January 2010 Low Income Thread - Page 2

[leavemealone]

I will join in here now. My job ended in 08 and my unemployment has run out. DH is commission only in an industry that isn't making much commission wise these days (mortgages). I am unexpectedly pregnant and, while I am looking for work - temp, part time, full time, anything - I am not having much luck. DH is also looking for a new job but not having much luck either.

The kids and I have gone on the state medical plan, but that will only cover me until six weeks after the baby is born (until about the end of June). I am not sure what we will do after that, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. We are about to apply for food stamps and heating assistance b/c DH didn't make any money at all for his last paycheck. If it weren't for the money my parents gave us for Christmas, I am not sure what we would do right now. I am not sure if we will be able to keep our tax return this year (we had to file bankruptcy due to home foreclosure) so I am not going to count on that. We have to pay the courts $400 per month for a short time b/c one of our cars is over the exemption limit. We can't trade it in for a new (used) car and we can't turn it over to the court b/c we need two cars. DH has to work and I have to drive our middle child to preschool (qualifies as special needs for severe speech delay so it's no cost to us) and to speech therapy.

As much as I want another home birth, I don't think it's going to happen. At least the state medical plan will cover a hospital birth in full and the dr I've been going to for a couple years accepts that insurance for established patients. At least that's one good thing that's happened. I have yet to find a new dr for the kids that is accepting new medicaid patients. Luckily, they don't get sick often so I'm crossing my fingers on that aspect.

However, I am trying to look on the bright side. We are together, healthy, about to have another baby and have most all of the "stuff" we need for the baby. Things could be worse and they are bound to get better eventually.

[Satori]

Originally Posted by s_kristina

Medicaid in FL will pay for whatever your doctor says you need. They also pay for chiro care here, but I have not been able to find a chiro in the entire Tampa area that will take anyone under the age of 18!

Not to be nosy or anything but your on babe #4, I'm assuming your over 18 even if you started very early

[s_kristina]

Originally Posted by Satori

Not to be nosy or anything but your on babe #4, I'm assuming your over 18 even if you started very early

LMAO yes I am well over 18 and could go to a chiro that takes medicaid. When I went to my first midwife appointment they wanted to be clear on my age as I am approaching that silly cut off to advanced maternal age Sorry not to be clear there, but I was thinking of the children. The best help we have ever had for ds2 with constant ear problems was getting him in to a chiro where we lived at prior to moving to this side of the state. I have been looking at finding a chiro to help with pg related stuff, but have been rather lazy about my spinal care. I had planned to spend some time looking at providers for chiro care and eye care this afternoon, but took a long nap instead.

[HappyLittleHouse]

Could you explain a vision board to me? I've never heard of it.

Do you guys know about IDA savings? http://www.cfed.org/focus.m?parentid...id=378#opening
It's a savings program that is matched by donations for low income people working toward a specific goal, like home ownership, starting a business, or going to college. The one in our area will match every $1 with $2, up to $4,000 in donation for $2,000 saved. I'm applying so I can go back to college, and saving this year to go back once DS is in kindergarten next year. I thought it might benefit some of you guys and wanted to share the love.

It's been super tight for the past year, and we're squeaking by to make ends meet in a high COLA area. DH finally put away his pride and we signed up for WIC and food stamps in October; I haven't bounced a check/debit since. This month, we're cutting our ridiculously overpriced health insurance - they raised our $3500 deductible to $11,000 a year!! - and moving over to Medical and a local low-income health insurance group. That will save us thousands of dollars and I am kicking myself for not switching sooner.

We have no savings or back-up plan so I've started my New Year's resolution of saving 25% of our income for an emergency fund. Including our tax refund/tax credit, we're bringing in about $24,000, so I'm going to try to save $6,000 this year. It sounds crazy, but I think if I'm really careful about saving and not spending, and earn extra money here and there, I can make it happen. I'm blogging about it at thesavedquarter.wordpress.com.

