"Lower Income Moms" October 2007 Support - Page 13

[LankyLizards]

Welsome spring978!! I hope you got some great deals at the thrift stores!

[Satori]

I had a mixed day but way better then yesterday.

The bad:
My student loan check still hasn't come and its now been 10 days since it was mailed from 50 miles away.

The rent is still unpaid and ummm so are all the utilities

Were down to the last roll of TP and I got about $1.50 left


The good:
Got the car payment made, thanks to a generous loan (and a lecture like this was my fault) from my parents so the repo man won't be showing up. Also learned the bank doesn't repo until 90 days and I was only at 33 days, the collections guy was full of it. I missed a lot of sleep worrying the repo guys were gonna take the car in the middle of the night or something for nothing.

Were moving soon and can't without that check, my parents understand why I need to move and offered to loan me the money to make the move if its not here by then. (I already paid for the apt stuff, just needed money for the actual move)

Called to set up utilities and found out that we qualify for CARE (20% low income discount) and MEDICAL which will give us an extra 500kWh for electric and 25 therms for gas extra baseline due to the girls health issues.

Then I called to find out about internet becasue my classes are all online and holy crap! I got cable internet for a year for $20mo (I'm paying $50mo right now)

The car isn't making that sound as bad today (hoping what ever it was didn't just fall off)

My parents gave me $30 for gas (yeah, I will hear about this forever)

I made the firm decision to go back to work as soon as the move is finished and I actually feel good about it and think I have figured out childcare.

I found enough change to wash a load of clothes and my mom washed the sheets for me at her house.

I found out I can drop down to a lower cell phone plan without penalty


So the past 2 days royally sucked but today looked much better

[LankyLizards]

That's great, Satori. If only the freaking financial aid check would come now, right? As far as toilet paper goes...um....large purse + public restroom = TP for free. Seriously. And do it at Walmart or McDonald's - they can spare a roll or two. My upstanding citizen, all-around nice guy uncle just confessed to me that he has had to do this a few times when his family was just flat broke (his wife was a SAHM for years until recently) and he actually told his priest about doing it in confession and the priest told him "family has to come first". So...did I convince you? (I swear I'm not trying to corrupt you....)

My dd's father's family is soooo awesome. Seriously, I am sort of in awe of them right now. I am short for this month's rent until the rest of my financial aid comes, so I decided to have a garage sale to make some money. Well, they are donating things for me to sell, including a fairly new refrigerator. They say the money can go to my "rent fund". I am going to bake them a bunch of cookies because it's pretty much the only thing I can afford to do. Or maybe I oculd give them all massages....

[Aura_Kitten]

OMG I'm so glad I'm not the only one here who's ever had to steal toilet paper.

And yes I know there are some mamas here at MDC who would say, "just make your own"... but when you already are coming home to a tub full of cloth diapers you have to hand-wash and hang dry, before you even start on making dinner and then homework.... well making your own toilet "paper" doesn't cut it.


/ rant

[DBZ]

Oh I would have never thought about stealing tp LOL. I usually manage to bum a roll off of a freind, but I try to avoid all that by buying a 24 pack when my child support comes in. The local food pantry gives out a roll of TP when you go there. I have a few in a secret place for those emergency moments.

Aura, I can't believe you hand wash your diapers. You should get an award or something for that!

[Satori]

Originally Posted by DBZ

Oh I would have never thought about stealing tp LOL. I usually manage to bum a roll off of a freind, but I try to avoid all that by buying a 24 pack when my child support comes in. The local food pantry gives out a roll of TP when you go there. I have a few in a secret place for those emergency moments.

Aura, I can't believe you hand wash your diapers. You should get an award or something for that!

lol, I do the same thing, never would have occurred to me either to steal tp.

[Aura_Kitten]

Originally Posted by DBZ

Oh I would have never thought about stealing tp LOL. I usually manage to bum a roll off of a freind, but I try to avoid all that by buying a 24 pack when my child support comes in. The local food pantry gives out a roll of TP when you go there. I have a few in a secret place for those emergency moments.

Aura, I can't believe you hand wash your diapers. You should get an award or something for that!

USED TO not anymore, thank God!!!!!! My little one is 3 and a half now. And thankfully we are waaaay past the hand-washing cloth dipes stage. I'm not quite that poor anymore.


You know, that brings up that I need to be more grateful for the little things more often though.... seriously, I feel really down sometimes (like this morning, walking almost a mile uphill with my littlest one in tow and carrying a ridiculously heavy bag of textbooks and other work stuff, and bitching about how my life sucks) - no, my life doesn't suck. I have a world of things to be grateful for, to be happy about when I open my eyes in the morning and that puts a smile on my face when I think about them as I'm falling asleep at night.

My best friend and I do this thing where every night, we tell each other three things that made us happy that day. I think we should start something like that here, too.


My three:

1. having a great dialogue with my professor this afternoon
2. being almost done with my midterm work, and still having a week to finish them up
and
3. that I had enough money left over from my financial aid check to pay for the medication I've been needing.

