I will not stress about this. I will not stress about this…
I will, of course, but it won’t do any good, will it? Last month my boss called me and asked me if I would let his buddy carry some of my papers for a few weeks, because she’s new to town and needs the money.
Well, he’s my BOSS, after all, and he could simply pull my routes completely if he wished, and I do believe in karma and all, so I let her do so. To the tune of $400.
I’ll also be out another $225ish for subs, because I had to take elderpoet to Jazz camp in Wisconsin, and had to hire other carriers to cover my routes for me. AND I’m getting divorced and will have to find funds for an attorney at some point (perhaps that can wait, I’m not sure yet.)
So, I’ll be short on my next paycheck…pretty darn short, actually. Not half, but more than a third. And I’m stressed about it, so I’m going to spend a few minutes looking at the good things in my life, especially as they pertain to moolah:
I really DO have a lot of food in the pantry. And we have an Aldi nearby, so I can shop really cheaply if I need to.
Most of my utilities are paid up, so I can delay if I must. I think I’ll be able to swing those, though. Hopefully.
I still have child support coming in from my first husband. It’s not a lot, but it will cover groceries and gas, if I’m frugal.
I can sell a heck of a lot of stuff on ebay, if I get my butt in gear NOW.
This will be really good practice for me, as I’m not quite sure how the divorce is going to affect my financial situation.
No major expenses on the calendar in the next few weeks, aside from those I’ve already set funds aside for.
Best of luck, Karol. I’ve been through this, too (divorce, financial woes)–actually I’m revisiting it a bit now (done with the divorce, but still some financial problems and I may have to move soon!) So I understand how stressful it can be.
I’m considering selling my oldest on ebay. He’s 10, pretty strong, does dishes well, good at taking out the trash, I’d offer him on approval Problem is, he’s going through that awful pre-teen thing–there’d be a lot of returns.
I’m glad you started this thread because it made me think more about the good things going on for me than the bad. I’m sending good vibes your way!
Best of luck - June has been a wicked tough month for me. If I hadn’t picked up the student library job back in April, I would never have made it. I just need to make it to the next financial aid disbursement (July 8, less than a week to go) and I’m ok. Not great shape yet - that’ll come in late August, but better. I can at least go to the grocery then - but, there is enough in the pantry for me to live until then.
The really ironic thing is that my family and aquaintances keep suggesting that I start teaching again, because I’d make so much MORE money doing that than I do carrying papers.
Except that I did all the calculations…and by the time I paid for daycare for two babies, a housekeeper (which would be an Absolute Necessity if I was gone fulltime) and the extra money that I know I’d blow on take out pizza, etc, I’d end up making LESS than I do now. At best, I’d make about the same, but with more headache and more time away from the kiddos.
So I guess I’ll hang in there and hope for the best. It’s been worse, and I just keep remembering that above all, my life is better now than it was a year ago, before I split with my husband. Regardless of how tough it gets, this is better. Way, WAY better.
And I’m sending all of you good money vibes too. It helps to know I’m not alone.
If you seriously want to get into selling on eBay, give me a yell. I’ve been building a small eBay business this year, and can offer you some helpful connections if you need them.
Hang in there – I’ve been in your shoes and it’s not fun, but things really DO work out in the end.
I’m with you, bodypoet… we’re juggling food/commuting costs/impending bills right now too. Fortuantely, we know it’s short term… my wife just started a new summer job, and in a month or so we should have plenty of cash available. And she starts a new teaching position in September, so we should be good.
The next few weeks are going to be rough (family coming to visit as well, oy), but we’ll make it through. We always find a way, and we always make it. I’m sure you will as well.