[waiting2bemommy]

Well I'll know more tomorrow but I called and it sounds like we ould have to actually go in to the office for an appt, for a final interview before being approved for a unit in the projects. I don't want to tell them I'm in VA and ruin our chances of getting in (although they mailed the acceptance letter to my address here, which I can't figure out), but I also can't afford to take the $$ and time off work to go down to GA for the appt if it's not going to be a permanent thing. I can't afford to travel twice.

My other option is a 1st months rent/ deposit voucher through Social services here. If I get approved for an apartment or house in my city here, Social Services will pay the 1st months' rent and the security deposit on the unit.

In GA we would only have to pay a $50 deposit and whatever back money we owe the light company (about $200). You only pay electric every third month in that complex.

Here we would get the first month taken care of, but still have the utility bills to pay each month, plus the rent. rent for a 1 bdr runs around $550-650 and we really could do with a 2 bdr (since it will eventually be me, bf and the two kids) which would be about $700.

Ds has moved SO MUCH in the last year and I am determined to make this year better for him. It seems dumb to quit my job and move someplace with no job but at the same time I know I'll be quitting anyway in two months. And I HATE my job. Well, not hate, but I would not be sorry to leave, put it that way. I'm trying to be objective.

I agree with you all that to get a spot in public housing right now is nothing short of mircaulous. I'm just scared to go for it!!!! Decisions, decisions.

[bjorker]

Originally Posted by s_kristina

Medicaid in FL will pay for whatever your doctor says you need. They also pay for chiro care here, but I have not been able to find a chiro in the entire Tampa area that will take anyone under the age of 18!

No kidding! That's amazing! They definitely will not pay for chiro here, but my midwives were thinking that if they referred me to PT then maybe that would work out for me. hmmmm...

Originally Posted by sandcastle

As much as I want another home birth, I don't think it's going to happen. At least the state medical plan will cover a hospital birth in full and the dr I've been going to for a couple years accepts that insurance for established patients.

That's one good thing about my state, they cover homebirths and midwives with no issue. I am definitely counting my blessings, there. I hope you can find something that you're happy with, that is truly a tragedy that they do not cover it in all states. I'm sure it would be less money for the state, so it makes no sense anyway.

[dealic]

Hi! Can I join here? I am not sure our income is as low as many of you but it is low enough to cause problems, and I need a spot to rant.

I hate being poor.

A little background: my husband and I live with my parents and we have to be out by March first because they are selling the house and want us out before they put it up for sale so there are less dogs here (they are also planning on moving around then for the same reason). I have been here since April and he moved to Canada last month when his immigration application was miraculously approved after 1 month instead of 5-12. But that means he hasn't worked out the whole "job" thing yet. Plus moving here cost over $1000 in immigration fees and then literally thousands in "startup expenses" from moving costs to the complicated and expensive task of importing his car, to applying for all the licenses and things you need in a country. All of this maxed out my credit cards that I had been carefully paying down

He is working part time retail, for which we are extremely lucky as he was able to transfer from his previous employer and he started 2 weeks after he landed. And he has had an interview for a full time coordinator position and has another today with another store in the company. They are really working hard to insure he gets a position comparable to the one he had in the USA. So there is hope although it would mean a commute.

But as it stands right now, he earns minimum wage and we can't rely on his income as they have been giving him 10 hours a week and he only gets more if they call him. And in any case, he has applied for college in the fall so if all goes well he will be in school in September.

So we need to be able to live on my income. Which is impossible! Literally. I have a $500 a month car payment, which I have worked hard to pay down faster because that payment is a real killer. I think it will be paid off in September or October. With that, plus fixed expenses like insurance, payments on my debt (a lot), etc, there isn't enough left over to both pay for an apartment and pay for food and personal items.

After those I am left with about $1000. If we are lucky we can find an apartment for 800 but its unlikely. My last apartment was 1250. Most basement apartments won't let me take my dogs and most buildings are more. And even if I find one for 800, they usually aren't all inclusive. So that leaves 200 a month for utilities, food for 2 people and 2 dogs, gas, necessary purchases, car repairs, etc. I just don't see how to do it. I wish Canada had food stamps, even though we couldn't get them as it violates my sponsorship contract that allowed him to move here.

