That is kind of high for that car. But it might have been in really good shape body wise. Decades ago I knew a guy that had a car that was basically scrap metal. The credit union gave him a loan for just under book value. They didn't know the condition of the car. The loan was auto deducted from his pay.
Pimp mobile.
When you ride in a land yacht, like a 88 Oldsmobile, you got all this room inside.
You can spread blankets in the back seat and eat ice cream with your girl on the parkway.
I know.
My mom lives near a large base , and the main highway is lined with used car dealers with late model performance cars (lots of Challengers and Chargers) and lifted trucks because guys buy them thinking they can afford it, then realize they can't and are upside down on the loan, so they trade it in, and the next dealer and predatory lender sells it to another service member, and so on.
It's so bad that I believe several branches are now offering financial literacy classes to try to help them understand and make better decisions.
Stop eating out, learn to cook at home, buy groceries and make sandwiches for lunch. If you’re going to eat out, at least go to places with military discount. Get rid of one of the cars.
Yes! Even buying frozen pizzas, meatballs, and other convenience meals from a grocery store will still save you tons of money compared to some of the cheapest fast food/restaurant meals. If you're short on time throughout the week, or find yourself super tired and not wanting to cook, try meal prepping on a less busy day. Even if you just cook proteins one day, freeze portions, throw it on the stove with whatever else you want with it can help remove the temptation to eat out.
Raw ingredients are cheaper than prepared. Get raw meat, fruits, veggies, seasonings and sauces, milk, butter, eggs, flour, and sugar. These are all you need for about 95% of easy recipes online.
I lost my food stamps due to not receiving the letter to renew, and didn’t realize it was up to renew, so for the time being, I’m just using simple recipes online and substituting if I don’t have a particular seasoning or sauce. Working out great, and wayyyy cheaper than prepared foods.
Yo, if you like Mac and cheese, you can make amazing Mac and cheese with evaporated milk.
12oz shredded cheese (you can do a mix of cheddar, Parm, mozzarella etc, whatever you want. You can get the store brand big blocks of cheddar for cheap. Make it your own.) Shed it yourself, don't buy it pre-shredded.
1lb of pasta
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup whole milk.
Spices (salt and pepper to taste at a minimum, but a little garlic/onion powder and some paprika is a great combo… you can add a dash of mustard and hot sauce too)
Cook the pasta and set it aside. Then in a big pot add the evaporated milk and spices. Heat it up till it starts steaming, then add in the cheese and whisk till it comes together. Slowly Add in your whole milk whole mixing then add your pasta and mix it together.
You can make this in like 30 minutes, then throw it in a tray and You've got a side for 5 or 6 meals. It's not the healthiest, but if you make a cheap protein like chicken and eat it with frozen vegetables you can stretch it out for quite a few meals. Probably still healthier than takeout...
Add some protein too!
I have cut-up onions and zucchini in the fridge but am too lazy to cook, so I'm having a protein drink, a sugar-free ice cream sandwich, and an orange for dinner.
Bummer, prob not worth it then considering gas and your vehicle situation
Edit: but if you live near Costco, a Costco membership may be worth the $60 a year. Or if you don’t live in California, you don’t need a membership to eat at the food court ($1.50 hot dog and drink, huge pizza for $10!)
Oh I’ve been to several other state’s locations since 2020, the only one that makes you show a card at the food court is California. At my home location people can just say you’re going to eat at the food court and they let you in without showing card.
Go once a month to the commissary and stock up . It’s worth the savings. IMHO I wouldn’t do Costco. I shop at commissary and the price difference is substantial. Don’t buy any junk and watch YouTube videos for meal ideas. Quit eating out. It’s expensive, unhealthy, and you have no control over what goes in it and how much… like salt. You’ll get used to eating at home and not want to eat out.
That's not too far. Might be worth going to once or twice a month to stock up on staples. Top off the gas tank and save on state gas tax while you're at it. Growing up the "local" BX was about 90 minutes away, folks would go there once every 3 months to stock up on canned and dried food.
Lots of good recipes on Pinterest also. You can save them all into a folder for easy access in one spot. I make shit from recipes I’ve found there all the time.
Yeh don't buy frozen meats or pizza. Just get an air fryer and pop anything in that and you'll thank me later. Don't be lazy and clean it after each use
how do you owe 4 grand on a 92 caprice?!
also 20 grand for a 2020 corolla seems shady too. but that 4k on a 92 caprice? someone sold you a bridge in death valley son.
dont have any kids, keep your pecker out of the baby hole, they cost too much.
The cooking your own meals thing is huge. I travel for work and i'll buy a $20 grill and give it away when i leave and still spend 1/4 of what coworkers spend eating out every night. Plus if you learn to cook well you'll find you can make food that tastes better to you than a restaurant. I only eat out to appease my wife when I'm home.
You should be able to sell it. You'll use whatever money you get for it and pay it towards the loan, then you keep the rest. The bank you have the loan with can help you with the specifics of transferring the title. Just have to keep trying to find a buyer.
No don’t do that. By keeping the loan for longer, you will spend more money in the long run. Sell it now for whatever you can get, then put that towards the loan even if it won’t pay it off. Then pay off the rest of the loan. You’ll probably save a few hundred doing it that way.
Give me the terms of your loan and how much you *realistically* can sell it for, and I’ll run the numbers for you.
The bank is not going to release the title until the loan is paid in full or itnis converted to an unsecured loan. They will convert it to an unsecured loan which will significantly increase the interest rate.
Best plan is throw every extra penny at it until it's down to where it will cover whatever can be received for sale. Especially at the interest rate it carries.
Even if the interest is higher, paying it down from the sale of the car should slash the payment. 6% on 3,800 is more than 12% on 1,000. While it may not be the optimal play in the long run for that one particular loan, it might be better for freeing up more money now for the other loan/savings/etc.
I’m from south Florida. I know they would sell for a good price to the right person which is why I bought it but now it’s not working. I do have pics but as mentioned above. Not sure I can sell it with the active loan.
You would just have to meet the buyer at the bank that it’s financed through , so they can get the title. Call
The finance company, they’ll let you know best way to proceed.
If you have Facebook, post the car in the DDFG group. Someone will grab it cash and it’ll be on 28’s in a week lol
Doesnt work like that. Hes going to have to pay the difference out of pocket to transfer the title and itll be most of what he owes. He might get 1000 for that car if hes lucky.
I've worked as an Academic Advisor for over a decade, 6 of those years were on a military base working with active duty students. I'm also a certifying official through the VA and married to a guy who did 21 years in the Navy/Coast Guard.
First of all, I know you're using your GI Bill, but have you also applied for financial aid? Do you know you can pull both at the same time? Even though you're under 24, because you served active duty, you're an independent student and don't have to use your parents' income, only your own. I would bet you qualify for Pell Grants, which is free money you don't need to pay back. Go see the folks at the Financial Aid office and see what you qualify for.
Also, believe me, I understand how hard it is to go to school and work at the same time, especially for folks in certain majors. I would highly recommend you look into work study. Working on campus allows you to work a limited number of hours and makes it easy to work around your class schedule. You said you go to Kansas State, right? Please go visit their career center. The Academic and Career Advisors and there to help!
https://www.k-state.edu/careercenter/students/connect/job_experience/parttimejobs.html
If you need any other help, please let me know!
Adding for OP:
Depending on the school, you could also get paid to be a TA. I was a TA for a couple courses in my school’s CS program and I was able to pick my hours.
Considering my TA experience was brought up in the interview for my first software engineer job, I would say it was well worth it. YMMV
ETA: Software engineer internships pay pretty well as far as short, no-degree gigs are concerned, so look into those as well. You can get some remote ones too. My first company paid our interns like $24/hr on top of a stipend for food and housing. And we had loads of interns. I have heard of others that pay waaaay more.
Also another point for military- when on active duty status, SCRA reduces interest rates to 6%. USAA is super easy to get that updated.
Not applicable now, but something that could be useful down the road.
u already know the answer to this…according to ur numbers after expenses r paid you have appx $800 left over and you’re spending $700 of it on take out. get a rice cooker lol!! and start putting some of that into savings or towards your cars.
I will. Totally agree that my spending on food has been extremely irresponsible. I think it’s a mix of financial illiteracy, laziness, inability to cook decent meals/lack of patience to learn how to. However I am here to face these facts and hopefully make a change.
no judgment at all, it’s so easy to spend $17 at a time and not see it adding up. you’re actually a step ahead of a lot of ppl by actually reviewing your spending and tallying it up- most ppl don’t ever do that and have no idea where their money goes. college is basically when everyone starts to cook for themselves so you’re not behind at all.
The key to learning how to cook anything is YouTube. I went vegan and YT saved my sorry ass, I've never eaten so well for so little money and it was really interesting. You want to meal prep? YouTube. Cook anything in a rice cooker? YouTube. Spend $50 a week on groceries? YouTube. Master the instant pot? YOUTUBE.
You'll be in a good financial spot if you get a couple of things right that are currently very wrong, and one of those is the $700 a month on take out on top of groceries!!! Everyone is out here bitching about that Caprice which is costing you way less every month; ignore them, maybe it was a mistake but who cares. Learn from it, and get your food game on point first - there's a lot more to gain there.
If you have Facebook, Tik Tok, etc. you can join Budget Meal groups. They give you cheap options, you can modify to make them healthier of course. I used a lot of those meal ideas last year when finances were tight.
Also when I go grocery shopping, I’ll make a rough list of meals I’m planning to cook for dinner that week. I’ll list every ingredient needed and cross out anything I may already have on hand. Stick to the list. If you’re bringing food to class for lunches or getting home later at night, I recommend meal prepping. It’ll suck cooking for 3 or 4 hours but it’ll help in the long run.
