April 2010 Low Income Support Thread

[confustication]

Ok, I couldn't stand looking at March any longer.

Moving forward...

How's April shaping up?

[Thystle]

I am bumping you.

[jewellz]

So, so far April is not looking good. Already half way through food stamps and only have a tiny bit of money in the bank with bills that aren't going to be paid.

Also not really stressing out because God is in control. But hubby might lose his job this week through no fault of his own. He's been staying home to help me out (sort of- but he's got his own health issues too) because I'm on strict bedrest because of high risk pregnancy/threatened preterm labor at 27 weeks (now 33 weeks) and he's covered under FMLA, but his boss is giving him major problems (and trying to do things that he's not allowed to because hubby's covered by the union) and get him fired. So tomorrow there's a meeting between him, his boss, the HR people at his work and the union to see what's going on and take appropriate action. I'm sorta at peace with whatever will happen but it's a little stressing.

[zebra15]

I hate dealing with unemployment. I have been calling my claim in weekly since I am on some "zero-one" sequence. (this means I cant file via internet) This means I am at the mercy of the worker on the phone. Well it seems last week I had a less than stellar employee who didn't put my claim in. That means I didnt get my UE funds last week and this week I got chewed out when I went file. I had to bite my tongue. Its really my word against theirs that I called to file. Getting any info is like pulling teeth and some times I just want to say forget it. Believe me I want more than anything to have a regular full time job. Sheezez.

Part of me wants to call back tomorrow and follow up and make sure my claim is correct and being processed.

April is definately here.. UGH...

The good news is tomorrow is the 7th and FS should hit my card, hopefully the full new amount will be there and I can get some good stuff for DS.

[crazyeight]

FINALLY FINALLY garnishments for ex's child support has started! unfortuneatly they can only take 65% of his BASE pay (military) which means he's still accruing arrears but i'm still getting a chunk of money. it felt SO nice to make a check out for FOUR WEEKS of rent instead of one week. my lovely mother also sent me a check for a baby gift (though she knows i bought everything already) from when i was talking to her on the phone and told her i was useing change to fill up the gas tank in order to make it to class, hospital, appts, daycare etc.

found out that BF will definatly be getting his boys for the summer which means we need to move. we're thinking about just moving to the place across the yard that's a 2bd with a basement (a rarity!) which will still be tight (7 people) but considering the basement for storage, a whole extra bedroom and a larger living room it should be ok. i'm not sure how much they REALLY want to rent it for though. i know it was 840/mo when i moved in but then was told 910/mo when i casually asked again...i don't think it really went up and that the managers are trying to line their pockets a bit OR they were thinking of gem show cost vs normal cost.

guess we'll see how this birth shapes up (if ever), how court goes and how other people are going to influence everything. i've got MY sh*^ together....

[happyhats]

well, we have a wic appointment on Thursday. We weren't using it anymore since dd was off of formula and we were doing fine on food stamps alone. But they cut our food stamps in half when we went for recertification. Grrrr. So back to wic we go. Depending on how long it takes MAYBE I can stop at a thrift shop or two on the way home! Of course I'm supposed to be going yard saling this weekend, and I don't really need to do both. Guess I'd better find out if we're still on or not!

I like the ladies at wic, it's just a pain to have to drive the forty five miles and to recertify. I feel a little beaten down by this whole process of trying to get ahead. My husband makes two dollars more an hour, but they take two hundred dollars out for health benefits, so we're actually making barely any more.

I really have to get on hubby's ass a bit. he still needs to apply for summer schooling and he needs to call about looking at another place that was offered to us.

[thatgirliknew]

Originally Posted by jewellz

So, so far April is not looking good. Already half way through food stamps and only have a tiny bit of money in the bank with bills that aren't going to be paid.

Originally Posted by jewellz

Also not really stressing out because God is in control.

[frugalmama]

We're doing okay - still running a month behind on the mortgage but hoping to catch up next month.


I answered my own question today about the slim-fast - bought some at walmart {I know - but it's the cheapest place in town for it} and it DID go through on FS.

Got a $5 GC to Walmart in the mail - they are promoting their renovated stores. No idea if it's nation-wide or regional but that's $5 for diapers or TP!

[thatgirliknew]

Originally Posted by happyhats

I like the ladies at wic, it's just a pain to have to drive the forty five miles and to recertify.

I guess I am lucky to live in a big city in a way. There's probably 8-10 WIC sites in my city along with 8 Neighborhood Places (some do WIC but all do fs, medicaid, etc). You might wait all day but at least you didnt drive 45 miles to get there.

[thatgirliknew]

Well, there's $8.51 in the bank until Friday. Only 4 days of pay coming in this week and probably not enough to be paying all the bills. Luckily DH has decided to quit smoking tomorrow and we already cut eating out and anything frivolous for the time being. We got more papers to fill out for disability today. And we are hopefully referring a friend to move in our apartments this month for $200 off rent. IF disability goes through and we get that referral we might be okay. Looking for some extra money if I can too...