I know in reality, he will have at least SOME income coming in, but you can't rent an apartment in Canada unless your housing expenses are less than 40% of your gross income and he has no income history to use. So I don't know how we can even get approved for anything, let alone afford it! I don't know how people do it!

My parents told me we had to be out by March first the day after Christmas, so I have 2 months to come up with firsts and lasts. His car desperately needs new tires, especially now that he has the joy of driving in Canadian winters. I have no idea how we can possibly afford them. But they are a NEED. Two are so bad he has been warned they could explode at any time. And if he gets the job he has a 45 minute commute on a major highway so that's not acceptable. I need my car for work so carpooling is out.

There just always seems to be a new big expense that is a need, when we can barely afford the usual ones. I don't know how to cook on a tight budget. Everything is hard. I keep ending up back with my parents and I can't keep doing this. And now I really can't because they won't be here anymore. So we HAVE to find some way to be sustainable. I can't even figure out where to start though. How do you make a budget when there is no way to make it balance?

[Ianthe]

Originally Posted by HappyLittleHouse

Could you explain a vision board to me? I've never heard of it.

Do you guys know about IDA savings? http://www.cfed.org/focus.m?parentid...id=378#opening
It's a savings program that is matched by donations for low income people working toward a specific goal, like home ownership, starting a business, or going to college. The one in our area will match every $1 with $2, up to $4,000 in donation for $2,000 saved. I'm applying so I can go back to college, and saving this year to go back once DS is in kindergarten next year. I thought it might benefit some of you guys and wanted to share the love.

It's been super tight for the past year, and we're squeaking by to make ends meet in a high COLA area. DH finally put away his pride and we signed up for WIC and food stamps in October; I haven't bounced a check/debit since. This month, we're cutting our ridiculously overpriced health insurance - they raised our $3500 deductible to $11,000 a year!! - and moving over to Medical and a local low-income health insurance group. That will save us thousands of dollars and I am kicking myself for not switching sooner.

We have no savings or back-up plan so I've started my New Year's resolution of saving 25% of our income for an emergency fund. Including our tax refund/tax credit, we're bringing in about $24,000, so I'm going to try to save $6,000 this year. It sounds crazy, but I think if I'm really careful about saving and not spending, and earn extra money here and there, I can make it happen. I'm blogging about it at thesavedquarter.wordpress.com.

A vision board is basically a poster board or cork board that you put pics and words up about what you want in your life- a nice house, a nice car, good parenting, a joyful birth, whatever you want.

I think that you would qualify for financial aid for school if you are low income, right? I get 100% financial aid, including books and supplies.

[cwat]

Hello everyone, Happy January.
Please let 2010 be better than 2009 :beg
Babydaddy is working now, Thank Goodness, but they only have him down as being part-time (even though he's been working 8-10 hrs a day). I really need to start looking for a job too, but I'm really worried cause, if I couldn't find a job when it was "the busy time" (holiday), how am I going to find work NOW?!?
Anyways, I will be popping in and out, hope everyone has a good month/year

And I ALSO can't wait till income tax refund season, although the majority of it is going to the Landlord for back rent.

[maciascl]

Sandcastle: Our situations are very similar! What state are you in? We just had our appt for Medi-Cal (health ins in CA). There is 1 midwife in my area that is covered but I despise her. I saw her for DS1 & have known many people who saw her after that. I am just hoping to be able to smile & nod, tell her what she wants to hear, know my baby is well & move on. I just keep trying to remind myself that atleast I won't be in the hospital. I have been a SAHM since DS1 was born & DH lost his job (real estate title insurance sales) in Aug after 2 years of non existent commissions. We are also losing our home & filing bankruptcy.

[Ianthe]

cwat- I can't wait for tax refund season too!!! We have so much debt, I don't even know where to start.

