I Shoulda Been a Suit « Sizzle Says

I Shoulda Been a Suit

September 25, 2007 at 6:57 am | In everyday frustrations, mountain out of a molehill | 38 Comments
Tags: don't make enough dough, non-profits, pocketbook frustration, suckitude

I often say, working for a non-profit is good for the heart and bad for the pocketbook. No, really, I’ve said this many times even though I never actually refer to my wallet as my pocketbook. Go figure.

It’s true though. . .we bleeding hearts get paid in warm fuzzies not dollars. Sigh. Why couldn’t I have had the vision to pursue a corporate career? One where I am surrounded by men in suits (Bonus! Men in suits are hawt.) and my paycheck allows me to take weekend getaways without planning for months in advance. One where getting my hair colored is not a luxury and going out for an after-work cocktail is the norm, not something I have to check my bank balance before agreeing to.

My agency informed us last week that we are going to a “every other Friday” pay scale instead of keeping our 1st and the 15th pay days. The reasons this sucks are:

1) I have very little spending cash from the 1st paycheck of the month. I pay my rent and I pay my car insurance and then I buy some groceries. Sometimes one of my pals might take pity on me and buy me some tacos or a beer. I take advantage of Doke & Double B’s free laundry facilities to save my quarters. I find free stuff to do.

2) The paycheck that arrives on the 15th pays all my other bills and allows me some spending money. This is where I go hog wild and buy stuff like a new t-shirt or pair of jeans (on sale!) or maybe, if I am feeling particularly saucy, a book at full price or a new lipstick. Never all those things at once. Oh no. That wouldn’t be prudent.

3) I now have to move around all my automatic withdrawals to ensure I will have enough money to cover them and still buy groceries.

Now, with the advent of this newly instituted pay schedule, we all bring home LESS money per paycheck because we get two extra pay checks a year (though those bonus checks don’t hit until February and August). I’m losing almost $100 less per paycheck. Do you know what I could do with $200 a month? Do you know what I do DO with $200 a month? Pay bills.

Needless to say, I’m a bit in panic mode. I have even started looking for new apartments. As much as I love where I live, I can’t afford it. I even went to check out a place this weekend. It was cute enough and I could have lived there…if I had never gone down the back porch stairs. Good Lord I could have lost my life on those rickety old stairs. But laundry was free and the kitchen was huge. I gave up vying for it though when she told me the move in fees: First months rent ($685), last months rent ($685), security deposit ($300), pet deposit ($300) and a non-refundable credit check fee ($40). If my math is correct that’s $2010 to move in. Ouch! No can do.

I have a history of freaking out when I hit a financial snag. I try so hard to scrimp and save and know I am not living some lush, extravagant life so what’s a girl to do? It’s either move or get a new job. This sucks.

“Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven/Don’t you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?/You’ll find your fortune’s fallin’ all over the town/Be sure that your umbrella is upside down. . .” -Pennies From Heaven, sang by Louis Armstrong

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Sugar Daddy.

You have a pet?

Comment by Scotty — September 25, 2007 #
although the transition to every other friday sucks, you will come to love the occasional three paycheck month. they are rare, but so awesome!

Comment by jenny — September 25, 2007 #
Fellow bleeding heart right here.

Teaching just isn’t all that lucrative.

And I have been in financial freak out mode for about a month now…Especially because now that I have a permanent position I have to start paying my student loans again.

God help us both.

Comment by AppleTree — September 25, 2007 #
I hate that money is such as issue right now (same for me!) Living paycheck to paycheck is not my idea of a FUN time…

and then people accuse me of being lame and not wanting to go out… um hello? It’s like $8 for a beer here!

Comment by DCChick1 — September 25, 2007 #
Ahh money is indeed evil. I’m also flat broke. my work pattern is all over the place (dog-sitting isn’t a very stable occupation) so sometimes I have money for new clothes other times I’m lucky to have money to get myself a packet of chewing gum.

I’m also planning a move. The money you have to pay upfront is just ridiculous!

Comment by Ys — September 25, 2007 #
Girl, I feel your pain. Have you thought about a part time job? I am a freelance babysitter, the pay is good, $10 to $12 an hour, and it’s cash.

I hate thinking about money. Another thing you might try is a sugar daddy. I am working on one of those too. Every little thing helps.

Comment by hotpinksox — September 25, 2007 #
I just want to win the lottery. Badly.

Comment by sandra — September 25, 2007 #
scotty- i was once solicited by a would-be sugar daddy…it was…awkward. let’s just say he drooled. ahem.

jenny- i’ll just have to take your word on that because right now i can only seem to freak out. :)

appletree- why didn’t we go into law or something!? jk.

dcchick- yeah seriously. booze is pricey. and the more you drink, the more expensive it gets. weird logic! heh.

ys- the upfront fees for moving are ludicrous!

hotpinksox- second sugar daddy suggestion…hmmm. a second job may be what it comes to if i can’t find a better full time gig. it’s just that when you have more than one job you get so busy it’s hard to have any fun.

sandra- please tell me you buy lottery tickets then!