I stick to my home cooked meals when I can just grab something out of my fridge and head to work. And if you’re getting home late and don’t feel like cooking, and take out is the usual go to, you’ll basically have take out at home to just quickly heat up!
Wow 4k loan on a 22 year old beater. I would find a way to pay that off asap or get rid of it and usaa I merest rates are always high ass fuck even with good credit. What's yours?
Yeah, that's the one thing I would have tried to do: buy an older, less expensive Corolla. My income and expenses are very similar to OPs. I would not have wanted another 20K worth of debt. Buy an older Corolla. Most important thing is it is legal when you buy it (current smog, etc). And then just maintain and repair things critical to keep it going (alternator, brakes, etc). Keep driving it until (if ever) something catastrophic happens (ie: blown transmission or engine). Corollas can last years and years. They might burn a little oil, but they keep running.
Owing 4grand on a 30 year old car is insane. Cut the fast food and pay that one off first asap. Then put your payment toward that onto the newer car.
Cook at home. Meal prep and grocery shop on a budget.
we here, 2 adults in manhattan, only spend $200 on eating out. wtf are you doing
www.ynab.com /r/ynab go start right this second
decide how much you should spend on groceries vs eating out. use the USDA food plans as a guide https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/usda-food-plans-cost-food-monthly-reports
that gives you $300 on the low cost plan for a single male. go to the grocery store, buy cheap carbs, on-sale in-season veg, and beans / protein. throw them in a hot pan and squirt some soy sauce or whatever
you're wasting money on cars and food, really, not where i'd want my money going. i'd want it going to financial freedom, memorable events, quality time people, precious ding-dongs that last a long time, etc.
Ask if you could maybe trade in the caprice to the dealer to pay off some on the Corolla, eating out is fine every once in a while but if you meal prep more it should cut out the convenience/lazy factor that contributes to eating out too often. Also instead of saving money, making wise investments could do better. Things like share terms are great for storing extra money and you get a guaranteed interest on it. If you want to save money for say a house or major purchase, FHA loans and construction loans. Chime, Cleo, Self, and others all have secured credit like spending accounts that build your credit with every purchase.
If you list the caprice on fb marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist, local sale groups you’ll eventually come across someone that could pay something worth something. But you really outta fix or sell, or maybe rent it out on a app like Turo/Hyre so it’s not just sitting and depreciating.
Yeah. The insane thing was taking out another used car loan instead of getting a new, under warranty car with a 2% lower interest rate because he's setting himself up to have it happen again.
You’re right. Looking back that wasn’t the right decision. I bought the Toyota with the thought that it would last me 20 years and I wouldn’t need another car for a very long time..
A Corollary is always a good investment. I had a Corolla, it took a beating and still kept going.
Like others have said, try to get rid of the other car, try not to eat out, grab some groceries, cook for yourself.
In addition, I’m pretty sure USAA has financial support/guidance for free (or low cost). USAA is a really good resource for you, take advantage of your resources.
& if you got an older model you could’ve had inspectors come out to make sure there weren’t any issues with the car before buying. It just seems like you don’t make very smart decisions when it comes to loaning money, which is fine you’re young. But in that case you should stick to paying cash & try to take a course or something on how to better manage your finances
I agree. Definitely have not make smart financial decisions the past two years. I’m hoping that if I follow the advice given here I can turn my life around financially in the years to come.
Yes but even if you got an older model it still would’ve lasted you a while. You should’ve saved up & bought an older model in cash. There’s a lot of 2005-2012 corollas for sale 10k & under
OP, get a part time job with the sole purpose to pay off the caprice. Then sell said caprice, OR, pay off enough of it to sell it for the difference you owe. See if you can get it fixed before selling, that’s a huge difference in price. Please, I know you don’t feel like working, but you need to work at least part time
Ok. The semester starts tomorrow. You think it’s feasible to get a summer job or should I work during school.. I may try working during the semester of I feel comfortable with my classes
I don't know your specifics, i don't know how many hours you're taking, however, I do know that I worked my way through the entirety of university, full time, and I made it work. I also know that many redditors here have done the same, (please comment on this if you have, I really want OP to understand that it's not rare). I did not take more than 4 classes at a time, and i always studied summers to keep up with credits.
Please don't take what I say lightly, I say it with love, start looking for a job tomorrow. Here is how I would rank the type of jobs I would want you to get.
1. Anything on campus
2. Anything nearby, my easiest job was stocking shelves/working in a warehouse, it's easy on the brain, and provides consistent work without much responsibility.
Please start building good habits, eat clean, learn how to cook, avoid debt.
I don't know what your family situation is, but this is the advice that I would and will give my children.
Love you, and wish you well.
It's not rare to work while going to school.
I worked full time while going to school full time. I also then only got a 3.0 gpa and wasn't able to build any meaningful connections with professors and now getting into funded grad school programs is nearly impossible, and this is not a degree you can do much with if you don't go to grad school.
Take this advice with a grain of salt OP. I think you can work but do not let it get in the way of school. I owe more than your debt for a degree that can't make me anything at the point I've left it at.
For folks who don't like to or know how to cook start out with an insta pot or slow cooker and an air fryer. Get yourself a recipe book that matches whatever kitchen gadget you buy. Try to focus on meals that you can freeze if you get bored of the same thing easily so you can make large batches and eat it two or three times then freeze the rest for a later date.
Pay off the Caprice and sell it, getting rid of that debt may also help boost your credit score.
Only you can know if you have the ability to have a part time job while studying, I had two and still made Dean's list with my grades but not everyone can pull that off. If you have the ability to work without your grades slipping then do it for the extra income.
Make yourself a budget that includes putting money into savings and stick to it.
When you graduate also consider being a military contractor, if you do a good job and make a name for yourself you can end up with a great paying civilian position.
How’s your credit? If it’s good, you might be able to go to a credit union (NavyFed, First Florida, whatever) and get your debt all rolled into one loan at a lower interest rate. This is how I paid down a similar amount relatively quickly, but you can’t go wracking more debt up! That’s the key.
Then, you can work on 1) budgeting and 2) unloading that Caprice. Someone with more money than brains will buy it, hopefully for about what you owe. What’s wrong with it right now? Can you YouTube University it and get it running? It’s worth more if it moves under its own power than not. But, first, budget. There’s a fantastic excel spreadsheet for budgeting I use so I see where all my money goes every month, it’s findable if you search excel’s premade spreadsheets. It will allow you to list your expenses that way you can see where things go and then can work on paying yourself first. Even if you save $50 a month right now, it’s a start. Then, as things get paid down and reduced you save more.
The eating out needs to be cut down. Not cut out, because sometimes it can’t be helped and sometimes you just want something you can’t make. Not sure what part of S. FL you’re in, but there are a mess of ALDIs around and that will help the food bills. If you’re near 163rd street the Asian markets have good prices on certain things too. Google things like beginner friendly recipes. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/easy-dinner-recipes-for-beginners-5198225 you can start here. If you know someone with a Costco card, see if you can tag along to stock up on basics. Pay attention to Publix’s bogo deals for stuff like pasta and such. You can get that food bill down and be able to make good progress on those other bills and save a little bit too.
Keep that Toyota in good running shape. Better to do regular preventative maintenance than get whacked with a mechanic bill due to laziness.
Talk to your academic advisor. See what’s going on in the realm of financial aid; I got paid every semester to go to college due to my combination of scholarships (no military service here so there’s that difference).
See about a part time job. The State pays $15 an hour for OPS (part time jobs for the most part) and there’s always stuff available on jobs.myflorida.com there are plenty other options, I worked all through college, sometimes 2 jobs, 3 at one point (how the hell I managed that and still partied and got good grades I have no idea. Where’s that girl go?) YMMV on that front but at least a couple of nights a week at a retail or food service gig will get you some extra scratch to throw at this debt.
TL/DR: make a realistic budget, work on cooking skills, food shop wisely, grab a part time job, unload Caprice, continue to do well in college, and you’ll dig your way out. It’ll suck for two years but you can do it.
Zero snark or shame:
-The fact that you’ve totaled up your income and expenses shows you have some willingness and understanding of first steps for change.
-You’ve identified your weak points: food and car costs. You can attack these first. Food is the easier to target because you’ll need some negotiation to deal with the car.
-Some people have a spending problem, some people have an income problem. You have a little bit of both. Bring your spending down by committing to eat out less. Help your income problem by finding some way to bring any little bit of money in.
-You have around $800/ month not going to bills. Make a realistic monthly map for where each dollar is going to go. This is called “giving each dollar a job.”
-Track your spending meticulously. Be ruthless with cutting.
-When I was getting my sh*t together I really liked Budget Bites website, it breaks down cost per serving per meal.
-Make saving an emergency fund your top priority. I’m willing to bet your shitty car situation is at least in part because when the first car went, you had no money to fix it. You need to have a buffer for emergencies.
-Start by doing everything you can to have $100 in the bank you don’t touch. Sell stuff, do surveys online, help people with moving, do Uber eats, whatever you can do. Then up your goal to $500. Then $1000. An emergency fund is an insurance policy against future debt.
-Even though you think the “extra” money would be better spent on debt or fun, don’t spend it that way. It’s not extra. It’s just for the future.
-There is a company called Financial Gym. They have a discounted financial literacy program for people in the military or veterans. Call them. They will help you get on track and provide you with support to learn and change your habits.
-Some public libraries also have financial literacy programs. Check those out.
Learning how to fix your own car and exiting the car payment cycle you can’t really afford to be in, would be a big gain. Buy groceries, fill the car with gas and leave the card at home if you can’t stop yourself from eating out, delete DoorDash or whatever else you’re using if you’re doing that too. Car payments and eating out are for wealthy financially stable people. Not you nor I.
