Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Trying to Clean Up the Mess

I recently wrote about some trouble I was having with a company that socked my account for the their full membership fee, instead of just the monthly fee. I did not mention the company, although one person assumed it was from late night TV. I will continue to not mention their name, but will say that I have done business with them in the past (2 or 3 years ago) and it was a great part-time job. They are a warehouse, and most businesses that use a warehouse have to pay a membership fee, unless they own the warehouse themselves.
At any rate, I went to Bank of America and asked them to please put a few of the fees back. I was told that their computer wouldn't let them do that in most cases. She then typed into her computer the request and the computer came back with an authorization to replace $43 of my funds. Geez, thanks, I am trying to end the cycle, and my bank doesn't have any mercy. I tried to to talk to the customer service people at their 800 # about filling a claim and they told me it was a billing issue and therefore has to be taken care of with the business that I am having problems with.
Then that evening, three of the automatic drafts for car payments and such, hit my account again, and Bank of America charged my account overdraft fees again ($35 each) for a $105.
This weeks check has hit the account and is setting there as pending until Thursday morning. However, when it is fulling deposited, I will have a whopping $19.50 in my bank account. At least it will be positive again, as long as nothing else tries to automatically charge or recharge my account. I still will have trouble paying for anything, until I can stop this cycle.
Something, I have also been considering, is going to my Edwards-Jones guy and selling my $125+ mutual fund (auto savings) to help with this problem. I really don't want to, but I think I may have no other choice, as my emergency fund no longer has any free money it (the minimum balance is $100 or $25 if I close the safe deposit box). What few (sharebuilder) stocks I have are so small, that commission fees would take almost all of them, if I tried to cash them out.
I would love to get a second job, if I can find a job that would not interfere with my current job, where I am a member of the management team. One person suggested going back to school, so I could move up in my current job, what they may not realize is that I work retail, which typically has low wages, and moving up is a thing of hard work and being in the right place at the right time. For me, I have managed most all the departments in the store, before moving into store management. Most others in my position, moves straight into store management. Any how as I said, I would love to find a second job, that wouldn't hurt me at my current job.
I still would like to be the next Ron Burkle, who was broke and recently fired, when he gathered a group of investors (including Warren Buffett) and started buying up chains of grocery stores. He is now a multi-billionaire and sold most of those stores to Kroger's, while others were sold to Safeway, and in the case of the company I work for Associated Wholesale grocers (the largest grocery co-op in the country).
Not sure, what else I can do, but those are the things I have thought of. Any other thoughts.

2 comments:

  1. I think you should find a new job that has better pay, better benefits and 8-5 hours. I know it seems a little scary, but I know you would be able to perform well at an entry-level job in many different fields. I dont see much of a future in the grocery business. And you can always come back and buy the store once you have made your first couple million.


    I think a good plan for you would be to find a decent reliable day job, which pays more than you make now. Continue to pay off those pesky debts. Then concentrate on the education that will bring to fruition your dream career.

    Warren buffett, the multi-billionaire investor, had a lot of God-given talent. He also learned much from this father, yet he still attended
    Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Nebraska-Lincoln and then went on to graduate school at Columbia. Proverbs 1:5 Says 'A wise man will hear and increase in learning' I think you and I would be wise to increase our education.

    Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. And we know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life ! ! !

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  2. Good Luck on trying to find a second job. I started looking a couple of weeks ago but, got sidelined with obligations to my daughter. Once we finish I'm hoping to start looking again.

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