Comment by sizzlesays — September 25, 2007 #
Can I be your Sugar Daddy? or at least Sugar Babies….Because those are damn tasty! Maybe that’s why the previous was drooling.

Comment by Mumbly — September 25, 2007 #
You can do it. I get paid every other week, and you just have to factor in those two ‘extra’ paychecks into your regular income.

Start with an electronic program like Quicken or MSMoney. Add in your regular bills, your pay dates, and you’ll quickly see you have enough to cover everything. Yeah, a little juggle here and there… but I PROMISE you it evens out in the end.

Comment by Eileen Dover — September 25, 2007 #
OMG, i wish i had your rent – i pay double-that every month! sucks to live on your own but then again, there are plenty’o benefits too… i’m sure you’ll figure something out so don’t stress about it too much… :o)

Comment by blue eyes — September 25, 2007 #
The money crunch surely sucks. Look on the bright side. At least you don’t have all those exhausting weekend trips to Paris, or the debilitating stress of deciding which extravagant new items of clothing to buy each week.

I’m with ya, though. I’m a scrimper.

Comment by Lefty — September 25, 2007 #
mumbly- but you live on the other side of america…i don’t see logistically how this arrangement will work out. ;) and his drooling had more to do with the fact that he was ancient.

eileen- want to come here and figure it out for me? wink wink nudge nudge.

blue eyes- my current rent is $890 not including gas or electricity or laundry. i’d say it runs me $925-950 depending on the season. i hope you get a whole house for what you pay!

Comment by sizzlesays — September 25, 2007 #
lefty- and here i thought you’d be telling me to get rid of my cats (because surely they are eating me out of house and home). heh.

Comment by sizzlesays — September 25, 2007 #
Ugh, yuck. Money matters are not fun at any point. I generally have my freak outs, too. Historically, the right thing has come along and helped me out just when I needed it, but that of course does not stop the freak out. That’s inevitable.
Good luck, dear. :)

Comment by justrun — September 25, 2007 #
I have found it’s ALWAYS expensive to move, even if you do it cheaply. Thankfully San Jose has some rent control so they can’t raise our rent too much.

I get paid twice a month and wouldn’t mind getting paid every other week because it would seem like more. But I could see how the transition could be difficult.

Comment by Fluffycat — September 25, 2007 #
Ouch, it’s always rough when you have to start moving things around to accomodate new plans like that.

In the end, I believe it works out (my last job paid every other Friday: this one pays the 1st and the 15th), but it does take some getting used to.

That said… about that non-profit thing… kudos to you for sticking it out. My last job was with a non-profit, and I found that I wasn’t getting enough “warm-fuzzies” to make up for the money I also wasn’t getting. Someday I think I’d like to try one again, one where I did get the emotional satisfaction I always thought I’d enjoy working for one, but for right now, I take the paycheck. :-/ I’m just saying, I remember those penny pinching days with wayyyy too much clarity… and I even worked a part-time job to try and compensate as well. Good luck!

Comment by TC — September 25, 2007 #
I fantasize about winning the lotto but I think it is a waste of money to play….. today I even let the thought of loaning out my uterus for 9 months….. being poor sucks!

Comment by skyzi — September 25, 2007 #
Aw, hun… that sucks. I know what it feels like when your pay is cut and you’re still working your ass off. (Can I say ass?) It also is a pain when you move and have all those stupid start-up fees. What a hassle.

Here’s hoping it all works out for you. It’ll be tight, but it will probably work out in the end. Seems to happen that way most of the time. (Maybe a good lookin’ guy will sweep you off your feet and he’ll actually HAVE money! Whoo hoo! – A girl can dream!)

Comment by sue — September 25, 2007 #
I feel ya sister.

Comment by whit — September 25, 2007 #
I get paid once a month…it SUCKED at first, but I worked my bills out so they all come at once, joy! I got a second job for mid month, end of month spending cash…I still have fun, but you are right, it keeps me hopping.

Comment by Foo — September 25, 2007 #
justrun- it will all work itself out…it always does. you are right. (can it hurry up already!?)

fluffy- i had no idea you lived in my old ‘hood.

tc- i battle with the warm fuzzies vs. the paycheck at least once a month.

skyzi- i don’t think i could loan out my uterus.

sue- can you say “ass”? this is Sizzle Says! of course you can! as for a good lookin’ guy…i wouldn’t be comfortable letting a man provide for me. i gotta contribute and carry my own weight. you know me. :)

whit- word.

foo- i had that once a month pay schedule once. it was rough. you’re a mover and a shaker!

