A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Anybody else out there using credit cards to live on??? - Vera

Posted: May 17, 2014

Had an excellent job until hospital outsourced 5 years ago, downhill from there. Paycheck for the last 2 weeks was $88. I bet over in India they made more than me even with 35 years exp.

I have tried so hard to get credit cards paid down or off, but then we have to use them for buying gas to heat house, buy groceries, buy gas, etc. I would have nver thought I would be in such a mess like so many of us at my age. Major back disability and surgery, have not been to eye doctor in about 5 years, no mammogram in 3 years, no colonoscopy in over 5 years no, not even my family doctor to get my BP medicine refilled, so I do without now. I lost all medical,dental insurance. I cannot even afford Obamacare either. I see the hole getting bigger too.. I am now almost 3 months behind in paying for our grave plot and no life insurance to pay for even a cremation. I look and see all these millionaires out there ank it makes me sick. They most likely would never be able to exist like some of us have to. I was not fortunate enough to have been born in a wealthy family but I had great parents. They were hard workers and now I am in the same boat as they were, bt I would not have traded them them in for anything.

Would it not be nice to have enough money to live comfortably on and also help other people who so are havintg such financial hardships due to no fault of their own just like some of us That would be such a blessing. If it was not for my little SS early retirement money each month I would have to live with one of my kids. I also try to work 35 hours a week and still make nothing. That is so depressing. I say prayers at night that it will be better for us in the same mess. Technology has killed this profession, but I am trying not to throw in the towel but it is so hard to keep begging for a job and if a person gets one to have QA or TL smack you on the head with a "ruler" just because you did not put a common in or did not structure a sentence in the right format. That is what it feels like to me. I am sure you all know what I am talking about. Just need to vent a little I guess. If I could bake my excellent pound cake one a day for 5-6 days a week and sell them for $25 I would make more money,even after paying for ingredients, than I am making babysitting this computer 8 to 10 hours a day and still not making close to minimum wage. At least I would be doing something that I love. Anyway, thanks for reading.

Finished the credit cards a year ago... - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
I blame greed for taking our jobs much more than technology. It's been proven that VR and ASR are not working and anyone who wants to argue that can tell it to the families of patients who have died because of it. At least there is still need editors and what we are paid and how we are treated should be criminal. It takes a lot more technical knowledge today and we should be paid MORE than we used to be paid. I'm sick of the non-stop free labor we have to provide. We are only paid for a small fraction of the keystrokes we are required to provide. Downloading and memorizing tons of different account specs, a ton of free research and data entry labor with 100% of the doctors not providing demographics, then if they don't provide a DOS, none did yesterday, at least not the correct one, then a long list of more free labor to correct the damn doctor's laziness. The next biggest contributor to forced free labor is having to sit and make zero while the doctor searches for info in the EMR, all the time saying, "so sorrry ...................sorry, ......... uh,........ sorry........" Why can't they just exert the energy to press the damn "pause" button instead of sitting there making us listen to their chart review for free? Are they that inept or did they quit putting "pause" buttons on speech mics? They do have "stop" and "go" but I guess that is too much trouble.

I'm glad you have your SS, Vera. It's impossible to support yourself doing this anymore without some sort of help or a spouse.

Vera - mtinmi

[ In Reply To ..]
Just want to send a hug and a prayer your way. It seems so many of us old-timer MTs are in the same boat along with a lot of the younger ones. I don't work for one of the 2 MTSO so I have not experienced their abuse but the more I read on here, most of the MTSO are the same. I am sick and tired of hearing how they are bringing in less from their accts so pay is less, "be glad you have a job." Outsourcing is such an insult to Americans. Our ancestors built this country, fought for our rights and greed is destroying it. It is blamed on the unions (which I was protected by myself and still is protecting the ladies in the facility I retired from) but thank goodness they are still there. VR is nothing but a lie but no one wants to admit it. I really hope you find some ray of light to brighten your day. It is hard to be positive when financial burdens are so prominent. I hope God answers your prayers of finding you a way to market your pound cakes!!

I make cakes from almond flour, as I am - gluten intolerant

[ In Reply To ..]
The almond flour is expensive to buy, so don't think I'd make any money selling my concoctions, but I'm happy to be able to cook something good tasting that I can eat without sending me to the hospital. Have had several surgeries already for that..large tumor of the small intestine, etc. Am gluten and lactose intolerant at this point.

Yes, miserable field these days with the transcription. Cooking is kind of fun. MT is a drudgery, especially the way we're paid and treated these days.

You can sell your cakes on eBay. - L&L

[ In Reply To ..]
I fortunately am not in such a bad position, not because of MT work, but thankfully for an ex and a late husband who helped provide me a foot up.

In any case, I hate to cook, and I have bought baked goods from eBay. If you decide to do so, let me know. I'll buy some give you great feedback.

Have you ever tried - this web site?

[ In Reply To ..]
www.creditcards.com I got a lower rate there. Good luck to you!

Living on Credit Cards - Vera

[ In Reply To ..]
I will check out on Ebay about cakes. I am thinking though I would definitely have to have a health permit and business license to do that.

As far as credit cards, my intention was to pay those things totally off and then I could retire, but I do not make enough money to do that now. Basically stuck in this situation until something better comes along.

