First time contribution to the wall, I got a new co-worker whom I overheard discussing when she going to get paid for the first time (we normally get paid monthly at my work place). Anyway she then says "I've only got three dollars to my name and car with half a tank of petrol [gasoline]" and this was one week after she got the final pay check from her previous job!
She then proceeded to talk about a time where she blew something like $300 in a single weekend (she did acknowledge that was a waste of money though).
So an update on this same co-worker who today mentioned that she bought a TV, even had the box right beside her at work. She was making mention of the fact that when she first tried to buy it that she couldn't afford to pay for it in full so she put in a deposit (which also explains why she was asking if I got paid, the pay came slightly later than she thought it would). After she finally got paid she then bought the TV outright. Good lord, I'm getting the impression that she'll be doing this every month, just running out of money right before the end of the month and anxiously awaiting the next pay day as a result. Guess I'll be back in another month telling you what she blew it all on next...
Well I thought I would have a story at the end of May but it turns out that mid-way through May I overheard my co-worker talk about how she was now on a budget and therefore had 'No Money' which I took to mean no money to spend on things out of the budget. Now here I was thinking that she had begun to take control of her tendency to run out of money before the end of the month (at my workplace we all get paid on the first business day of the calendar month) and I thought I wouldn't be back here with another story to tell about her but today this same co-worker now tells us that she ran out of money again (11 days left until payday) and that she couldn't stay at an event that one of her friends invited her to (Apparently her friend offered to help pay but my co-worker didn't want to owe her money, so I guess she is not living too far beyond her means). She mentioned nothing about a budget this time.
Another update in November, the same co-worker I discussed who started her job in April had said today: "I am used to being broke at end the end of each month" (so many months to save something!), this came up in relation to an issue she was having with her dress today (it was Dress Up Fancy and Watch Horses Run Day. AKA The Melbourne Cup), it was suggested by someone else that she buy something to fix it (can't remember what) and it was only then she remembered that we all got paid yesterday and could therefore buy it.
Well, to her credit, she didn't go out and buy anything but then I heard her go and reveal more about her finances in that she is now selling her current car, using the money to pay off her credit card bill. Sounds good right? Now she is going to buy another car, with car payments to finance it. The Sisyphean lifestyle blows my mind...
Well, a facepunch for me as well. I spent 2 dollars on a sweepstake for the Melbourne Cup (didn't win anything).