Robbing Peter To Pay Paul And Paul's Broke...
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
May 2, 2008 10:01am CST
With all the responsibilities that adults in keeping things going like rent/house payment, car payments, utilities, food, gas, you name it…sometimes money just doesn’t go far enough. Sometimes you have to make tough choices like do you pay the water bill or buy food for you and the kids. Do you pay the electric or the rent? With our economy out of control it seems ppl are faced with harder choices and sometimes there just isn’t enough to go around.
Growing up I can remember a few times that there just wasn’t enough money and we ended up with our water, electric or heat turned off. It wasn’t anyone’s fault it was just how things went at times. We got through it and learned how to deal with it. We’d bundle up when we had no heat, use candles when we had no electric and went to Grandma’s for showers and jugs of water when the water was off.
Have you ever had to have your utilities turned off b/c you just didn’t have the money to pay them? What kinds of steps did you take to get through it? Do you think with the rising prices that more ppl will be facing this problem?
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
8 people like this
25 responses
@Countrymom (371)
• United States
2 May 08
I have been watching the economy slide down for years. I am always running around turning off lights behind family members and praising if our power bill is under $200 per month (our garbage, water, electric and sewer are all on the same bill). It is outrageous! I always pay the rent first, then trickle down to food. I have been canning and freezing food for years and try to use the oldest first in an effort to keep the freshest food available for our family. We have 5 gardens and sometimes all we can make is veggie soup but we always have something. In addition to trying to get out of a medically induced debt we have cut way back on many other things such as turning down the heat and wearing a fleece jacket over our clothing in the winter months. Seems prices keep going up but wages don't go up at the same pace!
2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
2 May 08
well wehn Imoved back to the place my hubby lived the had no bathroom so I went to the creek to bath .
and to the out house to do what ever or used a chamber pot.
we just might have to invest in one now if water gets turned off the light bills is what is killing us now so glad the weather is good so we dont have to run the A/C or the heater.Oh what will kids do if they have no games to play on puiter or tv . guess what they will hhave to learn to play outside where its healthy!
2 people like this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
5 May 08
I'm happy to say this has never happened to me. I always like to have money in the bank for emergencies and I budget. My money stays in the bank and I use it as required. I don't understand people who, when paid, go out and spend their money. I rarely go out to the movies or such things, haven't had a holiday in years but I pay my bills o time always unless I genuinely overlook one.
Admittedly, it isn't nuch of a life but my conscience is clear.
@slickcut (8141)
• United States
3 May 08
Well twoey you just never know what tommorro holds..Thank God i have not been though this yet...I have my place paid for and all i pay is my electric bill and water...I am thankful to have a couple of acres and a nice mobil home already paid for....I have had many financial problems in my time but i have always pulled through....It is not looking good these days,with gas and groceries going up so much..I am always hearing people say we are heading for a depression,but i have never been in one but i have heard my Mom and Dad talk about it....I have always tried to pay the electric and water before anything else ,and yes i have been behind on my bills but we got through it...Maybe having lived through tough times will help us to face them again if we have too....By the way" My Dad was always Robbing Peter to Pay Paul" Lol
1 person likes this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
3 May 08
I remember when I use to live with my sister, her husband, and their six children. The electricity would go off quite often. Not because there was not enough money, but because my brother-in-law would spend the bill money on everything but the bills.
I remember one time he bought a big screen television. His daughter said, I don't know why he bought the t.v., we won't be able to watch it if the electricity is turned off. I remember taking the ice cold showers in the morning, it was horrible.
The electricity went off so often, the eventually my brother-in-law figured out how to turn it back on himself. Then he would rush down and pay it. I hated living like that.
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
3 May 08
No that never happened to us, but you have to understand that we didn't have some of those things. We carried our own water from a natural lspring in the hillside a block or so from our home, and we didn't have indoor toilets or electric heat. We had a kerosene heater and kept our boots on in the winter. The municipality cannot turn your hot water off if you never had any in the first place. Now, of course, there are laws against people living the way we did, but the laws do not pay people's bills, do they?
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
2 May 08
no, not quite that close, but fairly close to that. we have had financial problems for awhile due to hubby's job issues. currently he is working part time only and so am i, but we are still managing (barely)...i have sure learned how to be thrifty!
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
2 May 08
I think there are more people than ever before, at least in my lifetime, facing these problems and I'm afraid the number is just going to continue to increase if something drastic isn't done. I'm no longer ashamed or embarrassed to admit I've had everything shut off that can be shut off except for the electricity. Sometimes they'll pretend to have a touch of compassion but the truth is the people who run the utility companies couldn't care less about anything but their own bottom line. We had an awful time coming up with the money they wanted to get our heat turned back on this past fall and that was even including the fact we were eligible for LIHEAP because of my mother's age and medical condition coupled with her low income. People are faced with some really tough choices and where it used to be they sometimes had to give up something that wasn't really necessary now it's come down to food, heat or a roof over your head. These days many of us rob Peter to pay Paul but then we end up with a sore Peter!
Annie
1 person likes this
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
2 May 08
Yes, I have had that awful thing happen with the electic as I just didn't have the money. My utilities are all behind now except for my water and that is because I spent extra money that I made on the computer to pay for it last month. It seems as though I am always juggling money and it is only going to get worse.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
2 May 08
My husband has done this and it is a very bad way to pay bills..
