Mo Money, Mo Problems

Many of you have probably heard of the song "Mo Money, Mo Problems" at some point in your life. While I wish I could relate to that song, I'm having the opposite issue. My life is currently translating into NO money, mo problems. Let's just say I am not happy with the HR office at my job at the moment. The way the payroll schedule works is that we get paid on the 15th and 28th of each month. I started on the 18th, so I was all jazzed to get to work yesterday and pick up my check. One problem: there was no check. Wait, what?! I neeeeeeed that money! So, I contacted HR to figure out why they messed up. Originally, I was told that the paychecks are on a two-week lag (i.e., the money I earned from the 18th-28th wouldn't be given to me until the 15th). As angry as that made me, I could accept it because some places do that. Here's what I cannot accept. They were wrong. The two-week lag applies only to hourly employees, I'm salaried. So, basically, they told me they messed up and didn't get my paperwork submitted in time for the November 28th pay period. I just about crapped my pants right there in their office because I specifically turned the forms in right away to avoid something like this. I wanted to scream obscenities but I held back, only because I knew there was nothing they could do. This lack of a paycheck has pretty much killed me because I was banking on that to cover my $750/month rent payment (which is due tomorrow). Well, in looking at my bank account last night, I discovered that I have $851 to my name. Um, okay. That covers rent, but pretty much nothing else. And in case you didn't catch it, I don't get paid for another FIFTEEN days. How on God's green earth do they expect me to live and pay all my bills on $100?!?! Not possible. I don't do it unless I absolutely have to, but I had to ask the parents to help temporarily bail me out of a jam, and they graciously agreed to do as much as they can. Such a hit to the pride. I'm almost 25 years old and I have a freakin' Master's degree, yet somehow I am currently sitting here with $100 to my name and thousands upon thousands of dollars in student loans to pay back. Not ideal. Needless to say, this predicament has forced me to suspend any and all plans that I may have had for the next two weeks. Damn. On the bright side, the check I get on the 15th will be for a whole month and then I'll get paid again two weeks later. But that "bright" side doesn't really help me right now, so I'm very frustrated. Grrrr! If you don't hear from me in the next two weeks, send a search party. I may have died of starvation by then.