In Michigan they loosened the rules for selling food - wheres_my_job

[ In Reply To ..]
Okay I just checked State of Michigan, you CAN'T sell over Internet, but you can sell direct at farmer's markets and things like that. MDARD - Michigan Cottage Foods Information

So check in your state to see what laws are - it might be feasible for you to sell in some way, shape or form, even if not Internet.

I'm not currently in credit card h***, but it is rough financially - I've got craft items to sell, but I have to "build up stock" - it's no good to have like 3 items, oh yeah! That'll work. (sarcasm). So it's really difficult, all the piddly details of making multiples of the same item (I have done this before, but those were simpler items). Also I noted at this little local gift shop, they had a "featured artist" - and one painting they had on display was about the size of an envelope, a regular old envelope - including the mat board! I mean it was a very small watercolor. It was nice enough...but seriously. So I'm at this place of wondering...could I...sell a painting? There's someone in the local area who sells paintings of people's houses...for $100 a pop. Maybe 8 x 11-/12 inches in size. A HOUSE from a photograph.

Mentally it's difficult, because simultaneously while you are trying to "bang stuff out," you're going to the store and "splurging" on a pound of hamburger! I felt guilty spending $3.99 on a pound of hamburger. When I go by the meat counter, I look at the meat, and think of a line from a song "Thanks for the Memories." Yes, meat, you and I have created some great meals, haven't me? Oh, those were the days!!!! Right now I'm so hunger for a cheeseburger.

Well, I've got to go work on something now. I'm so stressed out. People have told me I can make it as an artist. What does that mean when you're in your 50s? It's quite absurd. The guilt's enough to rip a person apart.

Oh well, best of luck to everyone.

That is a good solution for a while (sm) - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
When I still had an excellent credit rating I'd transfer balances on new cards offering zero interest for a period of time and then a low interest rate. Most of these will increase your APR if you are one day delinquent. When that happened I just moved it to another new account (closing the old ones). that kept the interest down to between zero and about 12%. After over a year of doing this I got a notice that applying for too many credit cards went against my credit rating. So it works for a while and is a great tactic.

If anyone is fortunate enough to still have good credit, one thing I heard about some people doing is to take out a new credit card at zero interest for 6 months or so, use it to buy bonds, CDs or anything you can't lose on but will gain interest take your money and interest and pay off the credit card when it adds interest so you've made the interest you earned with the credit card's money.

Another bad idea - BTDT

[ In Reply To ..]
You will have to pay cash advance fees on that money you are using to finance your bond purchase. Most CDs and bonds don't pay the kind the kind of interest where you would show a profit unless you leave them long term and continue investing. Another temptation with a credit card it that you can use it to buy stuff, finding yourself even farther in the hole than when you began, so unless you plan to close the account after you pay it off, that's not a great idea. The bond market fluctuates; it is not a no lose situation.

Thanks. Never did it but heard about others who have. (nm) - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Think about it - BTDT

[ In Reply To ..]
Borrowing money that has to be paid back to put into savings? How does that make sense? I just read that banks do not permit people to use credit cards to open CD accounts, so a cash advance would be the only way. Anyone who is that strapped for cash has no business tying it up in a CD that they can't access for six months anyway. The rate of return on a 6-month CD is only around 0.50 percent, do the math and look at the fine print on those credit card offers.

Got a couple of 0% interest cards at - www.creditcards.com

[ In Reply To ..]
One was Visa, Chase Freedom, 0% on balance transfers and purchases for a year.

Yup. Credit cards, moonlight side job, and - handouts from my sisters.

[ In Reply To ..]
One more year and then I can take my social security money.

Credit card debt - BTDT

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm sorry for your situation but living off credit cards is not the best thing you can do. In fact, at your income level I am really surprised that anyone will give you credit. When you max those out, you will be in debt up to your ears, do you plan to keep getting more credit cards in order to live? Getting farther and farther into debt is not the answer - I speak from experience because I used to live like that and it took years to dig myself out of debt. I would suggest consumer credit counseling before it's too late, getting some help (food stamps, public assistance) or getting into a retraining program for a different field. I know people do what they have to do, but going into debt with credit cards is a short term solution with long term consequences.

I agree completely, but do what we have to do to survive (sm) - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
I used to make a decent living until the last few years and had excellent credit. I LOVED being able to only use my debit card and only had a couple of credit cards for emergencies. With a 91% decrease in income, thanks to the middleman greed, I did have to resort to credit cards for emergencies. You are so right it is not a good idea IF you have a choice, but when it comes to whether or not your can save one of your pets, or whether or not you have to start living on the streets, you do what you have to, hoping and hoping that something will change, that you will find a job that pays better, that you won't have another cut in pay, or another lost account.

Doing what you have to do - ME

[ In Reply To ..]
I was in that situation some years ago. I hadn't maxed out my cards, was paying more than the minimum on time, never missed a payment, but the credit card companies decided I had too much debt and were going to increase my interest rates from 19% to 29%. I nearly had a heart attack reading the papers they sent me. I had to go to credit counseling, gave up my cards, and got a 2nd job. It was brutal and took me years to pay it off. At the time I was charging, I was worried, but I was doing what I had to do. That line of thinking will get you into trouble, I know from experience. The best advice I can give you, go to credit counseling and stop using the cards. They may be able to reduce your payments or help in some other way, but adding more debt is never the answer. Take it from one who knows.

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