Comment by sizzlesays — September 25, 2007 #
You would never make it as a suit, you love people too much :)

Comment by alissa — September 25, 2007 #
I am a stay at home mom who does home daycare part time. I am about to lose the two boys I watch right now because their mom is taking a different schedule. I feel your pain. Although my husband makes enough to cover the things we need, we can always use more money for the things we want (or in our case, for medical bills). Maybe you should play the lottery. Maybe I should too!

Comment by tori — September 25, 2007 #
It really is ashame non-profit jobs don’t pay any better than they do. It’s like teaching too, that should pay more. I never really thought about how the every other week paycheck could change things. I feel so enlightened. Thanks, I mean that.

Comment by egan — September 25, 2007 #
It’s hard to make the switch when your pay dates change… but, after a couple of months, I eventually got in my new groove and everything was okay again.

Until they changed the pay cycle again. :-)

Comment by Dave2 — September 25, 2007 #
Oh, that sucks! What a pain in the ass. It will be nice for those two months that you get three paychecks, but it’s far better to have the money spread out more.

Comment by Becky — September 25, 2007 #
Boo Suits!

My two, very tightly pinched, cents are first of all, that this stuff can really suck, but that with a little careful planning, some grace, and equal parts sedative these transitions can be manageable.

If your job isn’t supporting you, then you’re right in that you may need to move on- but look at moving on to a larger non-profit first. If it’s the pay shuffle that you’re getting lost in, but will be fine once the paycheques settle out then I’d say look at working one day on the weekends somewhere else for cash, or looking at whether your position would be more viable at 1/2 time – it would mean fewer deductions and you could look at doing something else that’s a little higher pay in the reset of your time.

If moving would be the key here, which it sounds like it may be, then I would say without any hesitation to use your credit to your advantage. If you can get a $2000 – $3000 line of credit and know you’re diligent enought to pay it off eventually then having that padding to help you get into a place that works with your budget. Yes there are up front costs, but if you can pay them down and it will be better for you long term that’s what I would do, no questions asked.

Comment by Kyla Bea — September 25, 2007 #
I agree with the suggestion to take on a little part-time work. While working nights and weekends all the time is probably too much, occasional gigs here and there might help relieve the pinch.

Do you have anything you can sell on eBay? :-)

Comment by Jennifer — September 25, 2007 #
I couldn’t be a suit, just because I couldn’t sit at a desk all day. I couldn’t schmooze.

Bah…I’ll be poor and happy. :)

Comment by Dawn — September 25, 2007 #
wow this sounds like my current financial state of affairs. It sucks being a student with a part time job and always having to count pennies. If I were you I would reconsider the job instead of the move… I’m sure you can compromise a bit and still find something you enjoy doing and which enjoys “doing” you ; )

Comment by Jen — September 25, 2007 #
coming from a person that lived on her own, it sucks when anything out of the blue comes about when it has to do with your paycheck!

come to the greater OKC!

you can drink for almost free and the non-profit offers here will probably pay about the same.

though, fun activities are very limited.

but we could so entertain you!

Comment by gorillabuns — September 25, 2007 #
Consider getting a new job that pays much more. You can do it!!!!

Comment by The Diva's Thoughts — September 26, 2007 #
alissa- can’t suits love people? could i be a new kind of suit?

tori- thanks for sympathizing.

egan- i’m here to spread my knowledge and pain to the blogosphere. heh.

dave2- heh, yeah!

becky- it’s just that those months feel soooo far away.

kyla bea- great suggestions- thanks!

jennifer- i sold everything ebay-worthy to move to seattle last year. i am going to take some stuff to a consignment shop though. good thinking. :)

dawn- that’s the spirit!

jen- ah the student gig is rough. i can sympathize!

buns- i have no doubt you would keep me entertained. hee hee.

diva- i think i might. thanks for the vote of confidence! ;)

Comment by sizzlesays — September 26, 2007 #
Although switching up your pay is a pain in the arse initially – there are 3 payday months to look forward to :)
And you wouldn’t be normal if you didn’t freak out about financial stuff – I don’t know anyone who doesn’t.

Comment by Josie — September 26, 2007 #
Man, I am sorry! I know it won’t help to think of all the good you are doing for the world???

Comment by aimee/greeblemonkey — September 26, 2007 #
Sorry that you are experiencing this. It seems that you are not that crazy about your job anyway, so maybe you should start looking around. Also, the thing about a part time job…. maybe you could get a job at a place where it wouldn’t feel so much like work… like waitressing at a place that you really like one or two nights a week. Think about where you like to spend your free time and maybe it won’t seem so much like work to work there. With the holidays coming up it is pretty easy to get a part time job.

Maybe you could move in with your sis for a couple of months to save up some money and help them with babysitting?

Comment by Theresa — September 27, 2007 #
[...] October 5, 2007 Filed under: wtf friday — sizzlesays @ 7:23 am Remember when I was freaking out about the new pay schedule at my work? About how it was screwing up my automatic bill pay and I was bringing home $200 less a [...]

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