Summer '11 ***Low Income Support Thread*** - Page 5

[Paigekitten]

Have you tried online things for gift cards such as swagbucks, harris polls, and mypoints?  I do those, it's not very much, but it's something.  

I am about to apply for our state health plan, I'm in my third trimester now so I should be able to keep seeing my HB midwives instead of one of their providers if all goes well.   If not, we'll be scrambling to pay them cash before baby gets here. 

[frugalmama]

Originally Posted by Paigekitten 

Have you tried online things for gift cards such as swagbucks, harris polls, and mypoints?  I do those, it's not very much, but it's something.  

I am about to apply for our state health plan, I'm in my third trimester now so I should be able to keep seeing my HB midwives instead of one of their providers if all goes well.   If not, we'll be scrambling to pay them cash before baby gets here. 

We already do Swagbucks, Irazoo, and Mypoints, but that goes towards our home schooling book needs. I've ramped up on all of those to try to get more GC's to use for other needs. Can you tell me about Harris polls? I have not heard of them.

[Paigekitten]

http://www.harrispollonline.com/

They email you surveys that you fill out for reward points.  They are my favorite of that type thing because they don't have ads plastered everywhere, the surveys are easy to navigate, and they ONLY email you surveys that you get points for.  I seem to acquire points more slowly then with say, swagbucks, but I have gotten multiple amazon gift cards from them, so they are legitimate.

[averysmomma05]

Well the having 2 jobs thing didn't work out great as I had a breakdown last week and quit the grocery store. I feel much better but really need to get into my dr because I am depressed and need to start my meds again. Anyways, hope everyone else is doing well.

[zebra15]

Sick as can be, went to urgent care and got a lecture about ABX over usgeage .  (was sent home and told to take sudafed)  Finally got an abx called in - after complaining to corporate- but now my sinus infection has settled in my lungs and I think bronchitis is raging.  LOVELY. Steroids are in my near future.

School starts tomorrow in the district I sub in.  Hoping teachers starting using PTO soon so I can get some days of work.

[Mommy2Austin]

Well I did some sleuthing and discovered we should be getting $750 in food stamps and not the $350 we're getting now. So much has changed since we last applied! That extra $400 would be a God send right now. So I'm off to figure out how to reapply with our current situation.

[mylilmonkeys]

Originally Posted by Mommy2Austin 

Well I did some sleuthing and discovered we should be getting $750 in food stamps and not the $350 we're getting now. So much has changed since we last applied! That extra $400 would be a God send right now. So I'm off to figure out how to reapply with our current situation.

Wow, we have to update every 6mo and are told to call any time we have a significant change in income.  You should have a social worker assigned to you that you can just call and leave a message that your situation has changed.  Good luck.

[zebra15]

Day 4 of traditional school tomorrow and I HAVE A SUBBING JOB!    This could be a good year!   High school math.  Early in, early out!   Home before 3!

Keeping everything crossed for a job on Friday too.- and every day after that!

[zebra15]

Oh dear lord, I need to find a full time job.  I don't know if my nerves can handle another year of subbing.  And today was HIGH SCHOOL.  The dramatics, the mouth, oh gosh,.. really folks, its MATH... open your book and figure it out.  Some of you are graduating in 4 months, some in 8, the rest in a year or so... problem solving skills are a major need in the work place.

[Paigekitten]

I keep alternating between feeling good about our finances and bad.  Good side, is we are going to be able to pay our September house payment without begging off of family, and August is already taken care of. We can pay the water bill BEFORE it's shut off, we paid a parking ticket that's been hanging over our head FOREVER.  DH scored a great deal on wood for the dining room floor.  Bad side, lots of bills are still going unpaid, including some medical expenses, our cars still need work, and there is just SO much more that needs paid then the amount of money we have.  I still don't know about insurance, so we still may need to pay cash for the birth.  I just need to keep remembering the good stuff, that helps.  Oh, another good thing is MIL bought us a membership to our favorite museum.  It's the perfect rainy day activity, and Libby absolutely adores going.

[kayleesmom]

can I join the thread? sadly we are now living off of like nothing. and are living with inlaws.

hugs to all mamas here

[zebra15]

Yeah for work again today...  every little bit of subbing helps...

