[bagaddict44]

Please don't cut the health insurence.... one accident and you could be bankrupt... When I had my son the medical expenses came out to over 250k ( unexpected c section, Icu ect because I was really sick) if we did not have medical insurence we would have been bankrupt.. I know you can control weither or not you get pregnant.. but I am just trying to use it as an expample of what can happen.

I feel you pain.. we are living on one income... we were way better off last year.. of corse part of that has to do with the fact that I am a sahm now, we ahve a baby to support, and moved from a lcol(colorado) to a hcol(california) but the prices for gas and food is out of control.

Could you cut out cable, dsl, get a smaller plan on your cell phone??? just some ideas.. good luck!

[Zophie]

I agree with what everyone has said about your health insurance. Plus, you are VERY lucky to have health insurance offered through your employer. I am self-employed and it is very difficult to get insurance as an individual not on a group. The plan I finally got has a rider exlucluding my pre-existing condition, but I feel lucky to have what I do have.

I'd first try to cut back your 401(k). You can always increase your contributions again when you are in a better position financially. Also, can you get a part-time job? Everyone else has offered great advice too. If you take a close look at your monthly expenses, you might find things you can cut that aren't essential. Good luck to you. It can be really hard being a single person living alone.

[cola262]

I have seen a friend's family lose their house and life savings and retirement savings because they gave up their health insurance right before a car accident. Please don't give up insurance.

[lolitakali]

As cash crazy as I am, I would never drop any of my insurance to save a bit more on cash... especially accidental & health for my person. Because of an actual childhood experience growing up in SG.

My classmate was not only the richest but also a very beautiful girl in my class. I remembered her dad's name always mentioned during the assembly for my school's donation for charity. We were never that close but her dad & her always hang out at a kopi-tiam / coffee shop after school at the tail-end of the strip shops my dad owns...

I remember the 1st summer I went back to SG from US college and accidentally met her at a mall... she had become a high-class PR (call girl).

I did not talk to her much about it (thought of her sensitivity) but through the grapevine of my best friend, her parents' got into an accident that involved other people and its her parent's fault for the cause; the catch is they had lapse in the insurance so somehow the insurance did not help pay for the accident. Her mom died in the hospital & her dad was kept on life-support for a good ten years. Since her dad was the sole provider for the family plus she did not have any close extended family & that incident happened when she was in high-school (she became a high school drop-out), she had to find money for the bills the only way she could "her beauty".

I have always respected her for who she is and how strong of a burden she has to carry... don't think I will be ever as strong as she is in her situation.

She is part reason I love cash as much as today and put my focus on the basic happiness / memories & not on "materialistic" extras (because extras we can live without).

Another of my college mate from HK "old money" actually spent her "Doctor" husband into bankruptcy... I went with her a few times to the Atlantic City casinos & was "scared" at how she gambled & how frequent (she will finish her cash $1000 then put the rest on CC, going there at least 2 X a month); that was her "parent's money" then... and that few times I went with her, it was an easy $10,000 plus accumulative (cash & CC). My heart was already in pain from my $400 (ATM limit, no way I put that on CC) cash each visit with her (WHAT A WASTE OF CASH). My take from that life's experience... turn off from gambling once and for all... never stepped into the casino since; life lessons learned TG!

No matter how rich one is... sometimes shit do happens (what goes up must come down).

Today, I love my cash more than many other things I see as extras & love the old-school way of "saving"... but in US, one cannot do without "insurance" as much as I see "insurance" as another "extra".. A.K.A. scam (alas we are in too deep into this scam called insurance; when we need it "in big cash" its almost unreliable {see the major natural disasters}... but still can't do without it because of that "what if".)

I could live without manicure/pedicure (had it done plenty of times but had gel nails done to my fingers & it "weakened" my natural nails so much that I was just turned off by the whole "nail" thing).

If I need to, I will even reduce the house / car coverage... but I would never put my "person" at risk BC it is that "person's health" & being able to work that can bring in the cash to pay for that insurance!

