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*~*~*2012 Low Income Support Group*~*~*

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finances
31K views 332 replies 58 participants last post by  gabbyraja 
#1 ·
December 2011 on through 2012's Low income support thread, for those living with a low income or struggling.

Support ONLY... no flaming!

Fall 2011's thread: http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1330532/fall-2011-low-income-support-thread

It's December and I thought I would start a new thread for the new upcoming year, to try to put a little new fresh karma/vibes into the mix! May December treat you all well and may 2012 bring you all much happiness, health and money comfort!
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#227 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by zebra15 View Post

I honestly do know. I have an un-dx issue with my hands. (I get deep sharp pain in my hands only, not my arms, just the hands The pain can last 2 mins or 2 days, no time limit and no reason.) and no one can figure it out. Not the MD, not the Neurologist and certainly not the Rhumetologist. (the rhum. told me 'well its not RA, bye- gee thanks). I also have some type of un-dx stomach issue. I'm on three stomach meds. Years ago they thought it was an ulcer but ulcers do not last years. However if I stop any of the stomach meds I have such pain that I am literally rolled up in a ball in pain crying.

Now add in the rapid weight loss.

All my PCP seems concerned about is me being anemic. I've been anemic for a decade and its because I refuse to eat meat.

Oh and I go through cycles where my hair falls out. I thought it was a stress thing, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason to this anymore.

I've given up on Dr's at this point.
maybe lupus? or fibromialgia? You poor thing :( it sounds like you're constantly in pain
 
#228 ·
I have work scheduled for 3/29 and 3/30

next week is spring break and while there could be work tomorrow 3/16 I dont think I will take it, Subbing the day before vacation and the day before St patty's day... ugh FTR, there has been NO WORK this week either... We are quickly sinking, but I have sanity...

Tonight I'm making banana bread- GO ME!
 
#229 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by zebra15 View Post

We are quickly sinking, but I have sanity
I love this! Great way to stay positive!

DH has started his new job and is working for the 6th day in a row today. He will be working tomorrow too but not sure about Monday. He is still in a sales person position but they are working on moving him up to something like an assistant manager that will come with a small raise but we don't know how much yet. They haven't actually said so yet but we think they are prepping him for store management. They only have 1 manager but are supposed to have 3 different ones (different responsibilities) so that would be awesome.I am still really nervous about our finances since even with the small raise he will be getting it won't be enough to cover all the bills but I am much less stressed than I was before he started working.

I need to figure out a way to bring in a few hundred a month from home. I've tried ChaCha and I am not working that hard for that little money. It is not worth it to be tied to the computer all the time when my kids need my attention. Hmmm...wish I was crafty and could make things to sell.
 
#230 ·
I got a call from an old college contact who came thru town a few months ago and stayed here on business- he wants me to send my resume to him cause he wants me to be his sales rep and event coordinator for the area I live in- hope to hear more about it soon. Sending him the resume on Monday.

It could totally be good for me or at least my resume to get more experience doing something like that.

YAY.

And- I am soooo tired of cleaning houses- I will prob have to still clean but at least it would be added income.
 
#231 ·
Awesome, good luck!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mom31 View Post

I got a call from an old college contact who came thru town a few months ago and stayed here on business- he wants me to send my resume to him cause he wants me to be his sales rep and event coordinator for the area I live in- hope to hear more about it soon. Sending him the resume on Monday.

It could totally be good for me or at least my resume to get more experience doing something like that.

YAY.

And- I am soooo tired of cleaning houses- I will prob have to still clean but at least it would be added income.
 
#232 ·
ooh, poor guy, he's probably exhausted to be working every day like that!

also, what is ChaCha?

Quote:
Originally Posted by maciascl View Post

I love this! Great way to stay positive!

DH has started his new job and is working for the 6th day in a row today. He will be working tomorrow too but not sure about Monday. He is still in a sales person position but they are working on moving him up to something like an assistant manager that will come with a small raise but we don't know how much yet. They haven't actually said so yet but we think they are prepping him for store management. They only have 1 manager but are supposed to have 3 different ones (different responsibilities) so that would be awesome.I am still really nervous about our finances since even with the small raise he will be getting it won't be enough to cover all the bills but I am much less stressed than I was before he started working.

I need to figure out a way to bring in a few hundred a month from home. I've tried ChaCha and I am not working that hard for that little money. It is not worth it to be tied to the computer all the time when my kids need my attention. Hmmm...wish I was crafty and could make things to sell.
 
#235 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by averysmomma05 View Post

I have been working for ChaCha for 2 years. Took a year break think I am going to start back on it.
Me too. considering going back but I'm not sure I can handle the computer time anymore. I want to garden and do other things with my life.
 
#236 ·
Things are not no hot here. We are moving in less than 2 weeks, across the country. DS has major attitude right now and I'm doing all I can to scrape together enough money to make the trip.

