costs of guaranteeing against bank failures continue to increase ( 8 more banks failed just this week ), etc., it is highly probable that the real world consequences of failure to (re) pay bills / debts will start to carry increasing real world consequences. When those consequences DO become real ... as is the case right now with a pawn loan ... it tends to produce a dramatic remission of the 'money burns a hole in your pocket' spending paradigm !

  6. #6
    God/dess Deogol's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    US savings is up something like 8% right now. Way above neg numbers a couple years ago. Things are changing.

  7. #7
    Featured Member Naida's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    I've been doing some thinking and since my dental/medical things aren't immediately needed, I don't really see a problem with putting them off until after rush, when I'm practically guaranteed to be able to afford it all.
    After all, I can eat just fine without the filling and my oral health has stablized since the filling was placed. My dentist and I actually talked during my last visit about removing it to begin with and crowning the tooth, since it was getting old and wasn't placed well by my previous dentist, who I no longer see. It falling out like that kinda saves me the extra expense of a removal. As for the OB/GYN, I perform my own breast exams and haven't noticed anything out of place, the STI screening is just a personal preference, and I'm practically celebate to begin with. The IUD was more or less supposed to be back-up contraceptive while I still used condoms like I do now and "thinking ahead" if I got into a serious relationship in the future (which I don't see happening any time soon, ESPECIALLY not to the "barebacking" extent).

    I'm not 100% decided but am about 90% leaning towards using my current stash to buy a new pair of shoes and some basic outifts (g-strings, booty shorts and triangle tops) so I'll have something to wear for rush, when guys are far more apt to spill something on me and other dancers will be less likely to lend me outfits. What do you girls think?

    And just to put it on the record, it's only CASH that tends to burn a hole in my pocket. If I still had my bank account open (I closed it when I left my lazy bum of a husband. It was all MY money, he never put a dime into the account, and I didn't want to fight for it in court when I filed the divorce.) I would not be in this situation. Unfortunately, I haven't opened another account because I was unemployed and my wallet was stolen shortly after I started working in my current club. I've been able to restore everything lost EXCEPT my ID, because my state sucks ass like that. They demand my high school transcripts or a CERTIFIED copy of my divorce decree to get my state ID or driver's license, but my high school is currently trying to deny me my transcripts and the courthouse won't give me a certified copy without an ID. Oy...

    As of right now, I have no official debt. That's because I do prefer, and have done so to date, to pay for everything in full. I despise the idea of ever becoming in debt, even though I know I will more or less have to be at some point in my life. I guess that "antiquated" idea isn't so out of date to everyone my age, because I have been making plans to open retirement and insurance accounts once I do manage to get my ID back.
    Exotic dancing is like any other job.
    If you work in an office, you wear dress shoes and a suit.
    If you work in a restaraunt, you wear skid resistant shoes and a uniform.
    If you work in a strip club, you wear 7" stilettos and lycra g-strings.

  8. #8
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    ^^^ well, as long as your dental issues are 'postponable' without leading to more serious - and more expensive - future problems ! Sorry about the 'gov't run around' also.


    US savings is up something like 8% right now. Way above neg numbers a couple years ago. Things are changing.
    In truth the 'savings rate' statistic you are speaking of includes a lot more than people depositing money in bank savings accounts or purchasing investment instruments. This 'savings rate' also includes things like paying down credit card debt and other overdue loans / bills. I believe it was Mike Shedlock that went through an 'under the hood' analysis of this a few months ago. Essentially, the gov't counts a reduction in outstanding personal debt as being equivalent to that person accumulating actual 'positive' savings.

    Unfortunately, one can't use a reduction in their credit card balance as collateral for a loan !!! Also one can't count a reduction in their credit card balance towards a 'positive' net worth.