Just my 2 cents.

[Nola]

Cancel possible magazine subscriptions, sell stuff you don't need, don't eat out or order take-out, ask a friend cut your hair, do your own nails, cut cable off if you have it. Don't however, lose your insurance. Best of luck!!

[daluu]

wow, sorry to hear the tough time you are going through. i agree with the other ladies, you might want to cut out other things but not health insurance. that is one thing that will cost a fortune if disaster strikes. good luck.

[Vegas Long Legs]

Do not ever be without health insurance. Period.
How sad are we in the USA, that health care can be considered luxury!
We need some MAJOR changes in this country.

[LVuittonLover]

Originally Posted by ~Fabulousity~

Are you in Maryland? If so and you have BGE they do offer budjet billing its something i've had since I got my own place years ago. I never had any problems with it my bill is always the same each month.

I'm closer to DC so I have Pepco.

[LVuittonLover]

Originally Posted by IntlSet

I'm really sorry times are hard for you right now. We're in a scary economy, but of course, it will go back up... it's all cyclical...

Are there other things you can cut that aren't as essential as healthcare? For example, can you ditch your cable? That might save up to $150 a month, depending on what kind of cable plan you currently have.

Can you downgrade your vehicle?

Anyway, best wishes to you. It's tough having only yourself to depend on!

I've already ditched my cable and internet service. I actually still get basic cable because Comcast never cut the signal.

I'm upside down with the loan on my vehicle, which is why I haven't traded it in.

[BlkLadyLaw]

• I bring my lunch to work most days and only eat out usually one day a week. Buying lunch really adds up if you do it daily.
• Also, if you don't already, consider riding Metro versus driving to save on gas.
• Also if you have cabinets/fridge full of food...try to deplete things you already have vs. getting new food. I know I am guilty of never wanting to eat what I already have at home. I'm also guilty of not using coupons.
• Sell some things you don't use yardsale or eBay.
• Find some part-time/weekend work for extra income or use a skill to make some extra money by advertising a service on craigslist or something.

Hope this helps...sorry to hear what you are dealing with. Everytime I fill up the tank or get groceries I wonder how others are dealing with these prices.

[Purses]

Overall, I used to spend about $300 a month on transportation. I had to move out of my parents house and I could not afford to drive an Audi anymore. Because I moved to the city, I use the transit and spend about $100 a month instead.

Get a part-time job and you may even enjoy it and make new friends.

[LadyLinda]

I totally concur with riding public transportation if that is available to you. My husband and I figured out how much he saves riding Philly's SEPTA trains over driving to work. It came to over $3000 a year between parking, gasoline, insurance and wear and tear on the car (additional oil changes, new tires more often, etc.)! In addition, he gets to read on the train instead of swear at other drivers.

Also, some companies and most government branches (if you work for them) offer subsidies for employees who use public transportation. My husband ends up paying only $20 a month for his train fare. So public transportation can often be a huge savings.

[Purses]

Originally Posted by LadyLinda

I totally concur with riding public transportation if that is available to you. My husband and I figured out how much he saves riding Philly's SEPTA trains over driving to work. It came to over $3000 a year between parking, gasoline, insurance and wear and tear on the car (additional oil changes, new tires more often, etc.)! In addition, he gets to read on the train instead of swear at other drivers.

Also, some companies and most government branches (if you work for them) offer subsidies for employees who use public transportation. My husband ends up paying only $20 a month for his train fare. So public transportation can often be a huge savings.

I totally agree with you and my bf has a car and we use it when we are travelling a far distance and I still saved some money. Make sure you tell insurance that the vehicle is not being used everyday.

[jen6292]

I would have to agree with the rest of the ladies. Don't cancel your health insurance. You can maybe try to see if you can bundle your services, this should save some money. Maybe you can try to walk places more instead of drive. I have been walking to the local store to get things like milk and random things. I have only had to fill up the tank about 1 every 2 weeks. It is still a little over $100, but that is better than once a week!

Hope everything works out!