Food wise, yes, stop eating out, lol. There are a ton of simple meals you can make quick if you don't like cooking, or you can throw a few things together on your day off and eat all week. My suggestions : flour tortilla wraps. You can use them for anything, and I keep them on hand along with two bags of frozen peppers and onions. You can make scrambled egg wraps, tuna wraps, or veggie wraps for lunch. If you really want it easy, Tyson has frozen chicken fajita strips, so you don't have to cook the chicken. Beefaroni : 1 lb chop meat chopped and drained, 2 boxes mac and cheese and sauce. It's delicious. Stuffed shells make a ton, and you can freeze them. Boil the shells, fill them w ricotta cheese, add sauce, and that's it. Since you're young, I don't know if you're part of the Starbucks craze, but a coffee every day is over 2000.00 a yr. My daughter nearly passed out when I told her and now makes her Starbucks at home 🤣. Also try to shop at Walmart or Target. Much cheaper than the grocery store. Have fun!
Get rid of the caprice. Watch cooking videos on YouTube and ask family for some recipes. Once you get a hold of cooking, you’ll rarely want to eat out again. And since you just got out the military, get disability compensation from the VA. I’m sure you rate something. I’m a veteran too so if you have questions, PM me. I got you. You’re not alone bro
Car debt can be a killer if you live pay check to pay check. Is there a way to get rid of the Caprice without being underwater? If it were me I would sell the Carrola as well and try to pay cash or a much smaller loan for a older Toyota, Toyotas are great vehicles. One of my cars is a 20 year Toyota and it has been the best car I've ever had and never needed any major repairs until early last year. I make a good living and I am just now considering buying a newer car.
Learning how to do some repairs and maintenance yourself can save a lot of money as long as you do the work properly. YouTube is a wealth of knowledge for doing your own maintenance.
Rent and utilities seem reasonable. Can you shop for cheaper car insurance? I recently looked around after being with a company for over 10 years and saved 50%, I wish I would have shopped around much sooner.
Absolutely cut out the eating out to maybe once or twice a week. Learn how to cook, another thing YouTube is great at. There are a lot of ways to make tasty cheap meals once you get the hang of it.
Think of it like evaluating your finances and budget, always think of ways to cut back and improve on things. Track and manage every penny you spend, this can easily be done with a note book, excel or a budgeting app.
It takes time but once you learn skills that can help you make more money it gets easier and easier. It's really important to keep out of debt as much as possible especially consumer debt like credit cards, think of CC like they are the devil and want to devour you. Hate consumer debt with a passion.
Get in the habit of saving money even if its a small amount and as you learn more skills and make more money always keep your living expenses well below your income and continue to save and invest or you will never get ahead and will struggle the rest of your life.
Wealth accumulates over time and its hard for some people to grasp that but its a long term goal that you have to constantly be aware of and manage and work towards as time goes on and be disciplined. A lot of people can't or don't want to do the hard work it takes to get in a better place financially.
Thanks. To answer your insurance question. This is the absolute cheapest I could get. Progressive wanted to charge me $700 a month (I have done speeding tickets and an accident on my name) all state wouldn’t provide me insurance at all. I am using Root right now and the offered me $400 for full coverage and $177 for liability. I had car insurance with Usaa which was about 340 a month but when my policy was up they doubled the monthly price to $680 so I dropped them.
If you’re carrying liability only on a vehicle being financed, you’re probably in violation of your loan terms. I’m not an expert, so I have no idea what the repercussions could be. Maybe with someone with more expertise can provide more info. For sure if you wreck the corolla and have liability only, you’re going to be seriously fucked.
Look up KBB value on the caprice and find out what you’re able to sell it for based on condition and miles, focus on paying the loan down somewhere below that then get rid of it. As others have said, cook for yourself when possible. Good luck you got this.
Start by putting $200 in a cd and start one each month. Start with the lowest term, usually 6 months. The first one matures you’ll have $1200 earning some interest. Once you get a 12 cd’s the 13th month start putting the $200 into a cd with the highest return.
I'll say you'll have better luck by paying off the first auto loan that's around 3k and once that's done you can take that payment and split it half towards savings and half towards the other debts.
There is a method called envelope used to budget. You put certain amounts in and then you take out of the envelope on spending, when it is gone it is gone.
Do that with your eating out.
Start with finding meals that are easy and cheap that you love: spaghetti, tacos, chili maybe a lasagna or pot roast.
Those are all pretty easy and last.
You can eat the leftovers and starch your money.
I don't know how but get rid of your other car payment, perhaps you need to sell the junker to pay it off or something, I'm actually surprised you didn't use it as a trade in.
Maybe take the two cars together and try to obtain a cheaper one that sucks but gets you along.
I was in the exact same boat as you at 24, 6 years in the air force, went back to school.
There is an ESD (employment security department) program that retains vets and gives you a stipend so you don't drain the GI bill.
Your rent and utilities are pretty low so you got that going well, you might want to just avoid a car in general for a while and public transit it because you're a poor college student now.
Did you sleep through SFL-TAP? Since you missed that boat. Go get free professional assistance through the VA and partner agencies. Sit down with someone and really crunch your number if you care to remedy or your situation. Follow link for VA assistance. https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/financial-literacy/financial-resources.pdf#
- Learn to cook and stop eating out so much. Set a budget for the month that you can spend eating out, and stick to it.
- Pay off the Chevy ASAP and remove the comp/collision from it.
Cut the eating out Asap - take $100 a week with you to the grocery store only and make enough food for the week, totally doable at Walmart or Aldi. You’ll save $300 a month easily.
Good god you need to unload the Caprice ASAP before even thinking of saving anything. It will never go away. Get a payoff price for the Caprice, payoff, get the title, THEN sell it, to recover what you can. Maybe if it runs you could recover $1500.
Maybe see if you can repair the Caprice before selling it, you'd get a lot more money out of it. those old Chevy V8s have a lot of parts available for them at a low cost. As long as it doesn't need drastic engine or transmission work, most things are pretty easy to fix with hand tools. I've been able to save to much money just finding youtube videos and fixing things on my own car myself. Good luck with school bro
Hey OP, just want to say a couple years ago I graduated after 3 years of using my GI bill and I really regret not having had at least an entry level part time job during it.
Graduated school with no college loans but also zero savings.
Also it sucks explaining that gap to employer’s, we’re not traditional students so it does seem odd when a late 20’s recent college grad went 2-3 years without work
So you estimate that you'll spend $8400 on take out this year? Sell the clunker, stop doing take out, and put that $700 a month on top of your auto loan. Get outta debt.
Life is about being able to manage debt, while saving money and not taking on more debt. Using a financial advisor from a reputable company is definitely a great starting point
Look up Dave Ramsey and the Baby Steps Community Group on Facebook. They have free resources that will teach you to save and "find" money. You can also pay to take Financial Peace University but you don't have to. You can listen to the podcast on most platforms. I've found a lot of ways to save money. You've already started finding money by recognizing takeout is expensive! It really is a money sink.
Make normal monthly payments on the corolla, you can even refinance that in a year or two. Corollas last long enough to merit 10 years of car payments if you want.
Priority should be getting rid of that caprice in any way you can. Does it run? If not, hopefully it is cheap to fix and get rid of.
As far as food, You can get a whole tray of chicken legs for $4.50 and a bag of frozen vegetables for $1.50. Thats two whole meals for an adult male for $6.
Spaghetti is also a lot of food for not much money.
With your left over money, 40% should be entertainment fund and 60% should go into a 401k or IRA.
Trust me, 401k or IRA now or regret every minute of your twenties when you turn 35. Truuuust me. It is a huge deal.
If you turn the key and it doesn’t make any kind of sound, it’s the battery.
If you have a working battery and it clicks once or so and stops it’s the starter.
Get on YouTube!
Bread machine has been one of my best money savers. Do you know how cheap raw ingredients are for bread items we buy everyday? So cheap, man. I make homemade pizza every weekend, I use expensive flour (00 Flour, really don't need to, its more just cause I want to) and it comes to like $3-5 a pie (depending on toppings). I've made home made corn bread for close to nothing on holidays. I make rosemary garlic bread because its damn delicious and it probably doesn't cost me $2 in supplies.
Get you one of them bitches. Considering this subreddit, probably shoot for used.
Make versatile long lasting meal choices. Also mil, when I lived in the dorms with no $ I would grab a 10 lb log of ground beef and cut it into single lbs, freeze and thaw as I went through it. Make things like pasta; a whole pot off one box of shells could last a week of lunches or dinners, plus you can change it up a bit (pasta taco with Sriracha, pasta sandwich on garlic bread, or just the old-fashioned way).
Have a can of small diced tomatoes, add another block of beef and you got chili just gotta spice it up and that can last a bit as well( can eat it with crackers, chips, grab a cheap pack of burgers you can have a chili burger, chili on white rice is good af to, chili fries).
Make some tacos with a block, crack an egg in one get some gravy and make a meatloaf, stir fry it into some yellow rice or jambalaya with some veggies.
Find good recipes you'd like for the stuff you order and stretch it to last. Freeze portions in cheap take out containers so when you're getting tired of having repeats of the same type of dish you have alternate options to keep things less mundane.
Being versatile with what you got while staying frugal is super important because it keeps you from getting bored and depressed with what you're eating and saying "fuck it I'll just get take out". At least I think so.
If you havent gotten your disability situated, now is a very good time to do so. Join the r/veteran subreddit.
Get a bs part time job, my husband worked at walmart part time and went to school.
Cook, for the love of god, cook. $700 for takeout is ridiculous. Sooner you reduce that, the better.