We usually do a small vacation with our tax return, but we'll probably only put away $300 this year and the rest will go to bills, bills, bills. Same with my student refund/loan money

I REALLY wish we didn't have so much debt, I would use that money to get us into our own place, I am SOOOOO over living in my MIL's basement

[zebra15]

Today is tuesday... it was a pretty good day...I hope the rest of the week goes well.

[EarthyMamaofDaisy]

Originally Posted by dealic

Hi! Can I join here? I am not sure our income is as low as many of you but it is low enough to cause problems, and I need a spot to rant.

I hate being poor.

A little background: my husband and I live with my parents and we have to be out by March first because they are selling the house and want us out before they put it up for sale so there are less dogs here (they are also planning on moving around then for the same reason). I have been here since April and he moved to Canada last month when his immigration application was miraculously approved after 1 month instead of 5-12. But that means he hasn't worked out the whole "job" thing yet. Plus moving here cost over $1000 in immigration fees and then literally thousands in "startup expenses" from moving costs to the complicated and expensive task of importing his car, to applying for all the licenses and things you need in a country. All of this maxed out my credit cards that I had been carefully paying down

He is working part time retail, for which we are extremely lucky as he was able to transfer from his previous employer and he started 2 weeks after he landed. And he has had an interview for a full time coordinator position and has another today with another store in the company. They are really working hard to insure he gets a position comparable to the one he had in the USA. So there is hope although it would mean a commute.

But as it stands right now, he earns minimum wage and we can't rely on his income as they have been giving him 10 hours a week and he only gets more if they call him. And in any case, he has applied for college in the fall so if all goes well he will be in school in September.

So we need to be able to live on my income. Which is impossible! Literally. I have a $500 a month car payment, which I have worked hard to pay down faster because that payment is a real killer. I think it will be paid off in September or October. With that, plus fixed expenses like insurance, payments on my debt (a lot), etc, there isn't enough left over to both pay for an apartment and pay for food and personal items.

After those I am left with about $1000. If we are lucky we can find an apartment for 800 but its unlikely. My last apartment was 1250. Most basement apartments won't let me take my dogs and most buildings are more. And even if I find one for 800, they usually aren't all inclusive. So that leaves 200 a month for utilities, food for 2 people and 2 dogs, gas, necessary purchases, car repairs, etc. I just don't see how to do it. I wish Canada had food stamps, even though we couldn't get them as it violates my sponsorship contract that allowed him to move here.

I know in reality, he will have at least SOME income coming in, but you can't rent an apartment in Canada unless your housing expenses are less than 40% of your gross income and he has no income history to use. So I don't know how we can even get approved for anything, let alone afford it! I don't know how people do it!

My parents told me we had to be out by March first the day after Christmas, so I have 2 months to come up with firsts and lasts. His car desperately needs new tires, especially now that he has the joy of driving in Canadian winters. I have no idea how we can possibly afford them. But they are a NEED. Two are so bad he has been warned they could explode at any time. And if he gets the job he has a 45 minute commute on a major highway so that's not acceptable. I need my car for work so carpooling is out.

There just always seems to be a new big expense that is a need, when we can barely afford the usual ones. I don't know how to cook on a tight budget. Everything is hard. I keep ending up back with my parents and I can't keep doing this. And now I really can't because they won't be here anymore. So we HAVE to find some way to be sustainable. I can't even figure out where to start though. How do you make a budget when there is no way to make it balance?

Is there an agency that can help you with a deposit for a new apartment? Or some housing that is based on your income? Could you get a 2 bedroom apartment and share it with a roommate?

[dealic]

Originally Posted by EarthyMamaofDaisy

Is there an agency that can help you with a deposit for a new apartment? Or some housing that is based on your income? Could you get a 2 bedroom apartment and share it with a roommate?

Thank you. I am feeling better this evening. We went out to play board games at a games store (fun evening and free!) and I feel much better having "succeeded" in having a good evening out for no money. Its harder in the winter because the cold hurts my back due to old injuries and indoor stuff tends to involve money.

