i was just about to make a post about this.
i feel completely trapped. my dh is declaring bankruptcy. (luckily married people do not have to file together) it has been a long drawn out process that was supposed to be done in the spring. our lawyer is now predicting it will be done by december!!!!!
what this does is it prevents me from getting an honest job. while it could be argued in court that i had to, both dh and the lawyer prefer a cut and dry bankruptcy case -- which means i shouldn't get a job because then the 8 dollars an hour i make (most likely part time) just might put us in a questionable bracket for the bankruptcy.
dh and i have serious issues and i often consider getting a job anyway -- the bankruptcy is clearly due to some very ignorant financial mistakes on his part.
but i have no college education. a job would have to include my kids, or be opposite my husband's, which means nights, pretty much. also it would have to be very nearby as the cost of gas is killing us.
i can't watch kids in my home because we don't even have finished floors, or walls, or a finished kitchen.
i don't think anyone would feel comfortable with the state of my home.
sooooo, i look into going back to school. i fill out all the financial aid paperwork, hoping i can get some low-interest loans to cover tution and gas and hopefully some other things i can't afford, like some clothes to wear to class. (i've gained a bunch of weight due to health issues)
i find out that with dh's solidly middle class salary, we are expected to be able to contribute to 11,000 for my education! there's no way in hell! and i would only be able to get under 8,000 in stafford loans for this first year, not much more the second......i can't afford to go to school!
and i feel sooooo ungrateful. i am not starving. i own a home with enough land for a large garden, which we get all our produce from. we have fantastic health insurance thru dh's job. but literally every bit of money we have is used on the very very basic necessities and
i have no money for my kid's birthdays in sept. i have no money to go to the thrift store and buy back to school clothes for my 8 year old. we can't afford to feed the dog anymore. there is no gas in my van and the girls and i stay at home day after day, all summer long. my dh tries to convince me every day that we need to include the van loan in the bankruptcy so we can get rid of that 200/month payment on it
even though we can't afford to put gas in it, i can't imagine being stuck at our house in the country with no vehicle and 3 kids. it's not safe. i don't know what i'm going to do. there's seemingly NO resources for "middle class" families. even when the bankruptcy is complete, there won't be much relief -- it's from old debts, we will still be so tight and paycheck-to paycheck.
aaaaaahhhhh!