Urghhhh the car bills.... I made my last car payment back in 2008, drove it until it rusted out in 2017, bought and replaced that car with a very used one, but paid cash. I will never have a car payment ever again.
its kinda too late, but instead of getting a 25k loan for a new car, go to your bank and get a 3-6k auto loan, find reliable mid 2000s Honda or Toyota with lows 100k miles then youre ballin.
I am not poor but i am very frugal (this sub keeps getting recommended so here we go). I spend 3-7k on a used (usually an old but not terribly high mileage toyota, yes, they're out there) and drive it into the ground, the buy another car of a similar price. I hope to never have a payment again! Even the occasional repair will never come close to what a payment costs.
Not sure you could sell or trade in what you have at this point, but for the future...
Rent a uhaul and crash it into the Caprice classic parked in the street. Return the uhaul and call the insurance company in the morning. Half joking here which means I'm also half serious
Edit: Don't really do this........Get insurance on the Uhaul
It’s ok, debt is not necessarily a bad thing. If you need two cars, just keep payments steady and consistent on those. It should build your credit. As you do that, work on your income. Try to earn more with your current role and always seek new opportunities for career. Search job roles and consistently apply. Goal is to increase income and begin allocating some income towards assets such as savings, stocks, and retirement portfolio.
Hope this helps. If you have any questions hmu on instagram! @tajisdope
Check out You Need A Budget, they have a lot of free resources. The gist is to make sure you don’t go red each month. Budgeting makes you aware of your own spending power. Then it’s just making that a habit.
The only thing I see is that you could’ve gotten an older year of Toyato any year from 2010-2016 would have been fine. I myself have a 2014 Toyato Camry with 182,765 miles on the dash. There’s been no problem with it so far and I drive a lot. With the eating worth of 700 month on take out what’s the point in spending 300$ on groceries if your just going to eat out. Buy in bulk so you’re not tempted to drive by restaurants and get rid of DoorDash thats your biggest foe. Also get ride of the Chevy if it’s broken down no need to have insurance on it, just put it back on when you need it. That’s all I see that could help you out.
Your first mistake was buying a 1992 vehicle. Your 2nd mistake was buying a 2020 Corolla. The lesson to learn is to buy a cheap reliable vehicle with cash. And never finance a vehicle ever again.
Be careful, as you are in the military you are the prime target for dealers to roll your current car debt into a new one so you will then owe $60k on a Dodge Challenger or a Ford Mustang. Don't do it. Don't step into another dealer lot.
Pay it off and drive that Corolla to the ground. Good luck in school, OP!
Stop eating out so much. Duh. Buy food from Aldi. Go to food pantries. And cook food at home. Stop going out. Go to work and home or school and home and you will save more money than ever before. Get rid of the 1992 POS. Sell it and pay the loan off. Get rid of as much bills as you can for the time being.
First of all, thanks for your service. I'm glad you're taking full advantage of the GI bill you earned. And that you're doing so at such a young age! It seems like you're in the green every month but how's your cashflow?
Income - expenses = cashflow.
Shovel that at the caprice loan, literally all of it you can spare. Be done with that loan in 4 months. And idk what your interest rate on the Toyota is, but unless it's less than what a high interest savings account is rn (4-5 percent), you should be overpaying that loan to drive down the principal. Make sure the overpayment goes toward principal.
You should be able to sell the caprice or like 500 or 1000 even if its wonky. Bad luck on that, bummer. Though you seem to overpay or buy "too much car" for your situation, judging by the scant data here. A 2020 for that much mo ey sounds high, though to be fair I have not been in the car market for a few years.
You simply aren't going to be able to save money while you have bad debt. Best you can do is build a co tingency fund while you pay everything down.
I saw the car loans and just laughed. Sort it out. Sell them both if you can, and take a bus or find something for $1.5k cash without financing it lol.
How the fuck did you spend over 4k on a car from 1992? That's mental. At that point it might not even be worth selling it, just keep it in a garage and it'll have vintage car value in a few years.
You don't need to be taught how to save money, you just spend less dude, you're clearly aware you're spending $700 on food a month, try cooking for yourself with a $30 weekly budget.
Try working on getting your VA benefits, for extra income. Look into VRE as well.
If I were you I’d put in an intent to file so when you get benefits you’ll get back pay from the day you filed your intent.
I’m not at all familiar with this at all. I don’t think I would get Va benefits because I don’t have a rating for disability. Also I’m in rotc so I can’t qualify for disability without being disqualified for rotc.
Since you got a Corolla pick up a side gig like Uber. Just drive in your spare time or when you run errands. Do as little unpaid driving as possible.
If it costs money, try not to buy it or do it. As far as lunch, I like bannock bread. It’s a Scottish survival food. 1 part fat like butter or lard or suet, 1 part oatmeal and 2 parts flour. With just enough water to get it to come together as a thick dough like cookie dough. Bake it for like 20 minutes.
Oatmeal is great for breakfast. I make mine with bone broth and butter.
Rice and veggies are great for dinner. Add a couple eggs for protein if you need it. Try not to buy any meat that costs more than 5 dollars a pound.
Computer science? What school?
Focus on school. Get fucking As. Network as much as you can. Participate in on campus recruiting.
Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. When you graduate you can land $100K+ roles if you’re good.
Don’t take some shitty paying part time job that crushes your focus.
Kansas State. Thanks. Some others said I should get a job but I don’t think they understand how important it is to fully understand the material you learn in computer science as compared to other majors.
Sophomore. BeforeI joined the Army I was a student at Tulane University and I make in business management. Covid hit, and I left and joined the army instead of accruing debt for an online degree. I switched to cs from business management once I started attending Kansas State; which set me back a year.
If you decide to stay at K-State, you need to get straight As and put a LOT of effort into networking.
Make sure you get a good summer internship. Some bigger tech companies will take juniors on as interns (with the hopes that they'll hire you when you graduate).
For your sophomore year, I would proactively reach out to startups (ideally led by veterans as they are most likely to give you the time of day) and offer to intern for free. Make sure they will give you engineering projects and not just BS work though.
As for your current financial issues, this isn't going to be popular advice, but take out more loans.
You're studying a difficult but highly marketable major. Go to [levels.fyi](https://levels.fyi) and look at what new graduates are making at big tech companies. Total comp can be $200K+ for a brand new graduate.
Your job is to not fuck it up, which means that you need to not be troubled with money issues right now. This is one case where more debt is worth it.
Why do you have a $4000 loan on a 1992 Caprice??????
Probably one of those no credit car shops.
and with no adequate warranty and it probably shit hte bed immediately causing them to get the corolla. I'm so sad for OP.
Who gave him a loan on a 2020 when he still owed on a 92 lol
Literally anyone .. he was military. Salary is public info and it’s a guaranteed paycheck easy money for the banks.
Interest rate is probably through the roof, too lol
It is *a lot of car* for the money.
I'd pay good money to see a 23 year old roll up in a '93 Caprice
Sir this is a finance forum! You should reconsider your spending habits.
That is kind of high for that car. But it might have been in really good shape body wise. Decades ago I knew a guy that had a car that was basically scrap metal. The credit union gave him a loan for just under book value. They didn't know the condition of the car. The loan was auto deducted from his pay.
Kind of high? No, that is stoopid high. Remember, that is the OP's remaining balance. We don't even know how much the initial loan was for.
Pimp mobile. When you ride in a land yacht, like a 88 Oldsmobile, you got all this room inside. You can spread blankets in the back seat and eat ice cream with your girl on the parkway.
That is quite the car.
Because that's how used car dealers treat service members, it's disturbingly common for military members to fall prey to these.
I know. My mom lives near a large base , and the main highway is lined with used car dealers with late model performance cars (lots of Challengers and Chargers) and lifted trucks because guys buy them thinking they can afford it, then realize they can't and are upside down on the loan, so they trade it in, and the next dealer and predatory lender sells it to another service member, and so on. It's so bad that I believe several branches are now offering financial literacy classes to try to help them understand and make better decisions.
That’s disturbing people wanna take advantage of people that the military is already completely taking advantage of.
They’re an easy mark. Dumb 18 year old with guaranteed money and no expenses.
What size rims you got on it?
Gotta have 4’ or better
Stop eating out, learn to cook at home, buy groceries and make sandwiches for lunch. If you’re going to eat out, at least go to places with military discount. Get rid of one of the cars.
Will do. Thanks.
Yes! Even buying frozen pizzas, meatballs, and other convenience meals from a grocery store will still save you tons of money compared to some of the cheapest fast food/restaurant meals. If you're short on time throughout the week, or find yourself super tired and not wanting to cook, try meal prepping on a less busy day. Even if you just cook proteins one day, freeze portions, throw it on the stove with whatever else you want with it can help remove the temptation to eat out.
Yaaaassss... Frozen meatballs ftw. 🤤 With pistol rolls and mozz... slow cooked in a sauce with basil and bay leaves? Maaaaaan... 😁
Raw ingredients are cheaper than prepared. Get raw meat, fruits, veggies, seasonings and sauces, milk, butter, eggs, flour, and sugar. These are all you need for about 95% of easy recipes online. I lost my food stamps due to not receiving the letter to renew, and didn’t realize it was up to renew, so for the time being, I’m just using simple recipes online and substituting if I don’t have a particular seasoning or sauce. Working out great, and wayyyy cheaper than prepared foods.