I don't know any such agency, but I will look. I am above the cutoff for rent based on income I believe. And I WAS sharing with a roommate last year, which is how I racked up all the debt. She quit her job just after we moved in together, didn't get another, and I was on the hook for all the rent (we had the place because I had signed a lease with my first husband, and then we separated before we moved in and I was stuck in it). So that option worries me. But its a possibility I am open to.

[natural_mama89]

Hey I know I haven't been around much lately, but I am so stressed about money right now so I thought to seek solace here. I just found out that
I now need to pay a $1900+ debt that should be half my ex's before I can get an apartment. This is due to breaking the lease on an apartment we had together (long story, abusive relationship, he was unemployed for a time) I called the collections company and I am the only person listed on the account even though we were both on the lease, and he was actually the only one with a job when we moved in there. They also told me there is nothing they can do about getting him to pay his portion and that it must be payed in full to clear my history. I have been looking for places that do not check rental history and no luck so far. Any suggestions? I feel like bashing my head against a wall.
On top of all that their father is criticizing me for not paying his mom (he lives with his parents) to watch iris while I am in school like I had originally planned, but I just can't afford it. I have been providing all the food the children need while they are there, as well as disposable diapers for Iris which I hate and do not use, but as they refuse to use cloth and I have limited childcare options I do this. For the record, I was only going to give her $100-150 a month, and the cost of food and diapers I purchase surely surpasses that. I also have to buy new cloth diapers for Iris because they wash the diapers improperly and ruin them (the one I send her in) even though I ask them not to and to just put them in a bag. This really makes no sense because i would think the issue with cloth would be washing. I have pockets and AIO's I offered to let them use and put in a bag for me to wash and they won't. He also has not payed any of his child support, isn't doing anything in his life, has no intention of helping with aforementioned debt. I am a student and dirt poor and have to pay $550 out of pocket for my son's school because I do not qualify for childcare assistance as I don't have a job. He refuses to pay any portion of this because he thinks the tuition is too expensive. It is a bit pricier than some places but not outrageous, and I have had bad experiences with institutionalized huge daycares, so he goes to a private Montessori. I can bear the extra $50 per month or whatever in lieu of having cps called on me for using cloth diapers (long story). Also, he loves his school and is doing very well now and the rest of our situation isn't as stable as I would like to be and I don't want to stress the poor kid out taking him away from his friends and teachers he has been with the last 4 months. I just don't understand the logic of him making every excuse in the book to not pay for anything and he attacks me and I am doing the best I can. I would almost just stop having them watch the kids at all, but a little bit of kid free time is essential to my sanity and I have few other options. I have been glad that their father has been following the parenting plan and seeming to want to see them and was considering joint custody, but now it just seems he wants to get out of paying child support, yet not have to get anything for the kids at all, thus it equaling out to be the equivalent of ME paying child support which is absurd as he still owes. He also said I should be responsible for transportation on all the days I have the kids, even though I still transport Angel to school (by bus when they have vehicles) during their time, and that he flat refuses to contribute to childcare costs. I have about $2500 to last the next 3 months now after paying for my tuition, books, cell phone bill (which I may need to change my service now, another long story), and childcare for this month. I also no longer get food stamps. I am going to apply for WIC again (went off because we didn't use a lot the foods, but now with the changes we will), and I am thankful that my college has a food bank, and that there is a really good single parents pantry near here with items other than food (tp, toothbrushes, diapers and wipes, shampoo etc.) The commute where I live right now is killing me and I really need to move or get a drivers license and a car or it will negatively affect my health (lack of sleep, etc.) What the hell am I supposed to do now?!!!!Sorry getting off the soapbox now, but I am infuriated! I really need any advice or hugs anyone is willing to offer.

