rianon

I was at Walmart the other day and saw a 1000 minute card for $40. It does not expire, has no maintenance fees and no connection fees unless you use a payphone. Pretty good deal.

When I called back, a woman answered "ACT" and I said that I had the wrong number. She called me the next day at my workplace. Unfortunately I don't have it on tape since it was my mother's phone and she answered it (no voice mail or machine message). Sorry it has taken so long to get back and reply. I have been offline for a couple weeks since I just had a baby.

Well, that would be a violation, but ... you DID realize she wasn't a friend, right? Before you called back, I mean. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I wasn't sure, to be honest. I thought it might have been someone from college (it has been 10 years). The name sounded familiar to me, that was why I called the number.

I usually get my pre-paid cards at Costco (680 minutes for less than $20) or Walmart (500 minutes for around $20). The best thing about those is that there are no connection fees unless you use a pay phone, no "maintenance" fees (those penny a minute cards do that), they don't expire and can be reloaded (but cheaper to buy a new card). I use the pre-paid cards instead of having long distance service on my home phone. I also carry one in my wallet for emergencies

I have not been able to pay on the loans other than wage garnishment (last time was in May of this year). I left school in 1996.

The caller claimed that she was a friend of mine. She left a call back number that she said was her home phone but when I called it it was a business, a CA.

My sister and I grew up in the military. My stepdad (sis's father) was an E5 in the Army. Things were tight quite often but mostly because Dad couldn't save money. He bought a new car (in the fall that the vehicle came out) and kept trading in the 2nd car for newer seemingly every year. He was always looking for newer vehicles whether we could afford them or not. We ate alot of mac & cheese (the cheapest stuff not Kraft) and generic foods growing up. Our clothes were always too small (I felt like I was ready for a flood all the time) because we couldn't afford new clothes and Dad was too "proud" to do garage sales or thrift stores. When my mom divorced him, we had less money coming in but we had a better life due to being to have a budget and stick to it.

try your state labor board. They may be able to help.

it is legit and legal to sign a check over to someone for deposit into a bank account. I do this with my mother. I sign my check over to her, she deposits it in her account and then gives me the money. Since I don't have a bank account this saves me having to pay to cash my paycheck.

has anyone heard of a CA called ACT out of Bakersfield, CA or in that area code?

Just curious cuz I had one call my mother the other day that violated it at least 3 times in one call.

My husband was in the same boat until recently. Our kids have medicaid as do I (since I am pregnant) but he has absolutely nothing in the way of medical, dental or vision coverage. Luckily though, he is Native American and can go to one of the reservations for treatment. Here in rural Eastern Washington, we have 2 within an hour's drive.

I have around $10,000 in student loan debt along with other bills (mainly medical) in collections. I have contemplated filing for bankruptcy but I have heard that student loans cannot be affected. The student loans are my main debt. The Dept of Ed has already taken last year's tax return. I have 2 kids (will be 3 any day now) and only make $8/hr (hubby makes even less). I cannot afford to pay the loans and feed my kids. Any advice?

I knew a guy named Stu Pidasso (say it fast)

my home phone used to be a local septic company that closed down about 10 years ago. Every so often I get a call at an UNGODLY time of night from someone with an old phone book. My number is also one digit off from the local Police Department (mine is 6655 and the PD is 6555) so you can imagine the calls I get sometimes!