January 2011 Low Income Support Thread - Page 3

[GirlBoyGirl]

So sorry, Motivated Mama, that just seems unfair! You could try calling your old medicaid case worker and see if they know of any programs to help you pay the hospital bills.


As for me, things are going okay. I was offered a teaching job at an after school program but then I never heard from the lady again! Isn't that weird?? I should just show up one day and be like, "I'm ready to work!" I am kinda holding out for that other job I had mentioned getting. The lady FINALLY called me back and said she really wants to hire me maybe in a month or two, but she has to talk her management team into the idea of a PT person for afternoon/evening help when their office gets really busy. DH's job just changed to 7a-3p (from 8-4) permanently so if I can go to work at 3:30-8, that would be perfect for us! I would also enjoy it more than the teaching job (even though I have a teaching degree) because it would be a nice mental break to be with adults instead of children (and these are all behaviorally-challenged kids). I would just really miss dinners and bedtime with the kids. I am hoping if I can zip home right at 8 then I can read them a story and still do bath time with my tiny one. Anyway, I just hope she can create this position for me!!! It would be so nice to not be in the red every month!!!!!!!!

[matey]

Hello everyone. Dropping in and hoping to become more regular. I guess I fit here. I am married with 2 kids, we don't make a whole lot but manage to do ok month to month. We have been lucky to have kind people in our lives and we somehow keep from drowning.

We arent in debt at this point. DH has around $60,000 in school debt but we do a income based repayment program that at this point is keeping our payments at 0. My biggest concern i s a health bill we have looming our heads. I has some weird issues a couple months agoa and ended up passing out and dropping my baby girl in the middle of the night. I had been having dizzy spells and headaches. So, we ended up in the ER and the good news is, nothing serious, they never really figured out what was going on but there isnt anything wrong with my brain or my heart. Anyway, we filed for assitanceon the bill and they told me we would qualify. I am just waiting to hear how much we will need to pay on. It is kinda stressing me out and I want to know but at the same time, I dont want to know! Should be hearing from them anyday.

[GirlBoyGirl]

Ahoy, Matey! haha, sorry I couldn't resist, lol! So sorry about the medical bill, I hope the assistance comes through. How scary to fall down while you were holding your baby! I am glad you 2 are okay!

[matey]

Originally Posted by GirlBoyGirl 

Ahoy, Matey! haha, sorry I couldn't resist, lol! So sorry about the medical bill, I hope the assistance comes through. How scary to fall down while you were holding your baby! I am glad you 2 are okay!

You aren't the first! People just can't resist it! It was so scary, I was afraid to hold her after that. I completely blacked out and then woke up on the floor, wondering what that loud noise was. I looked up and that loud noise was my daughter screaming. I think *hope* I held her and she rolled out of my arms when I hit the floor. Completely freaked me out! But yes, so glad we are both ok. I cried all the next day about dropping her. I felt horrible!

[Ravin]

So our changes went through with DES, and we'll be losing our food stamps (allotment of $0) as of February. But, DW#2 qualifies for medicaid (apparently not DH or DD, though). Apparently having more mouths to feed and less money to feed them with somehow added up to losing benefits. I'm going to go in on Friday and have them spell it all out for me how it makes ANY BLEEPING SENSE. Of course, I'll be going on unpaid leave once I have the baby (I'm starting my leave a week before my due date, and I'll get about a week and a half paid using vacation and personal time), and another person will be added to the household, so presumably we can get them back for March. It would be good for someone besides the baby to be able to EAT that month...

[matey]

Originally Posted by Ravin 

So our changes went through with DES, and we'll be losing our food stamps (allotment of $0) as of February. But, DW#2 qualifies for medicaid (apparently not DH or DD, though). Apparently having more mouths to feed and less money to feed them with somehow added up to losing benefits. I'm going to go in on Friday and have them spell it all out for me how it makes ANY BLEEPING SENSE. Of course, I'll be going on unpaid leave once I have the baby (I'm starting my leave a week before my due date, and I'll get about a week and a half paid using vacation and personal time), and another person will be added to the household, so presumably we can get them back for March. It would be good for someone besides the baby to be able to EAT that month...

So sorry you are losing the fs. Probably once the baby arrives though. We just barely didn't qualify for fs with just ds. It was stupid because dh is on a bi-weekly pay scale. They add it all up and divide it by 12 to see how much we make a month and it put us a $100 over a month. But the thing was, we weren't actually bringing that money in. Since DH is payed bi weekly, there are two months out the of the year where he gets a third paycheck. We didn't really have that $100 over each month. It comes in two swings. Anyway, I said all that to them and my case worker was like "I know, it sucks, but that's how we have to do it, there isn't anything I can do". So as soon as dd was born I sent in everything and got my fs. The only think I had to wait on was her ss number which took bewteen one and two weeks, so that may be something to remember too.