[sunanthem]

Hugs to all the mamas.
I just wanted to say for those of you needing massages, you can get cheap massages at massage schools.. I went to massage school and our student clinics were $25 for an hour massage. Most of the time, too, we had to double students to a client, so you'd have 2 people working on you at once, instead of one.
Also, I know this is a long shot, but when I was taking myself and kiddies to our old chiro, I explained to her that I was paying out of pocket, didn't have any insurance or medicaid then, and wanted to come see her more, but couldn't afford it. In her office, they had a program for those who couldn't afford it, and they selected a few people each year and offered them chiro appts. for only $10 each, so that worked for awhile. We've moved away from her and haven't seen a chiro in awhile. I wonder if chiro schools have clinics?
Oh, also, here we have 2 acupuncture schools that also have affordable student clinics. At one, kids are even cheaper then adults, so their only $15.

Just wanted to say that. Hope everyone can find good homes to live in, and figure out any needed solutions.

I went to get rent assistance today, and it didnt turn out so well.. wasted my whole morning for nothing. They want me to come again next week and wait all over again, on my first day of school.

Tomorrow I'm going to get my books for school. So exciting!

[bjorker]

Originally Posted by sunanthem

Hugs to all the mamas.
I just wanted to say for those of you needing massages, you can get cheap massages at massage schools.. I went to massage school and our student clinics were $25 for an hour massage. Most of the time, too, we had to double students to a client, so you'd have 2 people working on you at once, instead of one.
Also, I know this is a long shot, but when I was taking myself and kiddies to our old chiro, I explained to her that I was paying out of pocket, didn't have any insurance or medicaid then, and wanted to come see her more, but couldn't afford it. In her office, they had a program for those who couldn't afford it, and they selected a few people each year and offered them chiro appts. for only $10 each, so that worked for awhile. We've moved away from her and haven't seen a chiro in awhile. I wonder if chiro schools have clinics?
Oh, also, here we have 2 acupuncture schools that also have affordable student clinics. At one, kids are even cheaper then adults, so their only $15.

Thanks so much, that's great to hear and gives me some ideas.

[happyhats]

Things really do fall in threes, don't they? I am having a hard time of it right now, but I count myself blessed because I do have so much more than a lot of people. Thanks to the holidays and the hubby not yet qualifying for holiday pay, we're pretty low on funds. Our rent is a week late, and if it doesn't get turned in by Friday they start eviction process. Luckily it will be, so that's okay. And luckily we won't really be slapped with a bunch of late fees since we have a sixty dollar credit. Woohoo! Next, my pos car is on the fritz again. We haven't recovered yet from fixing it last time! Grrr! It either needs a new muffler, or maybe a whole new exhaust system. We cannot do much without a vehicle in my area, especially in the winter. Luckily we have friends and family to give the hubs rides to work, and trips to the store until we can get our tax refund back and get the jalopy fixed or look for something new. I was really hoping to move, but I dont think that's in the cards. I am worried that eventually we'll have issues since we have a kitty here in our no pets allowed apartment (long story, we were allowed to have her when we moved in, etc) but I guess we'll have to hide her for the time being. So yeah, the third thing? My in laws van got stolen today so my husband had to find a way to get them a ride two hours away. It wasn't really our drama, but it sorta is because now he might be late for work, etc. (Obviously I'm not mad at them as it's not their fault, it's just stressful because we can't afford him to miss anything right now.)

The cherry on this sundae? I got a pm about all the goodies I was supposed to send a fin. I feel like crap for letting them down. I sent a letter and a promise to send a nice gift card in a few weeks, but still. I try to be a responsible person, I try to be a giving person, and sometimes I feel like I must look like such a lazy jackass to others.

Okay enough long winded whining from me. Really, I am blessed with a happy home, a healthy child, supportive people, and I know this is temporary.

[leavemealone]

Originally Posted by maciascl

Sandcastle: Our situations are very similar! What state are you in? We just had our appt for Medi-Cal (health ins in CA). There is 1 midwife in my area that is covered but I despise her. I saw her for DS1 & have known many people who saw her after that. I am just hoping to be able to smile & nod, tell her what she wants to hear, know my baby is well & move on. I just keep trying to remind myself that atleast I won't be in the hospital. I have been a SAHM since DS1 was born & DH lost his job (real estate title insurance sales) in Aug after 2 years of non existent commissions. We are also losing our home & filing bankruptcy.

