need advice

[noppenbd]

i smoke a pack a day 6 bucks a pack...thats probably whats killing me

Literally...

[disneysteve]

well
my phone bill is roughly 120
utilities which is roughly 100 a month.
81 for a metro card
i smoke a pack a day 6 bucks a pack...thats probably whats killing me

maybe i really just need to quit smoking

Obviously, you should quit smoking. Aside from the fact that it is costing you $180/month (that alone would have you debt-free in under 2 years), it is destroying your health.

I'm curious about the phone bill, though. $120? What is included in that? Does that include internet access? Is that land line and cell? That sounds like an awful lot.

[maat55]

180.00 invested at 10% for 44 years comes to 1.7 million dollars. Ciggerettes cost you way more than you think.

[skydivingchic]

Certainly quitting smoking will save you a ton of money and do wonders for your health. But you still have about $270 left unaccounted for (assuming the low end of your income of $1200/month). $4000 at 15% interest can be paid off in 2 years with a payment of about $200.

I think you need to spend a couple months writing down every single purchase/payment you make so you can get a better handle on your spending. Once you know where your money is going, you will be in a better position to make cuts where you can and get this debt paid down.

Also look for a second job as has been suggested. You could have this debt wiped out pretty quickly if you set your mind to it.

Editted to add:
Since you say you are having problems paying the minimum on the cards, I would recommend you start putting every extra penny you find toward the lowest balance card. That will free up a payment the quickest. Then take that payment and apply it to the next card in line. Keep going until they are all paid off.

[lexi_kaye]

Let us know how much you owe on each of the 7 credit cards, what the interest rate is, what your credit limit is on each one, what your monthly minimum payment is on each one, etc. We can help you figure out a plan to get them paid down or consolidated (maybe one has a balance transfer offer?) that might work for you. What would you say is the amount you have left over each month after you pay all your other necessary expenses?