Charged 192$ for a six month subscription

[Sakuraluna]

For all those bashing about the OPs life decisions and money ...

Stop. I am in the same boat. Unless you are through what they are, keep quiet. I've had things all lined up correctly in spreadsheets, and then one time a company decided to take out a montly payment before or after they were supposed to. And no, you cannot ask them to not do that. Nor can you account for emergencies, like emergency gas or needing a taxi cause the BUS you were to take from the city wasn't RUNNING .. ARGH!

As for the OP, yes, you do get an e-mail a few days ahead, and yes, there really isn't much you can do. I wish I could help, but I'm in the same boat as you due to certain life situations. Keeping my fingers crossed you can get some monetary help!

I mean, I feel for the OP right now too, but it does make sense to be sure exactly what you're you're getting yourself into and what it'll cost before you click that button. Also, if you're living on a budget, it's always wise to pay attention to where you can cut corners and save. I consider myself to be on a limited budget. I'm nowhere near driving myself into the red by spending $200 on any one thing, because for every expense, I weigh my options and consider whether I can get the same benefits for less elsewhere, or whether I even need the item or service in the first place. I get that sometimes there are unexpected expenses and whatnot, but I still think there's good advice to be taken from this thread, and it also shines a light on the micro-transaction and subscription bloat in this game, which can't be a bad thing.

[Deceptus]

For all those bashing about the OPs life decisions and money ...

Stop. I am in the same boat. Unless you are through what they are, keep quiet. !

When you start a conversation in public, be prepared to take criticism. I've lived from paycheck to a week before the next paycheck. It sucks, but you have to manage your money well. If you're really that tight, you shouldn't be dropping $200 on anything that isn't rent, car payment, or a utility bill.

[Sigma-Astra]

For all those bashing about the OPs life decisions and money ...

Stop. I am in the same boat. Unless you are through what they are, keep quiet. I've had things all lined up correctly in spreadsheets, and then one time a company decided to take out a montly payment before or after they were supposed to. And no, you cannot ask them to not do that. Nor can you account for emergencies, like emergency gas or needing a taxi cause the BUS you were to take from the city wasn't RUNNING .. ARGH!

As for the OP, yes, you do get an e-mail a few days ahead, and yes, there really isn't much you can do. I wish I could help, but I'm in the same boat as you due to certain life situations. Keeping my fingers crossed you can get some monetary help!

If a price tag of $192 is a shock for someone out of the blue, it has less to do with the company suddenly taking out a monetary payment and more to do with the person not taking into account of what he/she is purchasing and actually really reading what they click and agree to.

And actually, if it's a utility bill, you most certainly can call up the company and ask them to wait if it's a few days or change your due date if it's possible. Is it 100% certain that all utility companies do this? No. But, it never hurts to call them and you'd be surprised how some will work with you. In fact, they appreciate you calling them rather than being late on a payment for a few days with no communication whatsoever between you and the utility company.

I work two jobs and I am constantly keeping an eye on where and what money is being spent on. It's not hard to be responsible with your money. You just don't allow yourself to impulse buy without making sure it doesn't put you in the red.

And yes, XIV is an impulse buy. It's not a necessity and you should never prioritize your bills or rent/mortgage over the game.

[Niwashi]

I'm (thankfully) not as short on cash as I used to be, but I still like to keep careful track of where it goes and when. I pay my sub with Crysta rather than directly by credit card so that it won't auto-renew, and needs my approval each time. And each time I buy exactly the number of crysta I need for just that specific purchase. It can never take me by surprise that way and take more than I was expecting, because it doesn't have any more crysta available than what I was expecting. (The only downside is that every few months I'll get locked out of the game until I go to the MogStation to renew it, but that only takes a few minutes, so not much of an inconvenience.) That's something I'd recommend for anyone who needs to stick to a strict budget.