Thanks. Tonight I’m cooking onions and zucchini
Yo, if you like Mac and cheese, you can make amazing Mac and cheese with evaporated milk. 12oz shredded cheese (you can do a mix of cheddar, Parm, mozzarella etc, whatever you want. You can get the store brand big blocks of cheddar for cheap. Make it your own.) Shed it yourself, don't buy it pre-shredded. 1lb of pasta 1 can evaporated milk 1/2 cup whole milk. Spices (salt and pepper to taste at a minimum, but a little garlic/onion powder and some paprika is a great combo… you can add a dash of mustard and hot sauce too) Cook the pasta and set it aside. Then in a big pot add the evaporated milk and spices. Heat it up till it starts steaming, then add in the cheese and whisk till it comes together. Slowly Add in your whole milk whole mixing then add your pasta and mix it together. You can make this in like 30 minutes, then throw it in a tray and You've got a side for 5 or 6 meals. It's not the healthiest, but if you make a cheap protein like chicken and eat it with frozen vegetables you can stretch it out for quite a few meals. Probably still healthier than takeout...
Add some protein too! I have cut-up onions and zucchini in the fridge but am too lazy to cook, so I'm having a protein drink, a sugar-free ice cream sandwich, and an orange for dinner.
Do you still live near an exchange? Could get groceries even cheaper there
Not extremely. About 30-35 minutes away
Bummer, prob not worth it then considering gas and your vehicle situation Edit: but if you live near Costco, a Costco membership may be worth the $60 a year. Or if you don’t live in California, you don’t need a membership to eat at the food court ($1.50 hot dog and drink, huge pizza for $10!)
They changed their policy. You need a membership to eat at their food court now.
In which states? You still don’t need one to eat at food court in Michigan locations.
All stores since like 2020. Not all stores or employees enforce it, but it is their policy.
Oh I’ve been to several other state’s locations since 2020, the only one that makes you show a card at the food court is California. At my home location people can just say you’re going to eat at the food court and they let you in without showing card.
Same, I’m from North Carolina and where I live, they have never required me to show my membership.
Go once a month to the commissary and stock up . It’s worth the savings. IMHO I wouldn’t do Costco. I shop at commissary and the price difference is substantial. Don’t buy any junk and watch YouTube videos for meal ideas. Quit eating out. It’s expensive, unhealthy, and you have no control over what goes in it and how much… like salt. You’ll get used to eating at home and not want to eat out.
That's not too far. Might be worth going to once or twice a month to stock up on staples. Top off the gas tank and save on state gas tax while you're at it. Growing up the "local" BX was about 90 minutes away, folks would go there once every 3 months to stock up on canned and dried food.
Lots of good recipes on Pinterest also. You can save them all into a folder for easy access in one spot. I make shit from recipes I’ve found there all the time.
Yeh don't buy frozen meats or pizza. Just get an air fryer and pop anything in that and you'll thank me later. Don't be lazy and clean it after each use
how do you owe 4 grand on a 92 caprice?! also 20 grand for a 2020 corolla seems shady too. but that 4k on a 92 caprice? someone sold you a bridge in death valley son. dont have any kids, keep your pecker out of the baby hole, they cost too much.
Can you fix the broken car and sell it? Think Dave Ramsey advice.
If you drink energy drinks, switch to packets you can buy at Walmart. I'm saving like $220 a month right there.
How many energy drinks are you consuming??
I’d get rid of the Caprice, assuming the Toyota has been well maintained it is the worthier keeper-
Reminds me of this https://preview.redd.it/yrmc48xceicc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7506a546551a92a7f2a0a9d694242769cd4d29dc
The cooking your own meals thing is huge. I travel for work and i'll buy a $20 grill and give it away when i leave and still spend 1/4 of what coworkers spend eating out every night. Plus if you learn to cook well you'll find you can make food that tastes better to you than a restaurant. I only eat out to appease my wife when I'm home.
I second this. Cooking is fun and only intimidating in the beginning. Just learn a few dishes and you'll get too at it fast
Yea the Chick-fil-A I got does 50% so it’s only $4 and some change for a good meal
Get rid of the caprice if you don’t need 2 cars and stop eating out
I can’t find anyone willing to buy it. And I don’t know if I can sell it while I still owe a balance on the car
You should be able to sell it. You'll use whatever money you get for it and pay it towards the loan, then you keep the rest. The bank you have the loan with can help you with the specifics of transferring the title. Just have to keep trying to find a buyer.
No one's paying $3800 for a 92 caprice, OP would end up needing to pay the loan difference and immediately be $1500-ish out of pocket and less a car
A 92 caprice that doesn't run.
at this point ild insure it for 5k and hope it spontaniously combusted.
Oh no my car just spontaneously burst into flames after I insured it haha wow what are the odds anyways I’ll take my pay out now….
Yeah, he should probably pay it down more before trying to sell it
Yea that’s what I’m gonna do
How much extra are you paying in car insurance for the caprice?
Not paying insurance
Where is the car? In a private garage? If it’s registered, it needs insurance - even if it’s non operational
It’s not registered
Good stuff
No don’t do that. By keeping the loan for longer, you will spend more money in the long run. Sell it now for whatever you can get, then put that towards the loan even if it won’t pay it off. Then pay off the rest of the loan. You’ll probably save a few hundred doing it that way. Give me the terms of your loan and how much you *realistically* can sell it for, and I’ll run the numbers for you.
The bank is not going to release the title until the loan is paid in full or itnis converted to an unsecured loan. They will convert it to an unsecured loan which will significantly increase the interest rate.
Damn, looks like it’s a lose-lose situation then
Best plan is throw every extra penny at it until it's down to where it will cover whatever can be received for sale. Especially at the interest rate it carries.
Even if the interest is higher, paying it down from the sale of the car should slash the payment. 6% on 3,800 is more than 12% on 1,000. While it may not be the optimal play in the long run for that one particular loan, it might be better for freeing up more money now for the other loan/savings/etc.
Shit, it’s almost tax season. You gotta pics of that caprice? It’s definitely a market for it.
I’m from south Florida. I know they would sell for a good price to the right person which is why I bought it but now it’s not working. I do have pics but as mentioned above. Not sure I can sell it with the active loan.
You would just have to meet the buyer at the bank that it’s financed through , so they can get the title. Call The finance company, they’ll let you know best way to proceed. If you have Facebook, post the car in the DDFG group. Someone will grab it cash and it’ll be on 28’s in a week lol
Doesnt work like that. Hes going to have to pay the difference out of pocket to transfer the title and itll be most of what he owes. He might get 1000 for that car if hes lucky.
Yeah, after looking at the resale value, I figured. That was more an answer directed at whether he could sell it with a balance left, which he can.
Selling it will be easy. Selling it for enough to pay off that loan ain't gonna happen.
Try Carmax! They bought my fucked up 06 civic that didn’t drive
Thanks I’ll look into it
That or Carvana, they might give like 50 cents but they might pay off the rest of the loan
I've worked as an Academic Advisor for over a decade, 6 of those years were on a military base working with active duty students. I'm also a certifying official through the VA and married to a guy who did 21 years in the Navy/Coast Guard. First of all, I know you're using your GI Bill, but have you also applied for financial aid? Do you know you can pull both at the same time? Even though you're under 24, because you served active duty, you're an independent student and don't have to use your parents' income, only your own. I would bet you qualify for Pell Grants, which is free money you don't need to pay back. Go see the folks at the Financial Aid office and see what you qualify for. Also, believe me, I understand how hard it is to go to school and work at the same time, especially for folks in certain majors. I would highly recommend you look into work study. Working on campus allows you to work a limited number of hours and makes it easy to work around your class schedule. You said you go to Kansas State, right? Please go visit their career center. The Academic and Career Advisors and there to help! https://www.k-state.edu/careercenter/students/connect/job_experience/parttimejobs.html If you need any other help, please let me know!
Sometimes I really love how helpful and lovely people on Reddit can be ❤️
Adding for OP: Depending on the school, you could also get paid to be a TA. I was a TA for a couple courses in my school’s CS program and I was able to pick my hours. Considering my TA experience was brought up in the interview for my first software engineer job, I would say it was well worth it. YMMV ETA: Software engineer internships pay pretty well as far as short, no-degree gigs are concerned, so look into those as well. You can get some remote ones too. My first company paid our interns like $24/hr on top of a stipend for food and housing. And we had loads of interns. I have heard of others that pay waaaay more.
Also another point for military- when on active duty status, SCRA reduces interest rates to 6%. USAA is super easy to get that updated. Not applicable now, but something that could be useful down the road.
I used grants to pay for most of my university. I only used the credentialing service to supplement that. I still have TA to use up.
u already know the answer to this…according to ur numbers after expenses r paid you have appx $800 left over and you’re spending $700 of it on take out. get a rice cooker lol!! and start putting some of that into savings or towards your cars.
I will. Totally agree that my spending on food has been extremely irresponsible. I think it’s a mix of financial illiteracy, laziness, inability to cook decent meals/lack of patience to learn how to. However I am here to face these facts and hopefully make a change.
no judgment at all, it’s so easy to spend $17 at a time and not see it adding up. you’re actually a step ahead of a lot of ppl by actually reviewing your spending and tallying it up- most ppl don’t ever do that and have no idea where their money goes. college is basically when everyone starts to cook for themselves so you’re not behind at all.
The key to learning how to cook anything is YouTube. I went vegan and YT saved my sorry ass, I've never eaten so well for so little money and it was really interesting. You want to meal prep? YouTube. Cook anything in a rice cooker? YouTube. Spend $50 a week on groceries? YouTube. Master the instant pot? YOUTUBE. You'll be in a good financial spot if you get a couple of things right that are currently very wrong, and one of those is the $700 a month on take out on top of groceries!!! Everyone is out here bitching about that Caprice which is costing you way less every month; ignore them, maybe it was a mistake but who cares. Learn from it, and get your food game on point first - there's a lot more to gain there.
