Spring low income support thread (April/May)

[maciascl]

I have missed this thread over the last month and could really use some support. I'd love to hear how everyone is doing!

I am trying to stay positive but I am really depressed and just frustrated with wondering when we are going to be able to stop worring about every frigging penny. I should be happy since DH actually has a buyer he is working with but he has been working with them for almost 2 months and they just can't seem to get an offer accepted. I am going to start doing laundry at my mom's to save money and while I am there I am going to clean the house to earn a little too. I might get hired to do child care at our church too which will help. These are all wondrful things but they just aren't enough. I am so tired of nothing ever being enough...

[zebra15]

Hi- I dont think there was a thread last month.  I need this thread too.  Hugs to you and positive vibes about the jobs.

I only have about 5-6 weeks left for subbing here- school is out before Memorial day.  I'm having massive sitter problems for DS right now and have no idea who is gonna watch him tomorrow.

I hope we can move over the summer (back east cuz this AZ living just isnt working anymore) and start over fresh.

Money is gonna run out soon...

I just need a good cry but that will probably cost money that I dont have...

[maciascl]

Originally Posted by zebra15 

I just need a good cry but that will probably cost money that I dont have...

That about sums it up, doesn't it? I actually haven't even been able to cry for a while now but over the last week I was able to let it out a bit. Maybe if I can stop holding it in I will feel slightly better. Good luck with the sitter issues!

[Ravin]

Well, I'm nearing the end of maternity leave. We qualified for over $700 in food stamps this month. We can't pay our utilities or rent, but we're eating good. No cash assistance, though. DH's student job has dried up, for what it's worth. He figured each day of work he was netting about $10, for a 2 hour commute and 3 hours of work at $9 an hour, by the time they took out taxes and child support. Oh, and the axle broke on our van so we are without a vehicle for the forseeable future. No idea if we'll be able to fix it, or if we'll have to replace it. Either way, it'll have to wait until fall financial aid at soonest. My girlfriend (aka DW#2) was fired from her new job the day after she called in to work because I was in labor and having the baby. I'm very, very glad she was there for me; Safeway sucks. 

Going back to work is going to be hard, but I have absolutely NO choice. The good news is, I got in to law school, so my days as a big-box store cashier are NUMBERED. Woo-hoo. I even got a scholarship.

[zebra15]

Ravin congrats on the babe, congrats on law school (ASU?) and congrats on the food stamps.  My FS were cut in half this time. I honestly have no idea what goes on with DES here.  Now for 2 people we are at $180/month. Thats half of what we were getting.  Maybe in 6 months when i recertify it will go up again. (or maybe I will finally leave this state, relocate and get a real job and be self sufficient!)

IDK if i posted over here but last week I sold 4 nintendo games and got $30. and  I got $12 from Other Mothers, they so screw you on the cash payout but I dont need store credit.  My books arent selling on craigslist so in week or so Im headed to half price books with them. 

[Ravin]

I don't understand DES's logic, either. We may lose it all next month because DW#2 can't pay child support because she has no income atm, and they want proof of what her child support is and how much she's paid this month...given that her tax return was smaller than it should have been because she let her ex claim her DS2 even though she was supposed to be able to this year to help him pay for his braces, and she spent most of it on rent on the 1st.

Not sure what we're doing about the next rent check, or electricity...to call and delay due date (probably not long enough to be able to actually catch up), or wait for cutoff and look for nonprofit assistance...? I'm leaning toward the latter because we lose budget plan if we're late more than once in a row, and there's no way we can afford summer bill without it.

[AllysonB]

Good luck to all you mamas with everything. I am needing this thread as well. My divorce was final in Feb, but this is the first real month we've had to survive on just child support. I'm in school full time and the grants and loan help some, but I'm thinking I may need to cut back to half or 3/4 time and make some money somehow. I do some cleaning on the side, but am kind of burnt out on that and am looking for something else. My bf has a friend who is a manager at a fast food restaurant and I am considering looking into that, depending on how much it would pay. We are also going to move once this lease is up, we are gaining nothing and losing money staying here. We are going to live in an rv for a year, and try to get by that way, we will be on a campground. My foodstamps has been gone since January, trying to get them back, but keep having issues, hopefully things go right this month. I've had to go to a food pantry and they gave us two small bags of food for the three of us, and said we can pick up more in a month. :( I don't know how that's supposed to sustain us for a month. I don't even know if you're aloud to go to other pantries in the meantime? Well I am trying to stay faithful and know that we will get through this by the grace of God. We just need to trust in Him.

[zebra15]

Allyson-around here you can go to food pantries as often as you need. So you can go to place A monday and place B on thursday if you need be.   Place A may have rules that state only every 30 days or something so you need to figure out where the help is in your area and kinda map out where/when.  I also think the pantries give all they can. The 2 bags may have been all they had that day to give out.