[Thystle]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Work and good luck vibes to all!!!!!!

[emilyfaith]

I want to join too. Recently became a single mom a little overwhelmed but oh so grateful for so many other blessings.I find it encouraging that I am not the only one on FS, Medicaid, ect.  I have a stash of cloth diapers mostly prefolds with covers and a few pocket diapers. If there is a pregnant or new mom out there who "needs" these please let me know. I have been blessed by so many others and I wish I could give more to all of you mamas who are doing the most important job in the world. blessings.

[Mommy2Austin]

Welcome :)

If I had the money I'd so take those off your hands! I have two girls in diapers and none of my cloth fits either of them (one is too big and one is too small) Diapers keep getting more expensive too :(

Things are going ok here. DH first check was less than it should have been (they always mess up witholdings and on top of that they have him paying into a retirement fund he doesn't have.) So things are still super tight. Our heads are barely at the surface. Our roommates moved out last week. Its been an adjustment, but it means we won't be running so low on food at the end of the month I'm in tears feeding the kids PB and J three meals a day. DS1 started school on Wednesday and the school provides breakfast for all students for free every morning so that helps. I'm just waiting on his paperwork to come back for free lunch and I can stop obsessing over sending food with him because we can't afford to pay for hot lunch.

[SierraBella]

I should rejoin this thread. I use to be active but took a break (and name change) from MDC for a while because of getting a divorce.. etc.

So.. here i am again :)

I have 2 kiddos, one on the way.. going through a custody battle, and a student. I have a wonderful DF, who is also a FT student, and has 2 PT jobs. We don't get child support because currently we have 50/50 custody with my ex. On FS, WIC and medicaid, as well.

DF and i just budgeted our expenses after our school money came in, and we are still in the neg. But, we should be in a better spot next year after our CC's are paid off. And then we need a bigger vehicle for 3 kids, and have to pay lawyer fees.

[emilyfaith]

I want to give these diapers away!!!! I know what it is like to be in need (especially neccesities) This is one of the few things I have right now that I don't need and if someone else can use these then please take them. They are not fancy but they worked for us and hopefully you could get some use out of them, if not pass them on. Got to go watch the sunrise before my son wakes up. Blessings

[wanderinblues]

my income is the only one we have, so i would call that low :/

my DP is struggling to run a small business after his financing backed out and is bringing in no money, though working very hard. he has a very tough time not "providing".

i work 3-4 days a week and am able to buy groceries but not much else.

we have roomates who pay our mortgage but the utilities are all way behind. we have to pull DSD out of daycare and DP will have her at the shop with him instead.

i am trying to live frugally but am still learning.

[Paigekitten]

DH got his second paycheck from his old employer that is now currently employed with (oh the drama!).  We were able to pay the utilities with a shutoff notice and put aside half of September's house payment.  It's the first time this year we haven't needed emergency help to get through the month, and he's about to get another paycheck this week and we should be able to pay the house payment on time!  AND some more utilities.  We also got scrap wood flooring that matches the wood floors in my house, and DH was able to borrow the tools to install it, so my dining room is no longer subfloor.  I'm so excited.  I hope we can find either the money, or another killer deal to get some kind of floor in my kitchen.  We had to rip up the old tile to fix some rotted subflooring, and my feelings weren't terribly hurt as I've despised the tile since we moved in and it was broken and sharp anyway.

FS on the 7th.  We have meat in the freezer, but no fresh produce except kale in the garden, and are out of milk and almost out of cheese.  I'm going to have to get creative, as we eat mostly fruit and dairy when it's hot.

[maciascl]

We have our bankruptcy court date tomorrow morning. I am nervous even though several people have told me it is no big deal. I think I am more worried about the fact that DH is still no where close to selling a house ans we need to have a serious talk. The only way for us to survive is for him to close a sale just about every month. I just don't see it happening. I don't know what to do when the IRA is gone. I am terrified!

BTW does anyone know how it works with food stamps and taking money out of an IRA? I am really worried on top of everything else, that we will lose our food stamps and my kids Medi-Cal because we have taken money out. I think we re-cert for MC in Oct and I know the quarterly report with come in Oct for FS.