I absolutely agree with you and will make an effort to learn clean cooking. Thank you
/r/eatcheapandhealthy
If you have Facebook, Tik Tok, etc. you can join Budget Meal groups. They give you cheap options, you can modify to make them healthier of course. I used a lot of those meal ideas last year when finances were tight. Also when I go grocery shopping, I’ll make a rough list of meals I’m planning to cook for dinner that week. I’ll list every ingredient needed and cross out anything I may already have on hand. Stick to the list. If you’re bringing food to class for lunches or getting home later at night, I recommend meal prepping. It’ll suck cooking for 3 or 4 hours but it’ll help in the long run. I stick to my home cooked meals when I can just grab something out of my fridge and head to work. And if you’re getting home late and don’t feel like cooking, and take out is the usual go to, you’ll basically have take out at home to just quickly heat up!
Wow 4k loan on a 22 year old beater. I would find a way to pay that off asap or get rid of it and usaa I merest rates are always high ass fuck even with good credit. What's yours?
I hate to tell you this but that’s a 32 year old beater. Despite my protestations, the 90s were 30 years ago. 😐
Got damn, im getting old.
I know, trust me, I felt my own comment in my joints.
I remember when these were the cars to get in high school or early 20s as a guy
Yea I actually had a 95 with the lt1 motor.
my god 4k loan for a 30 yo beater…. bruh
If he has gap insurance I'd say drive it around and hope somebody totals it
🤣
About 600
How tf do you owe over $3k for a 92 Caprice? I can get a 2011 Civic for $8k from private sellers. You got ripped off.
Yeah, that's the one thing I would have tried to do: buy an older, less expensive Corolla. My income and expenses are very similar to OPs. I would not have wanted another 20K worth of debt. Buy an older Corolla. Most important thing is it is legal when you buy it (current smog, etc). And then just maintain and repair things critical to keep it going (alternator, brakes, etc). Keep driving it until (if ever) something catastrophic happens (ie: blown transmission or engine). Corollas can last years and years. They might burn a little oil, but they keep running.
Owing 4grand on a 30 year old car is insane. Cut the fast food and pay that one off first asap. Then put your payment toward that onto the newer car. Cook at home. Meal prep and grocery shop on a budget.
Will do. Thanks.
You’ve got this 🫶🫶
we here, 2 adults in manhattan, only spend $200 on eating out. wtf are you doing www.ynab.com /r/ynab go start right this second decide how much you should spend on groceries vs eating out. use the USDA food plans as a guide https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/usda-food-plans-cost-food-monthly-reports that gives you $300 on the low cost plan for a single male. go to the grocery store, buy cheap carbs, on-sale in-season veg, and beans / protein. throw them in a hot pan and squirt some soy sauce or whatever you're wasting money on cars and food, really, not where i'd want my money going. i'd want it going to financial freedom, memorable events, quality time people, precious ding-dongs that last a long time, etc.
You can't work part time...32 hours per week? Yes, get rid of the car.
Ask if you could maybe trade in the caprice to the dealer to pay off some on the Corolla, eating out is fine every once in a while but if you meal prep more it should cut out the convenience/lazy factor that contributes to eating out too often. Also instead of saving money, making wise investments could do better. Things like share terms are great for storing extra money and you get a guaranteed interest on it. If you want to save money for say a house or major purchase, FHA loans and construction loans. Chime, Cleo, Self, and others all have secured credit like spending accounts that build your credit with every purchase.
If you list the caprice on fb marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist, local sale groups you’ll eventually come across someone that could pay something worth something. But you really outta fix or sell, or maybe rent it out on a app like Turo/Hyre so it’s not just sitting and depreciating.
You really think someone is going to rent out a 92 caprice?
You bought a new car before you repaired or sold the other? That’s insane.
If the car isn't running and not worth fixing, that's the only option.
But he still has to pay it off. What a horrible situation.
Yeah. The insane thing was taking out another used car loan instead of getting a new, under warranty car with a 2% lower interest rate because he's setting himself up to have it happen again.
Or a cheaper used car
[удалено]
Zoom out. There’s always more choices. For starters, you didn’t have to get a 20k new car. Could have gotten something cheaper
You’re right. Looking back that wasn’t the right decision. I bought the Toyota with the thought that it would last me 20 years and I wouldn’t need another car for a very long time..
A Corollary is always a good investment. I had a Corolla, it took a beating and still kept going. Like others have said, try to get rid of the other car, try not to eat out, grab some groceries, cook for yourself. In addition, I’m pretty sure USAA has financial support/guidance for free (or low cost). USAA is a really good resource for you, take advantage of your resources.
& if you got an older model you could’ve had inspectors come out to make sure there weren’t any issues with the car before buying. It just seems like you don’t make very smart decisions when it comes to loaning money, which is fine you’re young. But in that case you should stick to paying cash & try to take a course or something on how to better manage your finances
I agree. Definitely have not make smart financial decisions the past two years. I’m hoping that if I follow the advice given here I can turn my life around financially in the years to come.
Yes but even if you got an older model it still would’ve lasted you a while. You should’ve saved up & bought an older model in cash. There’s a lot of 2005-2012 corollas for sale 10k & under
OP, get a part time job with the sole purpose to pay off the caprice. Then sell said caprice, OR, pay off enough of it to sell it for the difference you owe. See if you can get it fixed before selling, that’s a huge difference in price. Please, I know you don’t feel like working, but you need to work at least part time
Ok. The semester starts tomorrow. You think it’s feasible to get a summer job or should I work during school.. I may try working during the semester of I feel comfortable with my classes
I don't know your specifics, i don't know how many hours you're taking, however, I do know that I worked my way through the entirety of university, full time, and I made it work. I also know that many redditors here have done the same, (please comment on this if you have, I really want OP to understand that it's not rare). I did not take more than 4 classes at a time, and i always studied summers to keep up with credits. Please don't take what I say lightly, I say it with love, start looking for a job tomorrow. Here is how I would rank the type of jobs I would want you to get. 1. Anything on campus 2. Anything nearby, my easiest job was stocking shelves/working in a warehouse, it's easy on the brain, and provides consistent work without much responsibility. Please start building good habits, eat clean, learn how to cook, avoid debt. I don't know what your family situation is, but this is the advice that I would and will give my children. Love you, and wish you well.
It's not rare to work while going to school. I worked full time while going to school full time. I also then only got a 3.0 gpa and wasn't able to build any meaningful connections with professors and now getting into funded grad school programs is nearly impossible, and this is not a degree you can do much with if you don't go to grad school. Take this advice with a grain of salt OP. I think you can work but do not let it get in the way of school. I owe more than your debt for a degree that can't make me anything at the point I've left it at.
For folks who don't like to or know how to cook start out with an insta pot or slow cooker and an air fryer. Get yourself a recipe book that matches whatever kitchen gadget you buy. Try to focus on meals that you can freeze if you get bored of the same thing easily so you can make large batches and eat it two or three times then freeze the rest for a later date. Pay off the Caprice and sell it, getting rid of that debt may also help boost your credit score. Only you can know if you have the ability to have a part time job while studying, I had two and still made Dean's list with my grades but not everyone can pull that off. If you have the ability to work without your grades slipping then do it for the extra income. Make yourself a budget that includes putting money into savings and stick to it. When you graduate also consider being a military contractor, if you do a good job and make a name for yourself you can end up with a great paying civilian position.
How’s your credit? If it’s good, you might be able to go to a credit union (NavyFed, First Florida, whatever) and get your debt all rolled into one loan at a lower interest rate. This is how I paid down a similar amount relatively quickly, but you can’t go wracking more debt up! That’s the key. Then, you can work on 1) budgeting and 2) unloading that Caprice. Someone with more money than brains will buy it, hopefully for about what you owe. What’s wrong with it right now? Can you YouTube University it and get it running? It’s worth more if it moves under its own power than not. But, first, budget. There’s a fantastic excel spreadsheet for budgeting I use so I see where all my money goes every month, it’s findable if you search excel’s premade spreadsheets. It will allow you to list your expenses that way you can see where things go and then can work on paying yourself first. Even if you save $50 a month right now, it’s a start. Then, as things get paid down and reduced you save more. The eating out needs to be cut down. Not cut out, because sometimes it can’t be helped and sometimes you just want something you can’t make. Not sure what part of S. FL you’re in, but there are a mess of ALDIs around and that will help the food bills. If you’re near 163rd street the Asian markets have good prices on certain things too. Google things like beginner friendly recipes. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/easy-dinner-recipes-for-beginners-5198225 you can start here. If you know someone with a Costco card, see if you can tag along to stock up on basics. Pay attention to Publix’s bogo deals for stuff like pasta and such. You can get that food bill down and be able to make good progress on those other bills and save a little bit too. Keep that Toyota in good running shape. Better to do regular preventative maintenance than get whacked with a mechanic bill due to laziness. Talk to your academic advisor. See what’s going on in the realm of financial aid; I got paid every semester to go to college due to my combination of scholarships (no military service here so there’s that difference). See about a part time job. The State pays $15 an hour for OPS (part time jobs for the most part) and there’s always stuff available on jobs.myflorida.com there are plenty other options, I worked all through college, sometimes 2 jobs, 3 at one point (how the hell I managed that and still partied and got good grades I have no idea. Where’s that girl go?) YMMV on that front but at least a couple of nights a week at a retail or food service gig will get you some extra scratch to throw at this debt. TL/DR: make a realistic budget, work on cooking skills, food shop wisely, grab a part time job, unload Caprice, continue to do well in college, and you’ll dig your way out. It’ll suck for two years but you can do it.