[SeekingSerenity]

I'm glad this thread is here. I am also sick of counting every single penny, and always finding out there aren't enough pennies. I get $560 a month cash assistance, and roughly the same in food stamps. Our apartment is on Sect. 8 through the VA, but I have to pay a bit over $130 a month for my portion. Doesn't sound like much, but that $560 has to stretch a looooong way. Gas rising the way it is certainly doesn't help; it seems like every month we have more appointments than the month before (play therapy for DD, doctor appts at the VA across town, counseling for DS and soon we'll start therapy for his Asperger's too, etc. etc.) so even though the school is super close, and I only drive when I need to, it still is hard to keep from running out of gas at the end of the month. I am always scrounging for quarters too, so I can do laundry. I've started making the kids wear their jeans for more than one day before they get washed, as long as they're not muddy or have paint on them or anything.

I was getting a little help from STBX, as he was paying for my car insurance and keeping the cell phones on. But then he went and canceled my insurance and says he's not paying the next phone bill. I had to call the insurance company and reinstate the policy, and have them change the billing schedule so as to make the payment due later this year, but will cover the rest of the year entirely. I hope I can use my student loan disbursement for that, as well as to register and plate my truck (I'm driving with out-of-state plates that are 9 months expired). My step-daughter is going to help me cover the divorce costs that the low-income waiver doesn't cover (service fees, mediation, etc.)

STBX was also sending money every now and then, which was how I was getting clothes and diapers for the kids. I get many of their clothes off the clearance racks and cheap-cheap shelves at Target & Walmart, as well as thrift stores and Goodwill's Super Store. But now he isn't going to send money anymore either, so that is hard. Even though it was unreliable at the best of times, it sucks to think that now it's certifiably not going to happen. All because he got mad... but that's about typical for him. One more reason to get that divorce going, so I can get a support order in place.

I get so tired of never having enough to do what needs to be done. I can cover basic living and that is good, but I hate that feeling of knowing that $14 in my wallet is ALL I have for the rest of the month... and this is on the 7th. However, it's still better than the life we had with STBX, and it's just a stage in life. I will have my Associate's in June, then if I stay with the University of Phoenix (ugh) I can have my Bachelor's in less than two years. Even if I transfer to the Univ. of Colorado, it will only be 2 years or so... Hopefully the economy will have recovered enough by then that I will be able to actually get a job when I graduate. I just hope I can keep the cash assistance that long... Food stamps and housing I am not worried about because I don't have to recertify for VASH (VA subsidized housing) being a veteran, and I know I will qualify for food assistance for awhile yet. The hardest to keep is TANF, by far. Well, one day at a time...

[ExOfficia]

I'm joining you.  I'm in a real bind this month (every month is tight but this one is impossible), thanks to my apparent inability to look at the calendar.  I normally receive support payments from my xh twice a month.  My mortgage payment comes out two days afterwards- BUT- March was one of these crazy months where I have three mortgage payments instead of two :(.  Meaning, I totally misbudgeted.  Plus, the government seems to think I am still married (due to a stupid mistake I made in filing my 09 tax return) and is now saying I owe them $8700 in back child tax credits.  Have not yet paid my property tax installment.  I am maxed out and in overdraft.  I have about $40 of overdraft to make it through the next 12 days.

The kicker is that I could ask my x to help out- BUT this of course comes at a cost.  He's bailed me out in various ways in the last while and he doesn't ever fail to lord it over me one way or the other.  I feel like utter crap having to go to him.  The last time was earlier this week because my dd had run out of her medication (the pharmacy had shortchanged us on her refill last time- but that's another saga!) and I didn't have the $200 to refill it.  I got so depressed thinking, here I am at 44 and I can't even get it together enough to get my daughter her medication :(. 

I hate this!

But, I try to look at the good side of things.  I have a pretty well stocked kitchen and my freezers are pretty full.  Food isn't a problem.  Yes, I'm behind on all of my bills, but I'm no more than one payment behind.  I have a little bit of money from selling things that should be trickling in over the next week.  I have a few more things I can sell on craigslist, etc.  This is my ex's weekend with the kids so I don't have to worry about feeding them (I can't believe I just wrote that) until Monday night.  I had been planning to have a very quiet weekend on my own as I am recovering from an accident I had earlier this week, so I won't have to use any gas driving.  I have a few good movies from the library and books galore.  I'll be ok- in fact, I'm determined to be ok, and I will not put myself in a position to be judged by my ex again- lessons learned!

[mamaofprincesses]

I think I should join all of you too! We are lucky, things are tight but if I am careful and there aren't too many catastrophes, we should be all right.

ExOfficia, have you checked with Community Action Services? At least, that's what it's called here. they can sometimes help with medication, maybe other things too. Also the Mormon church. You'd need to find out who the bishop is for the area where you live, and it's ultimately his call, but they often help with medication and other necessitites. I'm Mormon so if you need help finding out who to talk to, PM me.