I am trying to plan a bit of a vacation into the trip and do some things that DS wants to do but his attitude is making me want to cancel the whole dang thing and drive right through.

Fingers crossed for better jobs in the new part of the country.
 
#237 ·
haven't seen anyone post here in a while - is this thread still open?

We're still here, still broke. Still in foreclosure - the bank is giving us the run around on getting it out of foreclosure. I'm strongly thinking of just letting it go to the bank - the roof is getting worse since we've had a lot of rain lately.

They opened our local section 8 voucher wait list a few days ago, but it's opened by lottery - i.e. even though you do the online application you are not given a spot on the list unless you win one in the lottery. *fingers crossed* we are able to get one, even though it would mean downsizing to a smaller place. I'm working now towards that goal anyways - getting rid of as much stuff as possible in a preemptive move.
 
#238 ·
UGh. I am struggling big time- summer is here and I thought I could get child care to be able to work and the funding is being cut and no one is going to be taking the state paid kids anymore...

My food stamps are going up when I went to recertify I found that they had it down I paid $0 in rent- that is very much not the case at all!!

SO it is going up by 125 a month which will help so much. I just don't know how we are going to make it to entertain the kids all day every day... I am hoping to take them with me to clean houses... but I don't know how that will go.... I am just stressing... I wish i had money to send my kids to camps and the like but even the gas to get there is to much. I feel like a really really bad mom not being able to provide these things for my kids. I am planning on starting to work in August as soon as they go back to school.... I think I can now my health is better and I really have no more choice. At all.
UGh.
 
#239 ·
We've moved. It's amazing to me that a totally different section of the country has 180 degrees different employment (so far). I had close to 4 years of banging my head against the wall in AZ and where we are now, I've been here all of a week, I've had numerous phone calls and TWO interviews scheduled for next week. (I didn't have 2 interviews all last year). Hoping that I get an offer soon and we can move out of my mothers house. My mother has some serious unDX mental issues and we really need our own place.

In bad news the usps lost an entire box of books - the box was open and no one can find the books- what was delivered instead? a plastic beach bag and towel - lovely huh? Oh well, I said we were starting over and eventually I will get everything straightened out, part of me doesn't even want to deal with the usps for anything. I want to just cut my losses and rebuild.

Still doing resumes, no less than 10 a day, many days more. answering phone calls and emails. Taking DS to the federal park system here almost daily to explore and 'hike'. We even experienced RAIN.

I'm not letting myself look for apts just yet. I want to see how these first couple interviews go. (we left everything, no furniture, no housewares, NOTHING_ just 19 boxes of stuff, legos, clothes, and books basically were shipped.) we are totally starting over and I need a job.
 
#240 ·
Frugalmama: Good luck with the house and section 8 if you do need it. We have been on the section 8 list here for almost 3 years and still nothing.

Mom31: I feel the same way. DS1 BEGS me to let him go to 'day camps' or play on a soccer team and it just breaks my heart to always have to say no.

Zebra: Sounds like so far the move has been a good thing. Crossing my fingers that a great job comes to you quickly and you can get out of your mom's house.

DH has been working for about 2 months now and they have been talking about making him a manager. But then they decided to put him in a different store because they needed sales help and he is a better sales person. So for being a better employee he is having to lead the sales team and act as a manager for no more money or an actual manager title. I am so frustrated!! Plus it isn't enough to pay our bills so I am going to have to start looking for something to make ends meet. I don't know what I am going to do. DS1 and DS2 love being homeschooled and would be devistated if I put them in school. Even then I don't know what I would do with DS3. MIL is so busy running my 20 and 13 year old nephews all over the world all day she couldn't take care of him regularly. Plus I have no skills.

I am so stressed and anxious over all of this. The most ironic thing is that DH was offered medical/dental insurance last week and that should have been a huge relief since we haven't had any in 3 years, but we couldn't even afford to accept it. I need to see a dr so bad for my anxiety. I've never wanted to do medication but I just need some relief now. I actually lie awake at night with my heart pounding out of my chest and jump at any little noise because I just know that at any moment someone is going to break in. While this is a real possibitlity I know logically it is not very likely. We are in a decent neighborhood, I am just so consumed by fear I can't control it.
 
#242 ·
Living in the Great Lakes Region means we need Umbrellas, rain coats, extra clothes for those unexpected thunderstorms, (ds hates HATES wet feet). What can I say... Target loves me. I forgot how quickly the weather can change. I've spent way too long in the desert.

No word on a job yet but I'm doing the resume dance and getting calls/emails. fingers,toes, everything crossed. heck, I may even french braid my hair for an interview if that would help!
 
