Impossible budgeting and other financial woes

[mazajo]

HOW do you make a budget when your income AND bills do not stay the same?

DH is mostly laid off right now. He does drywall and it's just really slow right now. They'll call him back for a couple days here and there and they keep telling him that they are going to be getting really busy again. Up until a couple months ago it was a decent job, things were tight but we were doing okay. Now we'll relying on his unemployment, and he gets side jobs pretty regularly. His total income for one month is never the same.

We also both get child support on a very sporadic basis.

We are on Section 8 so our rent each month is based on our income for the previous month. We have to bring in proof of our income each month and it always changes.

We've never really had a budget and it's not working for us to live without one, but I don't know how to make one!

I have been a SAHM and reaaaaally wanted to be until my youngest started school. Now I feel like I really do need to bring in some cash. But I do not have a degree in anything so I would likely only be able to find a job in a store or something that would not pay much. And what about child care? DH's schedule is too erratic to plan on me working hours when he's home. But I feel guilty not doing anything!

I'm pretty good at being thrifty and I am always looking for more ways to save and I think I'm getting better and better, but so far it's not helping enough.

I am just so sick of living like this and I don't see any way out. I want a plan but it just seems like there's an obstacle every way I look.

DH and I would both love to go back to school but there's really not much close to here. We are still looking into it.

Any ideas or suggestions anybody might have would be SO appreciated!

[Sunflower223]

s. I've been there before, I'm not too far from it now. You are in quite a difficult situation. Could you get a part time job at night? Just to get some steady income? Considering you have older children in the home, I assume they could help out with younger child at night? In any event, you shouldn't feel guilty about staying at home. You are doing something, a lot.

What sort of expenses do you have? Are Dh's unemployment benefits enough to cover them? Can you budget using that and an average of what he typically gets from side jobs (take two or three months and find the average of what he brought home.)

The first thing you need to do before anythig else is figure out what your expenses are every month. How much is your average electric bill? How much do you spend on food? Do you have any notes that you have to make? Make a rough estimate of what your rent usually comes out to be (its better to overestimate than to underestimate)

As for wanting to change your situation, I would look into school, as you will most certainly receive pell grants to cover most of tuition. Could DH maybe just go to a vocational college for a short time and get a different trade?

Good Luck

[Staceyy]

I agree you will have to jot down your monthly expenses. This is the minimium income you will need each month. When you have more income coming in than you need to pay your minimums, you set the extra money aside or pay ahead on your bills, utilities etc. You should also start a food stockpile. When you have extra money, add to it. When you have less money, eat from it. Hope this helps.

[Mama2Xander]

Could you do some childcare in your home?

[bobandjess99]

Can you get a paper route? take the 3 yo with you if you have to. great job.
When dh does work, are there ANY absolutes? Like...they never work sundays? or never work past 8pm? Then find a job during those times

[mazajo]

Thank you everyone for the responses and ideas!

We haven't written down all the expenses in a while. When things started getting so messy I kinda got overwhelmed and just stopped trying for a while. Obviously that wasn't working too good so I'm trying to face it now. We're going to sit down tonight after the LO goes to bed and write down expenses.

I'm good with clipping coupons and shopping at thrift stores but as far as the actual budgeting/balancing the checkbook/ect I'm just not good at that. Unfortunately DH isn't either.

I can and definately will work on stockpiling food, that's a great idea.

I would LOVE to do childcare in home, but I think that I can't. I was actually licensed through the state for inhome several years ago, but when DH and I got married... he is an alcholic, been sober over 11 years now, but he has an old criminal record, and that's a no-go. I know a license isn't required, but there are SO many listings for in home child care in the paper each week, I just don't feel like I could compete, ya know?

Paper route is a possibility, only our car isn't in the greatest shape, but still worth looking into. As is a part-time evening job, surely between DH and the teenage kids and grandparents occasionally, we could get babysitting covered. Any little income I could bring in would be better than none. However if one or both of us can go back to school, that would take care of evenings. I'm going to call some places about that tomorrow.

Thanks again, and keep the advice coming!