Watch out for divorce lawyers. They can milk you like the last cow on the farm. Do you have a “no-fault” divorce available in your state? I don’t know the circumstances surrounding your own situation. Please check out the links. They will point you towards pro bono legal services. Best wishes,
While I hate to see anyone is similar circumstances, it’s still sort of heartening to realize I’m not the only one shopping in the staples-only aisle, if you know what I mean… Mama Tiger, I’m going to try to remember to drop you an email, just for suggestions and moral support, if nothing else. Leechbabe, I do hope the return to work goes well. How nice to have family to help you out! My older sons have been a huge blessing since the split. Not only have they taken it upon themselves to help me get this place more homey, they’ve also chipped in with a LOT of personal time to babysit the littles so that I can get some sleep or get out of the house to get errands done, etc. Those two have major karma points, I think. pepperlandgirl, avalonian…maybe we need to start a club. Email me if you need moral support. Maybe we need a thread for broke dopers? We could fuss and complain and support each other (well, emotionally, at least) as much needed. Zen, thank you for the links. I’m going to check them out today. We do have no-fault here. Our main issues are going to be the biggies, though: custody of the babies, child support, and ownership of the house.
And Eva, I think they do have a legal clinic of some sort, but I hadn’t thought to check it out. I’ll give them a call.
I have an appointment with a lawyer next week. Her rates are about typical hereabouts, but she has a very good reputation. No idea how much a retainer will be, but maybe in a month I’ll have a bit more cash to work with.
Divorce-wise, I’m trying to keep things amicable, but I’m beginning to realize that doing so may be well-nigh impossible. This is one angry man I’m dealing with. sigh
Thanks to everyone for the support…such good people here.
Bodypoet, out of curiosity, why is a housekeeper a necessity? I’d love to have one myself, but I never saw it as a necessity. Just curious as to your situation.
On a more helpful note, if you can buy in semi-bulk and have a cooking day (god, I almost typed “cocking day”…heh), you will not only free up your evenings, but you can save a little dough, too.
Oh, and try to fit that “cocking day” in, if you can!
Carol, I just talked to a couple people in the firm. IU has a clinic - all you need to do is call the law school and find out where to show up. Another option in the area is Legal Services Organization, which provides pro bono attorneys, but you’ll need to meet certain criteria (not sure what those are). Their Bloomington number is (800) 822-4774 (toll free).
I’m not sure if you belong to a church, but apparently it’s very common for churches to pick up part or all of legal fees for someone in need.
If push comes to shove and you need to pay, the going rate in Indy is around $160 an hour for someone who knows what they’re doing - many attorneys offer payment plans.
If you still have soaps and stuff for sale, I could finally get off my lazy butt and buy some like I’ve been meaning to. I can’t buy much, but every little bit helps. Do you Paypal?
I know where you’re coming from, Karol. Airman comes off of active duty September 21st, which means we lose his income and our health insurance and daycare. And I’m leaving my job July 24th to start physical therapy and to get ready for school.
However, you’ve given me some good ideas on how to go about getting at least some extra money coming in. So I’m a lot happier now than I was yesterday, when it seemed the world was gonna crash on my head.
Oh, good, Robin, I’m glad you feel better. That feeling of impending doom is just not so much fun as it used to be, is it? I’m considering going back to school a year from now, and it’s a scary proposition. Good luck.
Cranky, let’s see…I have lots of candles and a few soaps. I can drop you an email if you like.
Munch, you’re such a sweetie. But I knew that already, of course. Thank you. I’ll make some calls and see what I can find out.
Kalhoun…oh, the cocking days of youth! Were that they were still so easy to arrange! Thank you for the smile.
The housekeeper would be sort of a necessary luxury. I’m a terrible–you can’t really comprehend “terrible” in this context unless you actually visit me–housekeeper. And that’s given the fact that I work early mornings and have the rest of the day to catch up.
It’s getting better since my ex-husband left (practicing using the “ex” here, as I feel so much better when I do); I’m finally getting the situation in hand. But if I were to go back to work full-time, I’d get overwhelmed pronto if I didn’t get some help. I could, of course, do without, but since I figured only $200/month on one (which might be juuuust enough to keep us from health-hazard status) it wouldn’t make a huge difference in my calculations…probably it would put me right back to the amount of money I actually get to pocket right now.
It’s weird to realize I make more actual money carrying papers than I would teaching…
RTFirefly, I forgot to say thank you again for your kindness. Seeing you in one of my threads always warms my heart, because you have such a history of goodness in my life. {{hugs}}
We do need a thread bodypoet. I just took out a cash advance on my credit card to cover us for the next two weeks…now if you excuse me, I’m going to go vomit.
Problem is, he’s going through that awful pre-teen thing–there’d be a lot of returns.