Am I unnecessarily white-knuckling it by not asking for an advance on my paycheck?

13 Comments

1. AnonymousAugust 1,2022 at 11:15PM UTC

   I thought now-a-days you can use a credit card for cash advances. So why not do that until your first few checks come in? You should be able to use your credit card to withdraw cash at an ATM machine. Call your credit card company to confirm. That would be a better approach than asking for an advance. Do you have friends or co-workers you can carpool with to get to work? Can you ask family to loan you the money in the interim? I would exhaust those options first if you can.

2. AnonymousAugust 1,2022 at 11:49PM UTC

   You do know that not everyone has a credit card, right?

3. AnonymousAugust 2,2022 at 4:41AM UTC

   the poster person never said whether or not they did.?

   Did it ever occur to you that not everyone is fully aware of all the inner workings and options of a credit card? My point was for the person to consider that as an option among my other suggestions. There is a reason why I wrote ….. try to exhaust those options if you can. It was the very last line in the post, in case you missed it…shrugs.

4. Looking for a changeAugust 2,2022 at 1:02AM UTC

   Cash advances also have a very high interest rate double check that if that’s an option for you

5. AnonymousAugust 2,2022 at 1:26AM UTC

   She may not have a credit card or may be maxed out

6. AnonymousAugust 2,2022 at 1:39AM UTC

   Churches are very accommodating when folks need a bit of help to bridge situations. Do you belong to a church or place of worship?

7. AnonymousAugust 2,2022 at 12:47AM UTC

   First your fear is understandable, you want to set a good first impression and I totally get how asking for an advance can seem like setting the wrong first impression.

   You might consider confirming with the person who does payroll whether or not this Friday is pay day. That way when you ask people to help you can tell them that pay day is xx day and you can pay them back then. They may ask you why you want to know and you can choose then if you want to tell them the truth or that you were just curious. This is very important because white knuckling it for 4 days is very different than doing it for basically 2 work weeks.

   Would also be worth it to see if the company has some sort of transit program. Some companies allow you to withhold money from your paycheck to use for transit, others give out transit cards etc. They might not, but definitely worth asking especially if you are taking the bus each day. The carpool idea is also a good one.

   Maybe also check with the transit place and explain the situation. See if they would be willing to do some sort of unlimited monthly transit card (assuming this is something you can afford on your salary) and have it start on the first day you didn't have enough money on the card to pay to get you either to or from work. If this isn't something you can afford, you could try to negotiate them deducting the money off your transit card retroactively.

   I would try with friends or family first, especially if it's just for bus fare for the rest of the week. If you don't think that you have friends or family that would do it, it turns out you don't get paid until next Friday, you don't have credit cards to do a cash advance from, there isn't anyone you could carpool with, or walking is not an option, I think you are going to need to ask for an advance.

   Good luck! If you don't mind, please update us so that we know you are ok.

8. Looking for a changeAugust 2,2022 at 1:01AM UTC

   There are some payroll where you can actually get paid the same day you work. You might want to look into that as well. I hope you are ok

9. AnonymousAugust 2,2022 at 1:25AM UTC

   It will look unprofessional to ask for an advance. Do you not have family/friends that can loan you $50 until payday?

10. Liz MilneAugust 2,2022 at 1:42AM UTC

    Ask your manager - honestly, people will hate to see you struggle and if there's no official loan policy, they might spot you a bit of cash to get to work and back and generally tide things over.

    Loans against pay aren't suspect: you've already earned the money, and it will be taken out of your paycheque, so no risk at all of your defaulting. Try keep it light and casual: 'Hey [boss], sorry to be a drag, but my savings are a bit light and I've got no transport money for the rest of the week: is it possible for me to get a small advance against my pay, please?'

    Unless he's a real meanie or work has a no-advances policy, I don't see them saying no?

11. Julie HumbirdAugust 2,2022 at 7:58PM UTC

    I'm not even sure if paycheck advances are still a thing. I was in this situation many years ago and with a child to feed. We all need help sometimes. Please send me a private message.

12. AnonymousAugust 2,2022 at 10:54PM UTC

    I am so sorry that you are in this predicament.

    First, I’m wondering if friends or family members could transport you to work and provide you with a loan to tide you over? This will keep your finances private until you get paid and is preferable to requesting an advance from your employer. But if you have no other alternative, check with HR (or your manager if no HR Department) about an advance.

    Most companies issue paychecks every other week or twice a month. Occasionally, there might be a delay of a week or two due to the logistics of getting you on the payroll. If that is the case, the back pay should come to you in your first paycheck.

    It is certainly worthwhile to check with HR or your manager to determine when your first check is due.

13. AnonymousAugust 3,2022 at 3:48AM UTC

    You'll be just fine. There's always someone willing to help out.

    To cause yourself so much anxiety over this will drive you insane.

    Get to your stop early and ask those waiting for the bus for help. I think you'll be surprised.