We have had our electric turned off because he does this and he didn't need to..He spent the money on groceries even though we have a food pantry in town, so though we had food, I couldn't make much..
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
2 May 08
We really must be kin to each other. I have done all of the things that you have mentioned and sometimes it feels like it is no better now than then.. We have just started having trouble with finances since the gas prices have gone out of sight, and I really don't see the light at the end of the tunnel.. I remember my mom talking about going to bed after eating a hard crust of bread dipped in stale coffee, (that was during the depression).. The way things are going now, it wouldn't surprise me a bit to see thigs just about as bad.. I guess if it came down to it, I would keep a roof over my head and let every utility company in my neighborhood just keep their over priced utilities.. I would just have to adapt and adjust my way of living.. That is really the only thing that I would know to do.. I do hope the economy gets back on track but some people are going to be so deep that they may never get out of this mess.. Good luck to all and God Bless..
1 person likes this
@edgyk8inmomma (2157)
• United States
2 May 08
We are buying the home we live in, and yes the bills are getting extremely tight. After the winter months of way too high of heating bills, we've decided to go without gas for a few months to get caught up on other things. We are blessed enough to have two hot water heaters, one of which is electric. Everything else in our home is electric, except for the furnice. The last couple of days have been pretty chilly, but nothing an extra layer wont cure. Our heating bill for two and a half months was about $800. So we let it get shut off to keep the lights on and the roof over our heads. Its a small sacrifice, since now we have to go upstairs to take our showers(that means using the kids bathroomg) and since the electric water heater only runs the water for upstairs, I also have to heat water for dishes on the stove, but big whoop!! It'll save us about $35 a month through the summer, and we can get caught up before the cold months hit again.
I don't know what we will do next winter as I'm sure the prices will increase again, I guess I just better get busy on here and make more money:)
peace and blessings~
1 person likes this
@Demonsoul98 (71)
• Canada
3 May 08
I've never had any services like water, heat, etc turned off because we always get by on what we have. I have 2 brothers and a sister and with prices going up, it is becoming worse. Luckily, I live in Canada, so it isn't QUITE as bad as the U.S. as the Canadian economy isn't quite dying so fast. It is a big problem and I honestly believe, if it isn't a necessity, it should cost money. Otherwise, there should be no price on it as long as people don't take too much of it.
@michellasnyder (2)
• United States
2 May 08
I have definately been faced with some touch decisions on which bills do I pay. The hardest decision was whether to pay the mortgage that is two months behind or the electric since the guy from the electric company is standing on my door step about to shut my electric off. Its sad when one months electric bill is almost as much as your mortgage. One thing that I have realized is worrying only causes everyone around you to suffer. I also realized that even though your depressed, shopping is not a good idea. lol. I think my turning point was actually when I develop a strict budget to get caught back up. I started by going online and researching budget ideas. There are so many useful ideas for cutting costs that are unnecessary. I do believe that the rising prices will cause many people to have to deal with these issues. There will more than likely be some rough times ahead.
1 person likes this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
10 May 08
Never- We have had no water or electric due to problems with both-- but never shut-off. Not even growing up- My parents were great with this- they only spent what they made.
It's tough when we are without for any reason.... there are ways to deal with it-- but it's tough.
Yes I am sorry to say that I bet people will start having these things happen to them- with the rising costs of groceries, gas, utilities , etc. and no pay increases-- or losing their jobs in this bad economy.
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
2 May 08
Yes we have had times when there was not enough money and the electricity got turned off. We had to wait till we either pawned something or got help or called the utility to see it we could pay in payments. I have already seen stories of people having to sell "family heirlooms" or jewelery to get extra money. I often wonder where this will all end. My parents were young adults when the great depression hit and I am occasionally hear people wonder if another one is coming.
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
2 May 08
Can't rob Peter to pay Paul cause they are both broke along with my bank account. Anyone care to donate to the blackbriar fund? Food donations are needed/wanted more than cash.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
2 May 08
oh yea,we juggle things back and forth.but usually if you give the utilities each a little bit,maybe not
the full amount,they won't shut it off.unless they feel like being jerks.
the electric company you have to watch here because they like to play the "didn't get your check game".
then they can shut it off and charge you an inflated reconnection fee on top of what little you already don't have.and they will shut it off on one missed payment.
1 person likes this
@ruby222 (4847)
•
2 May 08
IM sure as more and more fsmilies struggle Twoey that it certainly will happen again...managing the day to day running of a family is getting harder and harder...and I for one am glad that mine are now all grown up.But i really feel for the young couples who have the daily struggle to keep up with everything that they have to pay...we have a tight budget..but there are just the two of us now...but imagine the cost of feeding a family....the lighting and heating needed for a family home...there are lots of things when there are just the two of you that you can do without but when you have kids its so different ..they need things for school and clothes and games etc..then theres outings and holidays...it must be very hard...
@Remembering1996 (2219)
• United States
11 May 08
I personally never had this happen to me but have had a friend have it happen to her not once but three times now. I have taken in her kids to help them out for she wanted them to have showers, electricity, food, ect. She wanted to stay at her place for she didn't mind not haveing those things and didn't want to become a issue for me. I told her she could stay as well but she didn't just the kids did. I would hate to be in that situation. I make sure each month I have the money to pay off my bills just so this kind of things dosn't happen to me.