    As of right now, I have no official debt. That's because I do prefer, and have done so to date, to pay for everything in full. I despise the idea of ever becoming in debt, even though I know I will more or less have to be at some point in my life. I guess that "antiquated" idea isn't so out of date to everyone my age, because I have been making plans to open retirement and insurance accounts once I do manage to get my ID back.
    Prior to my starting to work as an exotic dancer, I found myself heavily in debt as the result of a divorce and a clever but unscrupulous ex who ran up high credit card balances in both our names and stuck me with having to pay them off. This gave me a first hand look at the 'vampire effect' of having to pay huge amounts of interest with essentially 'nothing' to show for that money. I originally got into exotic dancing as a means of quickly paying all of this debt down. Since that time I have avoided auto loans and consumer loans entirely. I also recently paid off my one and only 'debt' i.e. the mortgage on my property in NY - since the lack of an AMT fix is about to limit the deductibility of interest payments on that mortgage.

    ~
    Last edited by Melonie; 08-23-2010 at 03:36 AM.

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    Featured Member Naida's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    No problem at all, Mel! It's always a pleasure to get your take on things, information and advice. You've cleared up misinformation and confusion many times for me in the past, so any postings from you are a real treat for me.

    But the tooth is postponable. It was already supposed to be crowned and the only way it could get worse is if she decided to pull it. Which would be cheaper anyways. But I don't see it getting anywhere near that bad in just a couple of weeks' time.
    Exotic dancing is like any other job.
    If you work in an office, you wear dress shoes and a suit.
    If you work in a restaraunt, you wear skid resistant shoes and a uniform.
    If you work in a strip club, you wear 7" stilettos and lycra g-strings.

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    God/dess Deogol's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    Got to put your money in a fireproof safe. Then grin and smile and run your hands through it while smirking "My Moneeey! Look at alllll my moneeey! hee hee hee!" Then lock the door and do it again tomorrow.

    Better than drugs man - never fails to put a smile on my face.

  11. #11
    Featured Member Naida's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    O_O

    I'll make a note of that...
    Exotic dancing is like any other job.
    If you work in an office, you wear dress shoes and a suit.
    If you work in a restaraunt, you wear skid resistant shoes and a uniform.
    If you work in a strip club, you wear 7" stilettos and lycra g-strings.

  12. #12
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    ^^^ try the same with gold bars !!! It's much more satisfying LOL !!!

  13. #13
    God/dess Deogol's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    ^^^ A lotta bruised knuckles and broken nails with them!

  14. #14
    Featured Member Naida's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    I had actually considered doing some investing in precious metals later on. Kinda hoping that the hype will die down some and most of the seedier bandwagon opportunists will move on to the next investment fad.
    Exotic dancing is like any other job.
    If you work in an office, you wear dress shoes and a suit.
    If you work in a restaraunt, you wear skid resistant shoes and a uniform.
    If you work in a strip club, you wear 7" stilettos and lycra g-strings.

  15. #15
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    ^^^^ for what it's worth, gold and especially silver have seen a pretty good pop in recent days.

  16. #16
    Featured Member Naida's Avatar
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    I've been keeping an eye on prices, but aside from the "buy low, sell high" rule of thumb, I'm more or less lost when it comes to investing. I understand a few things (particularly savings avenues) but I've never really been a big fan of the green.
    Exotic dancing is like any other job.
    If you work in an office, you wear dress shoes and a suit.
    If you work in a restaraunt, you wear skid resistant shoes and a uniform.
    If you work in a strip club, you wear 7" stilettos and lycra g-strings.

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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    WOW I did not know that starbucks/ups offers health insurance for part time. I do not mean to threadjack, but my friend has been seeking work, can only work part time but needs health insurance. TY so much for this info.

    DUHHH I am going to do a quick google search for more info and look for other companies that may offer health ins to part time employees. If you know of any others please let me know. TY end threadjack!

  18. #18
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    Default Re: Too many bills, not enough cash!

    I'm glad you found the information helpful. Here's a page with a few more companies that offer benefits to part-time employees:

    http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2008/12...o-part-timers/

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