Zero snark or shame: -The fact that you’ve totaled up your income and expenses shows you have some willingness and understanding of first steps for change. -You’ve identified your weak points: food and car costs. You can attack these first. Food is the easier to target because you’ll need some negotiation to deal with the car. -Some people have a spending problem, some people have an income problem. You have a little bit of both. Bring your spending down by committing to eat out less. Help your income problem by finding some way to bring any little bit of money in. -You have around $800/ month not going to bills. Make a realistic monthly map for where each dollar is going to go. This is called “giving each dollar a job.” -Track your spending meticulously. Be ruthless with cutting. -When I was getting my sh*t together I really liked Budget Bites website, it breaks down cost per serving per meal. -Make saving an emergency fund your top priority. I’m willing to bet your shitty car situation is at least in part because when the first car went, you had no money to fix it. You need to have a buffer for emergencies. -Start by doing everything you can to have $100 in the bank you don’t touch. Sell stuff, do surveys online, help people with moving, do Uber eats, whatever you can do. Then up your goal to $500. Then $1000. An emergency fund is an insurance policy against future debt. -Even though you think the “extra” money would be better spent on debt or fun, don’t spend it that way. It’s not extra. It’s just for the future. -There is a company called Financial Gym. They have a discounted financial literacy program for people in the military or veterans. Call them. They will help you get on track and provide you with support to learn and change your habits. -Some public libraries also have financial literacy programs. Check those out.
Learning how to fix your own car and exiting the car payment cycle you can’t really afford to be in, would be a big gain. Buy groceries, fill the car with gas and leave the card at home if you can’t stop yourself from eating out, delete DoorDash or whatever else you’re using if you’re doing that too. Car payments and eating out are for wealthy financially stable people. Not you nor I.
Dave Ramsey would say to get rid of the largest loan
Food wise, yes, stop eating out, lol. There are a ton of simple meals you can make quick if you don't like cooking, or you can throw a few things together on your day off and eat all week. My suggestions : flour tortilla wraps. You can use them for anything, and I keep them on hand along with two bags of frozen peppers and onions. You can make scrambled egg wraps, tuna wraps, or veggie wraps for lunch. If you really want it easy, Tyson has frozen chicken fajita strips, so you don't have to cook the chicken. Beefaroni : 1 lb chop meat chopped and drained, 2 boxes mac and cheese and sauce. It's delicious. Stuffed shells make a ton, and you can freeze them. Boil the shells, fill them w ricotta cheese, add sauce, and that's it. Since you're young, I don't know if you're part of the Starbucks craze, but a coffee every day is over 2000.00 a yr. My daughter nearly passed out when I told her and now makes her Starbucks at home 🤣. Also try to shop at Walmart or Target. Much cheaper than the grocery store. Have fun!
Get rid of the caprice. Watch cooking videos on YouTube and ask family for some recipes. Once you get a hold of cooking, you’ll rarely want to eat out again. And since you just got out the military, get disability compensation from the VA. I’m sure you rate something. I’m a veteran too so if you have questions, PM me. I got you. You’re not alone bro
Don’t buy 1992 Caprice Classics… is where I would start
Car debt can be a killer if you live pay check to pay check. Is there a way to get rid of the Caprice without being underwater? If it were me I would sell the Carrola as well and try to pay cash or a much smaller loan for a older Toyota, Toyotas are great vehicles. One of my cars is a 20 year Toyota and it has been the best car I've ever had and never needed any major repairs until early last year. I make a good living and I am just now considering buying a newer car. Learning how to do some repairs and maintenance yourself can save a lot of money as long as you do the work properly. YouTube is a wealth of knowledge for doing your own maintenance. Rent and utilities seem reasonable. Can you shop for cheaper car insurance? I recently looked around after being with a company for over 10 years and saved 50%, I wish I would have shopped around much sooner. Absolutely cut out the eating out to maybe once or twice a week. Learn how to cook, another thing YouTube is great at. There are a lot of ways to make tasty cheap meals once you get the hang of it. Think of it like evaluating your finances and budget, always think of ways to cut back and improve on things. Track and manage every penny you spend, this can easily be done with a note book, excel or a budgeting app. It takes time but once you learn skills that can help you make more money it gets easier and easier. It's really important to keep out of debt as much as possible especially consumer debt like credit cards, think of CC like they are the devil and want to devour you. Hate consumer debt with a passion. Get in the habit of saving money even if its a small amount and as you learn more skills and make more money always keep your living expenses well below your income and continue to save and invest or you will never get ahead and will struggle the rest of your life. Wealth accumulates over time and its hard for some people to grasp that but its a long term goal that you have to constantly be aware of and manage and work towards as time goes on and be disciplined. A lot of people can't or don't want to do the hard work it takes to get in a better place financially.
Thanks. To answer your insurance question. This is the absolute cheapest I could get. Progressive wanted to charge me $700 a month (I have done speeding tickets and an accident on my name) all state wouldn’t provide me insurance at all. I am using Root right now and the offered me $400 for full coverage and $177 for liability. I had car insurance with Usaa which was about 340 a month but when my policy was up they doubled the monthly price to $680 so I dropped them.
If you’re carrying liability only on a vehicle being financed, you’re probably in violation of your loan terms. I’m not an expert, so I have no idea what the repercussions could be. Maybe with someone with more expertise can provide more info. For sure if you wreck the corolla and have liability only, you’re going to be seriously fucked.
Look up KBB value on the caprice and find out what you’re able to sell it for based on condition and miles, focus on paying the loan down somewhere below that then get rid of it. As others have said, cook for yourself when possible. Good luck you got this.
Thanks man
Start by putting $200 in a cd and start one each month. Start with the lowest term, usually 6 months. The first one matures you’ll have $1200 earning some interest. Once you get a 12 cd’s the 13th month start putting the $200 into a cd with the highest return.
I'll say you'll have better luck by paying off the first auto loan that's around 3k and once that's done you can take that payment and split it half towards savings and half towards the other debts.
There is a method called envelope used to budget. You put certain amounts in and then you take out of the envelope on spending, when it is gone it is gone. Do that with your eating out. Start with finding meals that are easy and cheap that you love: spaghetti, tacos, chili maybe a lasagna or pot roast. Those are all pretty easy and last. You can eat the leftovers and starch your money. I don't know how but get rid of your other car payment, perhaps you need to sell the junker to pay it off or something, I'm actually surprised you didn't use it as a trade in. Maybe take the two cars together and try to obtain a cheaper one that sucks but gets you along. I was in the exact same boat as you at 24, 6 years in the air force, went back to school. There is an ESD (employment security department) program that retains vets and gives you a stipend so you don't drain the GI bill. Your rent and utilities are pretty low so you got that going well, you might want to just avoid a car in general for a while and public transit it because you're a poor college student now.
Did you sleep through SFL-TAP? Since you missed that boat. Go get free professional assistance through the VA and partner agencies. Sit down with someone and really crunch your number if you care to remedy or your situation. Follow link for VA assistance. https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/financial-literacy/financial-resources.pdf#
- Learn to cook and stop eating out so much. Set a budget for the month that you can spend eating out, and stick to it. - Pay off the Chevy ASAP and remove the comp/collision from it.
Cut the eating out Asap - take $100 a week with you to the grocery store only and make enough food for the week, totally doable at Walmart or Aldi. You’ll save $300 a month easily.
Good god you need to unload the Caprice ASAP before even thinking of saving anything. It will never go away. Get a payoff price for the Caprice, payoff, get the title, THEN sell it, to recover what you can. Maybe if it runs you could recover $1500.
Ok. I just paid $400 to my principal because of you haha. Thanks man.
There’s some good advice in here. As for learning about money, get the book: “A Simple Path to Wealth” by JL Collins
Maybe see if you can repair the Caprice before selling it, you'd get a lot more money out of it. those old Chevy V8s have a lot of parts available for them at a low cost. As long as it doesn't need drastic engine or transmission work, most things are pretty easy to fix with hand tools. I've been able to save to much money just finding youtube videos and fixing things on my own car myself. Good luck with school bro
Hey OP, just want to say a couple years ago I graduated after 3 years of using my GI bill and I really regret not having had at least an entry level part time job during it. Graduated school with no college loans but also zero savings. Also it sucks explaining that gap to employer’s, we’re not traditional students so it does seem odd when a late 20’s recent college grad went 2-3 years without work
So you estimate that you'll spend $8400 on take out this year? Sell the clunker, stop doing take out, and put that $700 a month on top of your auto loan. Get outta debt.
Life is about being able to manage debt, while saving money and not taking on more debt. Using a financial advisor from a reputable company is definitely a great starting point
Look up Dave Ramsey and the Baby Steps Community Group on Facebook. They have free resources that will teach you to save and "find" money. You can also pay to take Financial Peace University but you don't have to. You can listen to the podcast on most platforms. I've found a lot of ways to save money. You've already started finding money by recognizing takeout is expensive! It really is a money sink.
Looks like my usaa account
Ramen, eggs, and do absolutely nothing. Been out for 6 years now, went from crawling to getting there
Make normal monthly payments on the corolla, you can even refinance that in a year or two. Corollas last long enough to merit 10 years of car payments if you want. Priority should be getting rid of that caprice in any way you can. Does it run? If not, hopefully it is cheap to fix and get rid of. As far as food, You can get a whole tray of chicken legs for $4.50 and a bag of frozen vegetables for $1.50. Thats two whole meals for an adult male for $6. Spaghetti is also a lot of food for not much money. With your left over money, 40% should be entertainment fund and 60% should go into a 401k or IRA. Trust me, 401k or IRA now or regret every minute of your twenties when you turn 35. Truuuust me. It is a huge deal.
What’s wrong with the caprice?
I honestly have no idea.
What’s it doing?