[matey]

I quit my babysitting job today. I have babysat this little girl since she was 6 months and she is now almost 3. Her mom just had baby #2 and the plan has been for me to watch them both along with my 3 year old and 5 month old starting next month. I have really been stressing about it because it seems completely overwhelming. My dd is SO clingy, how would I do a newborn too?? So anyway, me and the mom were talking today and it came up. I expressed my concerns and she was very cool about it and said how she didn't know how I would do it either, especially since dd isnt really sleeping well (her kids have both been great sleepers as babies for some reason. Not fair) So anyway, she said she is going to look into other options. i feel really bad but she told me not to because I am not obligated to watch her kids. it is a relief though.

[Bluebird9]

v

Edited by Bluebird9 - 11/27/11 at 9:58am

[inkedmamajama]

my husband is so stressed. I am so stressed. I am tired of playing utility shutoff shuffle. I am tired of being physically ill. I am tired of not being able to just buy shampoo or shoes. I am wearing the same nursing bra for 3 years. I am so stressed out.

on the other hand I feel as it that is NOTHING because  my children are AMAZING and my husband loves me without judgement...I never doubt his loyalty, commitment, or love. How priceless is that?

[matey]

Originally Posted by inkedmamajama 

my husband is so stressed. I am so stressed. I am tired of playing utility shutoff shuffle. I am tired of being physically ill. I am tired of not being able to just buy shampoo or shoes. I am wearing the same nursing bra for 3 years. I am so stressed out.

on the other hand I feel as it that is NOTHING because  my children are AMAZING and my husband loves me without judgement...I never doubt his loyalty, commitment, or love. How priceless is that?

What size bra do you wear? If your bigger in the boobs, maybe I have something that I could send you. I have several that I have gotten free from WIC. If your smaller in the boobs, I can't help at all.

[Fieryfly]

Hi, I found this thread today and I identify very much with everyone. I'm a full time nursing student while my DH works full time from home. We have two teens. We've been a low income family in different ways since we had our oldest as teen parents.  We made bad choices with our credit cards a few years ago and now we are living with the consequences. As someone else here mentioned, we also don't qualify for low income but we live under the burden of credit card bills which limits our life in so many ways.  Right now we are only holding ourselves above water thanks to student loans since there is no way I can work and do well in nursing school at the same time.  I do babysit occasionally and sell things online, both which tend to miraculously bring money in when we are very desperate....love when that happens!

~Lisa

[Daisie125]

Originally Posted by gabbyraja 

Originally Posted by frugalmama 

Just got great news from our local food bank - Texas is testing a program to let you use food stamps at Farmer's Markets! http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/stakeholder/Jan_Feb11/5.html . I"m thrilled - we have a farmers market once a week close to the house and I love getting beets and fruit, but using cash was a problem.

Passing on the news in case anyone else can benefit from it!

In MI we can use FS anywhere that will take them (for fresh food, of course) and our farmer's market does. They use a token system, so you buy tokens at the office with your FS card and then use the tokens at the individual stands. LOVE it. I get fresh fruits and veggies, of course, but also raw honey and maple syrup, etc. You can also get pastured meat and eggs. Unfortunately you cannot buy raw milk in MI... I have to ration, because we don't get enough FS to buy everything I'd like there, but I love that I am able to if I want to.
 

Eastern Market? Hampshire Farms has raw milk. hampshirefarmsorganic.com

[zebra15]

hummmm ZERO balance in the bank.... everything got paid but the main checking account is a big fat goose-egg.... no money coming in until tuesday at the earliest... this is gonna be one long weekend and I promised DS we could go to mini-golf. I am being stubborn and NOT pulling any $$ from savings (the bank did a few $$ to cover the bill pays).... I will be resourceful, I am a mom... but dang this just sux!

I can probably find a coupon for golf then maybe pay in change....

[gabbyraja]

I know the gripe wasn't that you can't afford shampoo, it was that you want to have money for little things that pop up as needed. However, I have a great alternative to shampoo that you can try. And I have color-treated hair and use styling products on it occasionally (though I tent to make those, too). Anyway:

Shampoo: 1 part baking soda and 4 or more parts water. Pour on hair and rub in. Rinse out.

Conditioner: Take an old shampoo bottle (or whatever) and mix 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water. Add a cinnamon stick and about a tsp of vanilla. Pour as much as you like over your hair. Rinse out.