[zebra15]

Working 2 days this week.

sold some books at half price books

sold a little at other mothers

Need to stay focused on moving....

[maciascl]

Trying REALLY hard to focus on and be grateful for the little things:

I've sold a few books, videos, and diapers recently.

I am cleaning my mom's house and doing my laundry there once a week, so saving a llittle and earning a little.

Next month I can apply for help with utility bills again.

DH is getting a free vasectomy (we have no insurance) from the county hospital this Thursday.

DH is still going to show houses this weekend (I was afraid after the "V" and Easter on Sunday he was going to skip this weekend) and is feeling positive about the houses he has set up.

I just used my Swagbucks to get Amazon gift cards and ended up with 2 months worth of diapers for $9.66!!! (PM me to find out how

[mamaofprincesses]

You know, after DH's vasectomy, his dr strongly recommended 48 hours of bedrest. He said most of the failed vasectomies he'd seen were due to resuming normal activity too soon. Also DH's swelling increased if he moved around or forgot to ice himself down every couple of hours - something to consider.

[ExOfficia]

Originally Posted by mamaofprincesses 

I think I should join all of you too! We are lucky, things are tight but if I am careful and there aren't too many catastrophes, we should be all right.

ExOfficia, have you checked with Community Action Services? At least, that's what it's called here. they can sometimes help with medication, maybe other things too. Also the Mormon church. You'd need to find out who the bishop is for the area where you live, and it's ultimately his call, but they often help with medication and other necessitites. I'm Mormon so if you need help finding out who to talk to, PM me.

I'm not sure we have that here (I'm in Canada).  I'm okay for the basics, food especially.  I make most things from scratch as I'm not working much right now, and I keep a pretty well stocked pantry.  I didn't know the Mormon church could help- thanks for that.  I will check them out should I ever be stuck this way again...

[maciascl]

Originally Posted by mamaofprincesses 

You know, after DH's vasectomy, his dr strongly recommended 48 hours of bedrest. He said most of the failed vasectomies he'd seen were due to resuming normal activity too soon. Also DH's swelling increased if he moved around or forgot to ice himself down every couple of hours - something to consider.

He will be working just after the 48 hour mark and it will be only for a couple hours, mainly driving and then walking through a few houses with his clients. I will make sure he has an ice pack with him to ice atleast on the way home. Thanks for the heads up.
 

[maciascl]

Any student mamas want to pm me to talk about how financial aid works? I have lots of questions. Where do you apply apply? How much do you get when going part time? Do you have to be enrolled in a degree program or can you take various classes as long as the school is approved?

[SugarGlider]

...

Edited by SugarGlider - 4/22/11 at 3:26am

[cappuccinosmom]

Guess I should join.

We are currently getting $1100-$1800/ month, if all our tenants pay.  The manager is a real piece of work, spends huge amounts on maintenance that dh could do himself, and sends our checks at random times during the month, so we never know if we're going to get it early or late in the month.  Can.not.wait. for our contract with her to run out.

And we get to pay prop taxes this month.  About double our monthly income. :(  If we didn't have savings, we'd be up a creek without a paddle.  As much as I hate being frugal, I'm super glad dh' pressed that issue and we had something built up.  He's been jobless about 19 months, and we just got word that the place he reaaaaaly wanted to work for doesn't have a spot for him now.  Not looking forward to telling him that news when he comes home.  *sigh*

I think it hit me that we really are low income when we had to go sit in an office with a social worker at a local sliding scale clinic, and she put us on their lowest level for fees.  Which is nice, in a way, 'cause it's hard to beat $15 for an office visit but at the same time we're there because we don't have money, don't have insurance, and don't have jobs. 

And I went grocery shopping for a week, and in spite of shopping sales and making a simple and limited meal plan, spent a little over $100.  Food prices are killing me and because we own property (that gives us our piddly little income) we don't qualify for any kind of assistance with that.

Normally I'm pretty upbeat about this, but lately I am very discouraged.  I especially hate what it's doing to my husband.  I'm "secure" because the only thing changed for me is needing to be super frugal instead of normally frugal.  But his emotional well being is tied up in working and providing for his family, and he is depressed. :(

[ExOfficia]

Well, I caved in and did what I promised myself I wouldn't do- I took from my (already high) line of credit.  I'm in a spot with my ex where I just will not, under any circumstances, go to him for extra help.  Anyhow, it was good to buy some fresh fruit and veg, and take advantage of a couple of specials at the supermarket.  Mostly we've been eating out of the pantry, but we were almost out on fresh stuff.  A salad never tasted so good.  I think now we're okay until Wednesday, which is when I get my support payment.  Then I can pay some of the bills I've been most behind on...ugh.  

I'm also going to take advantage of the fact that the kids are away with their dad for the weekend, so I can list a bunch of things on kijiji & ebay.  That will help too.