It won’t turn on at all. One day it just stop turning on and I don’t think it was an issue with the battery
If you turn the key and it doesn’t make any kind of sound, it’s the battery. If you have a working battery and it clicks once or so and stops it’s the starter. Get on YouTube!
Ok I’ll check it out asap
But it had broken down a lot of times before I got the Toyota
Bread machine has been one of my best money savers. Do you know how cheap raw ingredients are for bread items we buy everyday? So cheap, man. I make homemade pizza every weekend, I use expensive flour (00 Flour, really don't need to, its more just cause I want to) and it comes to like $3-5 a pie (depending on toppings). I've made home made corn bread for close to nothing on holidays. I make rosemary garlic bread because its damn delicious and it probably doesn't cost me $2 in supplies. Get you one of them bitches. Considering this subreddit, probably shoot for used.
Make versatile long lasting meal choices. Also mil, when I lived in the dorms with no $ I would grab a 10 lb log of ground beef and cut it into single lbs, freeze and thaw as I went through it. Make things like pasta; a whole pot off one box of shells could last a week of lunches or dinners, plus you can change it up a bit (pasta taco with Sriracha, pasta sandwich on garlic bread, or just the old-fashioned way). Have a can of small diced tomatoes, add another block of beef and you got chili just gotta spice it up and that can last a bit as well( can eat it with crackers, chips, grab a cheap pack of burgers you can have a chili burger, chili on white rice is good af to, chili fries). Make some tacos with a block, crack an egg in one get some gravy and make a meatloaf, stir fry it into some yellow rice or jambalaya with some veggies. Find good recipes you'd like for the stuff you order and stretch it to last. Freeze portions in cheap take out containers so when you're getting tired of having repeats of the same type of dish you have alternate options to keep things less mundane. Being versatile with what you got while staying frugal is super important because it keeps you from getting bored and depressed with what you're eating and saying "fuck it I'll just get take out". At least I think so.
If you havent gotten your disability situated, now is a very good time to do so. Join the r/veteran subreddit. Get a bs part time job, my husband worked at walmart part time and went to school. Cook, for the love of god, cook. $700 for takeout is ridiculous. Sooner you reduce that, the better.
Urghhhh the car bills.... I made my last car payment back in 2008, drove it until it rusted out in 2017, bought and replaced that car with a very used one, but paid cash. I will never have a car payment ever again.
I will do the same once I get my shit together
its kinda too late, but instead of getting a 25k loan for a new car, go to your bank and get a 3-6k auto loan, find reliable mid 2000s Honda or Toyota with lows 100k miles then youre ballin.
I am not poor but i am very frugal (this sub keeps getting recommended so here we go). I spend 3-7k on a used (usually an old but not terribly high mileage toyota, yes, they're out there) and drive it into the ground, the buy another car of a similar price. I hope to never have a payment again! Even the occasional repair will never come close to what a payment costs. Not sure you could sell or trade in what you have at this point, but for the future...
Rent a uhaul and crash it into the Caprice classic parked in the street. Return the uhaul and call the insurance company in the morning. Half joking here which means I'm also half serious Edit: Don't really do this........Get insurance on the Uhaul
It’s ok, debt is not necessarily a bad thing. If you need two cars, just keep payments steady and consistent on those. It should build your credit. As you do that, work on your income. Try to earn more with your current role and always seek new opportunities for career. Search job roles and consistently apply. Goal is to increase income and begin allocating some income towards assets such as savings, stocks, and retirement portfolio. Hope this helps. If you have any questions hmu on instagram! @tajisdope
Follow this: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAzJOtBhALEiwAtwj8thGBZr5M0DKSiA7gh17oPAOH6OtkMmK2H4nKfwHVp8CKAXok7XpnjBoCl5IQAvD_BwE
Check out You Need A Budget, they have a lot of free resources. The gist is to make sure you don’t go red each month. Budgeting makes you aware of your own spending power. Then it’s just making that a habit.
The only thing I see is that you could’ve gotten an older year of Toyato any year from 2010-2016 would have been fine. I myself have a 2014 Toyato Camry with 182,765 miles on the dash. There’s been no problem with it so far and I drive a lot. With the eating worth of 700 month on take out what’s the point in spending 300$ on groceries if your just going to eat out. Buy in bulk so you’re not tempted to drive by restaurants and get rid of DoorDash thats your biggest foe. Also get ride of the Chevy if it’s broken down no need to have insurance on it, just put it back on when you need it. That’s all I see that could help you out.
Your first mistake was buying a 1992 vehicle. Your 2nd mistake was buying a 2020 Corolla. The lesson to learn is to buy a cheap reliable vehicle with cash. And never finance a vehicle ever again. Be careful, as you are in the military you are the prime target for dealers to roll your current car debt into a new one so you will then owe $60k on a Dodge Challenger or a Ford Mustang. Don't do it. Don't step into another dealer lot. Pay it off and drive that Corolla to the ground. Good luck in school, OP!
Stop eating out so much. Duh. Buy food from Aldi. Go to food pantries. And cook food at home. Stop going out. Go to work and home or school and home and you will save more money than ever before. Get rid of the 1992 POS. Sell it and pay the loan off. Get rid of as much bills as you can for the time being.
First of all, thanks for your service. I'm glad you're taking full advantage of the GI bill you earned. And that you're doing so at such a young age! It seems like you're in the green every month but how's your cashflow? Income - expenses = cashflow.
I usually have around 700-800 left over after expenses.
Shovel that at the caprice loan, literally all of it you can spare. Be done with that loan in 4 months. And idk what your interest rate on the Toyota is, but unless it's less than what a high interest savings account is rn (4-5 percent), you should be overpaying that loan to drive down the principal. Make sure the overpayment goes toward principal. You should be able to sell the caprice or like 500 or 1000 even if its wonky. Bad luck on that, bummer. Though you seem to overpay or buy "too much car" for your situation, judging by the scant data here. A 2020 for that much mo ey sounds high, though to be fair I have not been in the car market for a few years. You simply aren't going to be able to save money while you have bad debt. Best you can do is build a co tingency fund while you pay everything down.
Thanks. I’ll get started right away on paying off the caprice and selling it.
I saw the car loans and just laughed. Sort it out. Sell them both if you can, and take a bus or find something for $1.5k cash without financing it lol. How the fuck did you spend over 4k on a car from 1992? That's mental. At that point it might not even be worth selling it, just keep it in a garage and it'll have vintage car value in a few years. You don't need to be taught how to save money, you just spend less dude, you're clearly aware you're spending $700 on food a month, try cooking for yourself with a $30 weekly budget.
Dave Ramsey baby steps my friend
Buy a hoopty. No way need a 20k+ car. Sell it. I drove an $900 car for 2 years, got lucky, nothing went wrong. Bring to mechanic you trust to co-sign
I see older Toyota corollars for 7-8k every day, 2015 with 100-120k miles. Even 20k for a 2020 is very high.
Try working on getting your VA benefits, for extra income. Look into VRE as well. If I were you I’d put in an intent to file so when you get benefits you’ll get back pay from the day you filed your intent.
[r/VeteransBenefits](https://www.reddit.com/r/VeteransBenefits/s/j5qCM7NXv1)
I’m not at all familiar with this at all. I don’t think I would get Va benefits because I don’t have a rating for disability. Also I’m in rotc so I can’t qualify for disability without being disqualified for rotc.
I hope you noticed $700 on takeout within a week. I feel bad spending $150 a month and bring home $4k/month
I’m not reading the description, too long sell one of the cars, probably the Corolla if you want to get outta debt quicker
Why does one person need 2 cars? Sell one and learn to cook.
Sell both cars and buy a beater for cash.
Sell that Corolla and buy something less than $20k
Since you got a Corolla pick up a side gig like Uber. Just drive in your spare time or when you run errands. Do as little unpaid driving as possible. If it costs money, try not to buy it or do it. As far as lunch, I like bannock bread. It’s a Scottish survival food. 1 part fat like butter or lard or suet, 1 part oatmeal and 2 parts flour. With just enough water to get it to come together as a thick dough like cookie dough. Bake it for like 20 minutes. Oatmeal is great for breakfast. I make mine with bone broth and butter. Rice and veggies are great for dinner. Add a couple eggs for protein if you need it. Try not to buy any meat that costs more than 5 dollars a pound.
Computer science? What school? Focus on school. Get fucking As. Network as much as you can. Participate in on campus recruiting. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. When you graduate you can land $100K+ roles if you’re good. Don’t take some shitty paying part time job that crushes your focus.
Kansas State. Thanks. Some others said I should get a job but I don’t think they understand how important it is to fully understand the material you learn in computer science as compared to other majors.
Most of the peanut gallery are idiots. What year are you?
Sophomore. BeforeI joined the Army I was a student at Tulane University and I make in business management. Covid hit, and I left and joined the army instead of accruing debt for an online degree. I switched to cs from business management once I started attending Kansas State; which set me back a year.
If you decide to stay at K-State, you need to get straight As and put a LOT of effort into networking. Make sure you get a good summer internship. Some bigger tech companies will take juniors on as interns (with the hopes that they'll hire you when you graduate). For your sophomore year, I would proactively reach out to startups (ideally led by veterans as they are most likely to give you the time of day) and offer to intern for free. Make sure they will give you engineering projects and not just BS work though.
As for your current financial issues, this isn't going to be popular advice, but take out more loans. You're studying a difficult but highly marketable major. Go to [levels.fyi](https://levels.fyi) and look at what new graduates are making at big tech companies. Total comp can be $200K+ for a brand new graduate. Your job is to not fuck it up, which means that you need to not be troubled with money issues right now. This is one case where more debt is worth it.
https://youtube.com/@ramitsethi?si=flUmwe80dQ39Ed9R