#243 ·
update--- lost my job. well, technically, I "resigned" instead of getting fired... i thought it would look better. tried to reinstate my SDI but they said they had to start a whole new case because it's been so long... awesome. lost my apartment. moved all my stuff into a storage unit I don't know how to pay for next month and moved DS and I into my dad and his new girlfriend's beach town love nest. it is WEIRD. on the upside, the area is wonderful. I would love to find a place around here in the future but it's pretty expensive. when I was working i wasn't eligible for state benefits even though rent took 3/4ths of my income and i couldn't pay for food. Now I'm trying to reopen that case and I'm not getting any calls back. I feel like a failure. I'm so embarrassed to have to rely on my dad. They say we're not imposing and they are crazy about DS, but I feel very out of place and cramped here. :sigh: hopefully I can get some financial aid and do a 2month phlebotomy program so i can get another job that isn't so devious and coniving so I don't feel so wracked with guilt and anxiety about it every day. and hopefully I'll be able to afford a decent daycare for DS while I work so I don't have to beg my friends to watch him. and hopefully I don't have to work at night anymore.
 
#244 ·
Ok for future reference let them fire you so you can collect unemployment most likely...

with that said...

Go to the social service ( food stamp medical ) office! Do not call on the phone - go in to apply AND sit and wait to meet with a case worker. See what all you qualify for. You can be considered homeless since you are in short term housing with a relative I think. As far as food stamps... put in that you prepare foods seperately and then you should qualify for food stamps. If you have any other bills 9 car payment- rent at dads, responsibilit for portion of the bills ) all you have to do is have your dad write a statement that you have to pay such and such portion of this bill and you get that taken into account on your service amounts.

I am happy your dad took you in - my parents wouldn't I am always so glad when I hear of people having this as an option.

I hope you can take phelbotomy and I hope that works out for you! Good luck!
 
#246 ·
Mama is broke!! My kids and I live off the social security we receive from my late husband and the very little I make working at an organic restaurant. I'm done working next week. I'm going to be at home with the kids for the summer before I start back to school to finish my nursing degree. Jeez Louise. I was relatively comfortable until recently when I truly accessed my economic situation. Shocking. I'll be able to float the major things but it's going to be tight, squeaky tight. My son needs braces. I have a gigantic ER bill that I've been making payments on, car breaks down and we're walking, I have a controlled mental illness and my meds run (and I am very serious) $1,600/mo, etc. etc. I am 33 years old. My stress is to the moon but I love life and I still have my humor.
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My husband worked crazy and long hours managing a restaurant...65-72 hours/wk. our benefits from SS are a hair over qualifying for state aid. bummer. Fortunately, I own the house we live in and half of it, duplex, is an income property which generates some income. We'll be fine. Someone always has it worse than you. Moving forward and eventually upward and always learning.
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#247 ·
Still hanging in here. I have an interview tomorrow and another on Monday. I hope someone offers something. I need to get some money coming in. I know I've only been here a couple weeks but adult children and parents just do not mesh well. I am set with my own psych meds and DS asthma meds but I really REALLY need a job (for the money and my own mental health)

We are starting to hook up with homeschoolers, DS is starting to make friends and I may even have a few mommy friends *gasp*

In excellent news I got a statement with a ZERO balance from our old apartment- finally some good news (I didn't clean it nor did I fully empty it when we left).
 
#248 ·
hi i'm pollyanna

i moved to texas last yr because living in mass was too had finacally on me with the high cost of living.

I'm a single parent to a
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boy. i work at a fastfood restarant and right now we scrap by but this pat yr has been hard had to get a second job so i could get 45hrs a week to pay bills had to get a new car last one broke down and could afford to fix it anymore. i worked both jobs for 6 monthes and the food stamp office said i made so much they cut me down to 89/m in snap benifits. tomorrow i'm going in with my new paper work and hope for a raise in benifits because if not i will have to find another job again and i miss my time with my son :(
 
#250 ·
Hi Polly! I am a single mom to. There is a single parenting forum you should check out on here- unless you are already over there and there is also a poverty thread you may want to check out to. I am always playing the balance game with social services- if I work I have to work 2 jobs,,,because no matter what I am working for nothing basically if I lose my health insurance and food stamps and all money would go to daycare .... and I never get to see them.... it was insane... so I clean houses. I hope your snap benefits go up. They did not have down that I paid rent and my rent is $650 a month! So now that they figured that in- my fs went up.... by $100 a month. So that is good

Hugs

EMilie
 
#251 ·
i'm not sure why my benifits went down as much as they did when i got the second job. between the 2 i averaged 44hrs at 7.25/hr. i feel they didn't take into acct all my bills. it was the first time and last time i do the phone interview.

but daycare isn't even one of my expenses. My mom watches him all i need to do is bring his own food.

thanks for the welcome just trying to keep on target for paying all my bills everymonth some monthes that means we have a bit less for food.
 
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