Can I make this work? Budget help, please! - Page 2

[SunRise]

You will. There are so many small job ops while at school, just have to keep your eyes open and be flexible.  (for instance a friend of mine is looking for college student for admin tasks / lawn cutter for 5 hours a week 10 bucks an hour @ her massage and physical therapy business) 50 bucks extra is all you need to take the stress off.

I agree about not mentioning the stock. Just apply for the food stamps and see what happens.

[PenelopeJune]

I don't know how to be flexible in looking for work. I barely have two extra hours (and not in a row) between classes, and then after classes of course I have the kids. They are not old enough to look after themselves, and I have no one to watch them.

I don't see how I can not mention the stock. It's on my tax return every year.

I am really struggling here to figure out what to do. It wouldn't have been an issue, except the stock went up in price. Back when I was laying out my plan, it was well under $2,000. Now it is over $4000. Most people wouldn't complain about their stock doubling, but I am not happy.

[SunRise]

If the stock is on your tax return, then I guess you have to mention and then see what happens.

What I meant about being flexible ... open to making it happen ... not all jobs have to be 4 hour slots.  I had a job at school that required me for 1.5 hrs a few days a week to feed the kids lunch and get them back out the door - they walked home from school. And then an hour after school a few days a week. Another temp job I had was raking an elderly woman's back yard. Weekend work, (something your kids can even come too). I delivered flyers on the weekend, maybe you can all bike ride the route... These kind of jobs may just allow you a bit of cash so you dont have to spend your allocated money.   Maybe you will have to study late at night in order to squeeze in a few jobs. Its not easy, nope, but determination will help for these bumps

[Carson]

How is the stock on your tax return every year? If you are just holding the certificates, there's no taxable/reportable transaction that is occurring.

[PenelopeJune]

I don't really know, Carson. Because the stock grows, and the money earned is used to buy new stock? I don't know. I get the forms in the mail in February and give them to my tax lady. It's just another thing my grandparents told me to do every year.

[SunRise]

IF the stock is not in a sheltered account then she would have to report dividends earned and capital gains. (actually, whether its taxed sheltered or not, I think one has to report these earnings or losses)

[Carson]

Yeah, I did forget about dividends to be honest. I never hold mine. But from the OPs revised info above, it's definitely not as simple as she just has stock in her name like it sounded. If someone is actively buying and selling to generate income, then yep there are transactions being entered into.

For the op, that does stink, especially if they are organizing this on your behalf and you could definitely benefit from the income.

[SunRise]

Why don't you just apply and see what happens...put the ball in their court.

(I read that federal has a 2000 dollar resource limit but the decision is made at the state level ... not sure where you are from but this one looks promising...

http://www.massresources.org/snap-financial-eligibility.html#assethouseholds

Most households do not have an asset limit. See Which households have an asset limit? for details.

[PenelopeJune]

I'm in Kansas. According to absolutely everything I've read, I can't have more than $2000 in assets, which seems impossibly low. How is one supposed to get out of a bad sitation if they can't have more than $2000? They even asked how much cash my children have on hand. Seriously? I'm supposed to count the money in my kids' piggy banks? That's not my money! (Although I did have to borrow from them to manage to enroll them for school.) It seems really pointless to apply when I KNOW I'm going to be turned down.

I don't think anyone is actively buying and selling my stuff, I think it just automatically rolls over. I'll be honest, I've never learned much about it because my grandparents are so weird about me knowing anything it.

[SimpleLove]

Originally Posted by PenelopeJune 

I'll be honest, I've never learned much about it because my grandparents are so weird about me knowing anything it.

That's why I feel it isn't your money. They put it in your name but it sounds like you'll never have access to it. If being a grown woman- and then going through what you have - doesn't qualify in their minds, I don't know what would. I don't think there's any system that flags your past tax returns against your application.

[GoBecGo]

Have you told your grandparents what is happening?  I mean, my gran set up a trust for us that we couldn't touch until she died, but if i'd called her and said "i have $1200 to see me for 12 months and i can't get food stamps because of the stock in my name, i will be homeless unless you transfer the stock to yourself or let me sell it" then she would have done SOMETHING, even if it was just to take it out of my name.  In fact i did inherit a little when she died, and it was enough that i'd still qualify for the benefits i was on BUT because i already had savings (in case of emergency, as you say) it took me over the limit and i was able to put it into a friend's account to avoid that.  If i hadn't been able to i'd have withdrawn the cash to hide it, i would have ultimately starved if i'd had to lose my benefit.

[astromum]

See if you can get a job at a small cleaning company. There's lots of "green" ones around now, and in the smaller ones you can actually make decent money, and have the chance for a flexible schedule. (say, cleaning one or two houses a week if they just need someone to fill in, or whatever). I did this for awhile and it was worth my time way more than picking up hours at a shop or something. I know of ones that pay $20/hour. Or you could always just do it yourself, and charge whatever you like to clean someone's house! It's just kind of nice if it's through a business because you don't have to deal with as much bs, at least that was my experience haha. Good luck, you sound awesome. Also I really hope you get the child support you deserve, it's ridiculous how it's able to slip through the cracks in this country... disgusting!

[mamarhu]

A nice case worker would be able to accept a letter from your grandparents stating that you do not have access to the stocks, so that the value wouldn't be counted against you. Operative word there was "nice".
 

[PenelopeJune]

Well, and getting that letter from my grandparents (without forgery ha) would be downright impossible. They are anti-government assistance. If I ever get any assistance, I do not plan to tell them about it.

[Feministmamas]

Can you message me to verify what state you live in. I am a caseworker in PA and the resource limits are more than$2000 here and not everything is counted.