hey there - i posted a similar thread over in single parenting but i feel like i'm getting slightly off track over there trying to work my way through these decisions...
CURRENTLY, i am taking part time classes and working full time (32hrs - so, 4 days, retail). i am a single parent, though dd's dad and i have a split week - she's with me sun pm - thurs am, and him thurs pm - sun am. no child support.
IDEALLY, i would love to quit my job or go VERY part time (ie: 2 days/wk?) and be able to focus on school, because right now i am so overwhelmed trying to manage raising my daughter, classes, and work. i want to be done with school sooner rather than later.
LIKELY, i will have to work at least 24 hrs/wk (so, cut back one day), just in order to squeeze by. i take out loans and financial and and receive a refund check of approx. $2500/semester (would be more if i were full time, i think). this will get me by with NO room to spare.
here is my current arrangement, assuming minimum expenses for things like gas and cc pmts:
rent: $535
utils: $60 (electric + internet)
car pmt: $210
car insurance: $67
cc payments: $120 if i pay minimums only
phone: $70
babysitter: $120
gas: $120
we get EBT and WIC so food is covered
grand total: $1302
my work income per month is about $1000, and then i have my school money which is about $2500/semester. this semester (this week), i put down a security deposit for an apartment and am anticipating the cost of moving, obviously, so i am allocating another $300 to that....so let's say i have $1700 extra coming in to get me through august. come august, i will have to choose whether to take full time classes or part time, and whether to cut back my work hours or not.
please, mamas, tell me how the heck you make it work when you are a single mom wanting to be in school so that you aren't stuck working retail for the rest of your life? help me plan this out. i feel like there is nowhere to cut back, which leaves me feeling quite stuck.
hope this was clear - it's late and i'm sleepy (but obviously too frazzled to sleep).
fwiw...i am finishing my macrao agreement this semester (a gen ed transfer program at a community college), and had planned on being an english major (to teach at the college level someday) though am highly considering social work. i have between 50-60 credits, though approx 70 attempted (for reference to how much longer i can receive financial aid). i am anticipating at least another two years of school depending on how many classes i can take each semester. a lot of those issues are for advisors and not you, unless you happen to have words of wisdom for me.
CURRENTLY, i am taking part time classes and working full time (32hrs - so, 4 days, retail). i am a single parent, though dd's dad and i have a split week - she's with me sun pm - thurs am, and him thurs pm - sun am. no child support.
IDEALLY, i would love to quit my job or go VERY part time (ie: 2 days/wk?) and be able to focus on school, because right now i am so overwhelmed trying to manage raising my daughter, classes, and work. i want to be done with school sooner rather than later.
LIKELY, i will have to work at least 24 hrs/wk (so, cut back one day), just in order to squeeze by. i take out loans and financial and and receive a refund check of approx. $2500/semester (would be more if i were full time, i think). this will get me by with NO room to spare.
here is my current arrangement, assuming minimum expenses for things like gas and cc pmts:
rent: $535
utils: $60 (electric + internet)
car pmt: $210
car insurance: $67
cc payments: $120 if i pay minimums only
phone: $70
babysitter: $120
gas: $120
we get EBT and WIC so food is covered
grand total: $1302
my work income per month is about $1000, and then i have my school money which is about $2500/semester. this semester (this week), i put down a security deposit for an apartment and am anticipating the cost of moving, obviously, so i am allocating another $300 to that....so let's say i have $1700 extra coming in to get me through august. come august, i will have to choose whether to take full time classes or part time, and whether to cut back my work hours or not.
please, mamas, tell me how the heck you make it work when you are a single mom wanting to be in school so that you aren't stuck working retail for the rest of your life? help me plan this out. i feel like there is nowhere to cut back, which leaves me feeling quite stuck.
hope this was clear - it's late and i'm sleepy (but obviously too frazzled to sleep).
fwiw...i am finishing my macrao agreement this semester (a gen ed transfer program at a community college), and had planned on being an english major (to teach at the college level someday) though am highly considering social work. i have between 50-60 credits, though approx 70 attempted (for reference to how much longer i can receive financial aid). i am anticipating at least another two years of school depending on how many classes i can take each semester. a lot of those issues are for advisors and not you, unless you happen to have words of wisdom for me.
i want to take lots of classes and get done, but i can't handle my current work hrs plus that many school hrs so i am trying to figure out how to do this. like...some options i've considered are going part time one more year, taking out extra loans to pay off my car and cc's (approx $8k on car, and $2700 in cc's...all from before i went back to school, cc's aren't used anymore and car was bought early in 2009), and then going to school full time the following year when i CAN work less if at all.