[mamamoo]

That is an awesome idea!!

Mine from yesterday:
1. We had a beautiful fall day(it was almost 70 degrees!!).
2. we went to the park with some friends.
3. Popcorn...we love popcorn. And had it last night for a snack, and my older kids made it.

[JesseMomme]

I discovered a "paper pantry" in my city, and though it was like pulling teeth : I did manage to score some TP and some paper towels (though I don't normally use paper towels....yet I just can't seem to fully jump into the family cloth thing . Thank goodness I don't have to go back there, they acted so put out. And it was at a church, too.

I've also gotten a roll or two (scratchy industrial stuff but better than nothing) from food pantries with each pick up.

[Satori]

Woo hoo! 3 things:

Money! its not my check but I can afford to buy:

Toilet paper
Moving boxes (haven't had any luck finding them) for cheap at home depot
Gas money for dd's IVIG infusion tomorrow! (about $35 with gas and parking fee's)

oh yeah, the .69 cent 42oz coke from McD's I've been craving for a couple days:

[justmama]

Can I join you all? I"m a single mama to two with one on the way. I'm a waitress. I think I definitely qualify as "lower income!" Nice to meet a few mama's in my situation. I've just spent the better part of the last 20 minutes reading the last few pages of this thread and it's inspiring how you all are doing so much with so little! Kudos to you all! I'd love to hang out and chat!

[mum4boys]

You guys are all playing into my worst fears... Yes my worst fear is running out of TP. I use to stock pile it but the stash has ran low. Glad to know there is a back up plan.

Well today sucked. My house flooded yet again. Thank GOD we rent. My first pay check has not arrived yet so it was a little stressful wondering if we would have enough money to live.

[mrskennedy]

1. Not out of TP!
2. Sister watches DS so I can do MT training
3. Enough food to last a while

[mrskennedy]

Oh yeah! And I just got a crazy-looking, crazy huge purse from DH's grandma... Which means I can get (read: steal) more TP if need be... But I've never had to... yet.

[mrskennedy]

Satori, Heidi, and everyone else who needs them!!! Hi justmama... to you too!

[mrskennedy]

Congrats on having your DD now, nature!

Have you checked out hillbilly housewife (sp?) Don't know if you eat those things, but it's helped us in a pinch or 2... :

[mrskennedy]

Originally Posted by Nature

Thanks everyone!!



We currently have a no support order from 2002. Because I'm on SSDI, I have always had TANF for her anyway because we have shared custody AND shared residential which isn't usually the case. Usually one parent has residential and the other one visitation. I have both. So basically, according to everything.. MaineCare, housing, TANF, etc.. its looked like she's been living here full time all her life. School is the only thing that has to be changed.

He offered to give me money every month. I told him that wasn't my goal and he knows that. I said for now, anything he can give will help and if I need extra things or something.. as long as he can remember not to chew my head off, I'll ask him for help then. And he said that was fine. To just come to him if I need something and let him know, he'd be happy to help. (Literally his income is way.. way.. WAY more than mine low income status. Lets just say, I'm in the lowest bracket possible. .. wait.. is low income even IN a bracket? And he's in the highest. He's not even middle income.. he's waaaay above that. Unfortunately he lives outside his means so he always feel broke.)

So right now, I think I'll just keep it the way it is. Because.. having my daughter is so much more important to me than money. I know it will be tight.. but I will find a way. I will make this work. And hopefully he'll be generous if I need it. I think he might have really grown up a bit in the past 5 years. He already said if he needs to write something out, or sign paperwork for her school.. or something to show I have her now, he'll do it. So I imagine in the future if I really wanted to ammend the court papers or needed to.. it would be ok. Just for the moment.. I don't want to rock the boat. Make sense?

He's already letting her bring all her things here and all her clothes. I told him I could buy new school clothes (which really... it would hurt me financially.. BUT. like I said.. I will find a way) and he said no need to do that. She has a ton of clothes there, and she can bring them here.

How much more could I ask for???!

I'm so incredibly shocked still..

I understand where you're coming from... But the support isn't yours, it's your DD's. She deserves it, and you deserve to know it's there, when it's coming, and how much it will be. Maybe I watch too many court shows/custody battles, but not asking for/ordering support just sends off alarm bells for me.

Whatever you decide, all the best to you and DD!

[mrskennedy]

ediesmom

[VijayOwens]

Love the idea of cutting through the gloom a little with 3 things to be grateful for!

1) Mom sent me a BP gift card or I was going to be "grounded" for a while. 2) A friend watched our girls for free so we could go to a wedding
3) It rained today for the first time in forever

And sometimes when the cupboard is almost bare I come up with the yummiest things to tide us over until payday! Today it was split pea soup and challah bread!

-Vijay

[Aura_Kitten]

1. That I had a wonderful visit with my dr this evening (1.5 hrs!!!! ...... )
2. That KFC was affordable tonight...
and
3. I got an A on my last stats exam.