[corysmilk]

Hi! I guess I belong here.
I am pg with # 4, and my boyfriend does not work. we don't live together. I live in canada, we get child tax credit here, that helps alot, but for the last 2 months mine has been 140 cause I owned them money?? so we have been going to the food bank, its only once a month, but we can go 2x a week for bread any fresh stuff they have, plus they have a free lunch 2xs a week. so that helps alot.
The one thing that bothers me about the food bank, not that I am ungreatful I am really!, but they always seem to give us outdated food. maybe its just me but I can't give my family a box of mac and cheese from last year. I don't eat fruit cause i save it for the kids lunches. I never eat breakfast, except I have been having to eat something the last few weeks, cause of the morning sickness.
I just hate how horrable I feel somedays. I want to be able to buy a pair of shoes. or go on a trip, even to visit family. but these things are so out of my reach.
anyway anyone have tips on making food on the cheap? cassaroles that taste good, lol

[leavemealone]

I hope I have at least one bright spot in April: my new baby, due to arrive around the 22nd.

I am confused about the FS requirements in my state. We only recently went on the program and we are still figuring things out. I received two conflicting letters in the mail about a week apart. One said that we had to report if our income went above a certain amount. The other letter said that we had to report our income each month, no matter what. I called to clarify and they weren't that helpful so I'm not really sure what we should do. I think we'll be over the income limit this month, so does that mean we'll have to reapply the following month if DH's income drops again? He works on commission only so his income can vary greatly.

[thatgirliknew]

Originally Posted by sandcastle

I think we'll be over the income limit this month, so does that mean we'll have to reapply the following month if DH's income drops again? He works on commission only so his income can vary greatly.

You shouldn't have to reapply but they will require you to report income and they will change the amount of your food stamps each time your income changes,

[crazyeight]

i only recieved the letter stating that if my income goes over x that i have to report that change....and it was more than DOUBLE what i "make"!!! i don't have to go in every month or send in proof every month or anything like that....

[leavemealone]

Originally Posted by happyhats

I like the ladies at wic, it's just a pain to have to drive the forty five miles and to recertify.

Wow - that is a long way to drive for a WIC appt. I'm thankful I don't have that long of a drive, but the intake lady at the office I go to is not very pleasant. The other lady I've dealt with is pleasant, but not the intake lady. The intake lady argued with me at my last appt over mine and DH's last name. In some ways, I wish I had a long drive, but pleasant people to deal with.

Originally Posted by thatgirliknew

You shouldn't have to reapply but they will require you to report income and they will change the amount of your food stamps each time your income changes,

Now that I look at it, we may not be over the income limit. As long as the baby is born in April, he/she will count as a member of the family and the income limit will be slightly higher, right?. I don't know if that will make a difference, but it might. I'm not too worried about them cutting the amount b/c we have a lot left over from the past two months b/c there's no way we can spend that much in one month. The frustration for me is that the letters state two different things and came from the same office only about a week apart.

[Sweetmama26]

April is actually getting better, I lost my job but I have some Job interviews in the next couple of days and I'm making stuff home made and selling it too, we've moved into our own home now so that's good,and child support will be starting here soon as I get my confirmation from MEP.

[thatgirliknew]

Today just made the month worse. My husband just got let go from his job because he's a "safety hazard" (legally blind). So now searching for a new job for him.

[Pariah]

We received a little good news today...we were hit with a huge electric bill, and had just barely been getting by with it anyway. My boyfriend went and applied for an extension, and it was granted until June 1st! I'm so relieved.

My sister and I have a website we're working on that will hopefully generate income and maybe even replace my job...which wouldn't be too hard, considering how little I make here...but I'm struggling with integrating an advanced feature. I'm alright at web design, but if I had the $50 to have this particular part installed for me, I think I'd do it. I just want it up and going so we can see what it can do for us.

I've been encouraged to seriously sell some things I've been making lately...that was really cool, and my Etsy has been bare for awhile.

[maciascl]

Originally Posted by thatgirliknew

Today just made the month worse. My husband just got let go from his job because he's a "safety hazard" (legally blind). So now searching for a new job for him.

Could that be concidered discrimination? Sorry! s

DH is at his very first open house!! I am so excited. I guess an open house is really not about selling the house that is being shown so much as it is a way for a realtor to get names & numbers of people looking to buy a home. So we are hoping he meets lots of soon to be buyers!

[dealic]

one step forward, two steps back

Well, it WAS a great month. I got my tax return back, and got a bonus at work. We paid off my car (yay!!) and were going to use the bonus to get tires we both badly need for our cars. Well, we went to get DH's car safety'd and e tested (need to for plates) and it will take $1000 to pass. Plus another almost $1000 for tires, using up the whole check and bonus. So we are short again instead of ahead.

We can't even file our American taxes (American DH moved to Canada in December) which will give us $1100 back because I have to file for a Tax number and need to get copies of my driver's license and birth certificate notarized. I can't find places that want less than $50 an item to do that and don't have the $100 to do it. Plus our return won't be here for months as it will take 10 weeks for the tax number and then however long a paper return takes to file. We were counting on that money to pay his tuition which is due June 22. I don't know how we will get another $1100 by then.

At least we don't have that $500 a month car payment we can't afford but we won't be making progress on our other debt at this rate.