I am not in CA. I think that the state plan where I live would cover a home birth, but only CNMs that have an agreement with an OB can attend a home birth in my state. Of course, no OB will enter into an agreement, so it's a vicious round and round cycle. I may be wrong on that, but that's my understanding. I am still going to try to find the money to pay for a midwife. We have a little bit, but I was hoping not to use it in case we really need it (like for rent money when we have to move). I am working on finding some temp jobs in the evening and I may try direct sales of some sort. I know I cannot borrow the money b/c I still owe my family some money from when we needed a new car. It's been a year and we haven't been able to pay them back anything yet.

The good part is that the state medical plan covers 48 speech therapy visits for my son. Our previous private insurance only covered 20 per year so in that sense, the state medical plan is better. We legitimately qualify for the coverage and I'll do what I need to do to help him get what he needs. The bad part is that it will only cover me for six weeks after the birth so I'll have to find something towards the end of June. Right now, DH is on his company's plan with a $10,000 deductible for about $70 per month. Luckily, he doesn't get sick, but I don't know what we would do if faced with a payment of that much. It's not minor sickness that I worry about - it's things like the flu, heart attack, etc that would really do us in.

[HeatherAtHome]

Originally Posted by dealic

Hi! Can I join here? I am not sure our income is as low as many of you but it is low enough to cause problems, and I need a spot to rant.

I hate being poor.

First question; have you thought about moving to a lower cost of living area? I have no idea what province you're in or if it's city vs country (though with those rent $$$ I'm assuming city!) but there are cheaper areas. We're used to low rents living in small town/small city of $350-500 but even my sister only paid $650 a couple years ago for a 2 bed apartment in Montreal. And it wasn't a bad looking nieghbourhood either. Mix between apartments and houses in Pointe Claire.

Second: Car. Whenever I go to the garage lately, I choose a smaller guy vs a big chain and I tell him right from the start "My car is 12 years old and I don't want to put a lot of money into it at this point" Instead of replacing whole new exhaust pipe, I've had them weld it back together with a sleeve to make it fit. Sometimes they put on used pieces instead of new or use the lesser quality/less cost new pieces. My brother got 4 snow tires for $100 because he asked if he could go through the random leftover (used) tires in the storage room. Of course, you have to know what you're looking for in that case.

Third: Schooling. I have no idea how this would work seeing he's new to Canada but there are student loans and bursaries available. It's based on the previous year's income (or if you're underage, your parents income). You're not common law yet (haven't lived together a year) so your income should not affect his amts. My sisters have all lived off Student loans and bursaries while they went to school. One gets a bit extra because she's single mom with a child to support.

You're told up front how much you'll receive and it's deposited in your account the end of each month (around the 28th). It's considered guaranteed income and is acceptable to LLs. The total amount is considered a loan and towards the end of the year they'll transfer part of it to a bursary. (I believe my sister gets $10,000/year and only has to pay back $2000. Then she also has other income like GST/QST rebates, family allowance, harpers $100 etc) Once you're finished school, you have a 6 mth grace period before you're expected to start paying it back. If you don't have work, you can ask for it to be deferred 6 mths.

We lived off DH's student loans and bursaries and my $8.50/hr job for a year. It wasn't fun, but we managed. And because he went to school, he makes more now thank God! He went to trade school for welding, a job he knew was in demand in our area and was able to find a job right away.

Of course, this is all from a Quebec point of view. It might be different in other provinces. Here's a link to the Canadian student loans and grants to get you started.

I'm big on pushing student loans & bursaries because we were poor growing up and I thought I couldn't afford college so I never went. Couple years later and OH! the info just falls into my sisters lap and the younger 3 all went. One is a nurse working in an OR, the next dropped out and the third is on her way to becoming a teacher. Yes, I'm jealous.