The shampoo (or non-poo, as people call it) keeps the natural oils on your head/in your hair, protecting it and nourishing it, but gets out the dirt. The vinegar rinse smells WONDERFUL (who'd have thunk?) and leaves my hair very soft. When I was non-pooing w/o it my hair was very dry. With keeping in the natural oils my hair looks just a little dirty, which is what most styling products do. You strip the oils from your hair with shampoo, drying out the hair and scalp, then you try to put them back in the hair with conditioner (and chemicals), then you try to make your hair look a little dirty because now it's too clean to style how you want. This not only eliminates all that, but it costs like $.10 to wash your hair. Seriously, try it. I think there should be a book (probably is) of the million and one things you can do with just baking soda and vinegar!

HTH someone!

[zenmumajen]

Hi everyone, I'm new.

I hate to admit that our family does not have everything figured out.

I got pregnant my senior year of college, and was not working, and my fiance was still going to school part time. Once we found out I was pregnant though, he got more motivated and got a job but it was only temporary. We relocated near where both of us coincidentally lived and our parents live, so that they could help us with babysitting. They all have been great. It embarrasses me that they help us pay our rent, and DF is responsible for the bills as he has only found a job working part time and is still going to school. My parents (unlike his) are divorced and have many of their own financial issues so it upsets me that they have to help. DF had an interview yesterday and I am crossing my fingers he gets the job...he is also is getting ready to take a road test so he can get his Comercial Drivers Licence. 

Me- I just graduated with a degree in Psychology, but nobody is really in a hurry to hire anybody with that kind of degree. I just recently started applying to places- I am hoping I get a call but am nervous about pumping and if my supply will go down once I start....

DF and I have chose to put of getting married so that I can stay on my mom's very good health insurance until i'm 24...we receive WIC and food stamps and my son is on medicaid. 

That's us in a nutshell I guess...

[zenmumajen]

Originally Posted by gabbyraja 

Shampoo: 1 part baking soda and 4 or more parts water. Pour on hair and rub in. Rinse out.

Conditioner: Take an old shampoo bottle (or whatever) and mix 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water. Add a cinnamon stick and about a tsp of vanilla. Pour as much as you like over your hair. Rinse out.

The shampoo (or non-poo, as people call it) keeps the natural oils on your head/in your hair, protecting it and nourishing it, but gets out the dirt. The vinegar rinse smells WONDERFUL (who'd have thunk?) and leaves my hair very soft. When I was non-pooing w/o it my hair was very dry. With keeping in the natural oils my hair looks just a little dirty, which is what most styling products do. You strip the oils from your hair with shampoo, drying out the hair and scalp, then you try to put them back in the hair with conditioner (and chemicals), then you try to make your hair look a little dirty because now it's too clean to style how you want. This not only eliminates all that, but it costs like $.10 to wash your hair. Seriously, try it. I think there should be a book (probably is) of the million and one things you can do with just baking soda and vinegar!

Thank you so much for this recipe! I have a super dry scalp and so does DF so maybe if I add some tee tree oil into the baking soda mix, it will help?
 

[gabbyraja]

No problem. Yes, and maybe Rosemary EO, too. That is supposed to be invigorating (wake you up if you're showering in the morning), and will make your hair grow. Worth a shot.

I love finding cleaning products and so on that I can use FS to pay for. Less out-of-pocket means more bills paid. Just can't figure out a toilet paper substitute (other than cloth, with which I just can't get dh on board), and with 8 of us using it it gets quite expensive! :(

[averysmomma05]

Husband was off work for 2 days because of the snow storm we got. We were keeping afloat but that is going to hurt us badly and I dread it. I ran out of cell minutes on my phone because my work calls me SO much lately so I need to refill it even though I don't have the funds. Sigh can't wait until we get our W-2's.

[MamitaM]

I'm waiting for my CC bill to arrive so I can check the balance, I can't do it on-line since it's an old canceled card or I would. I can't wait to see the new and much lower balance. Even though I don't have much money right now this month I feel like I've been spoiling myself. I got a gift card and was able to use it to go shopping at the mall with a friend this week and I'm eating really well b/c I'm taking the time to male something new a few times a week and I'm really enjoying it. I also have $35 in my wallet and normally by this time I have nothing at all. I still have a lot of debt, but I did pay a little on each bill that was over due and a decent amount on each CC and a few extra groceries so I'm doing better then last month.

Does anyone live in an area where they electric company can NOT shut it off during the Winter months? I'm lucky that the law here says that it can't be shut off during Winter months.

[zebra15]

Keep your fingers crossed I have a sub assignment for tomorrow (friday) and an assignment for next thursday and friday.  These are high school classes so technically the kids should be better behaved and inturn less stress for me.  Monday is a 'holiday' so there wont be any work.

I have a local Entertainment Book so I should be ok for a coupon for DS and the minigolf this weekend and I have about $40 cash.  Golf should be no more than $7.

I didn't go to target today... I really needed to p/u my rx (no charge from insurance) cuz I couldnt trust myself not to get anything else.  But thats ok, im on my own little personal compact challenge anyway.  I will try for Target later this weekend.