Posted on Jul-01-04 at 10:09 PM (Eastern) by 141.153.127.164

My DH got laid off today. Same day our mortgage was approved & tomorrow is his BD. What luck. I am now job hunting. We were supposed to move last month but everything kept getting moved back. Now that it is actually happening we don't know what to do. Do we take the house we love & be poor or stay here (where we hate) & have a little $$ decisions, decisions. Wish we didn't have to make this one. We didn't even see this one coming. I already checked the state income guidelines for help & they are so low I couldn't believe it. I quit my job last year to stay home with our DS & we have been ok. Not rich by anymeans but we make it. Oh well. I guess if we had closed when we were supposed to, we would be in the house & have to make it work. Any suggestions appreciated.

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• (((hugs))) more inside..., cami_reardon, 10:17 PM, Jul-01-04
• {{{HUGS}}}, nascar_babe, 11:55 PM, Jul-01-04
  • Go to food shelves if you need too, pumamomma, 00:45 AM, Jul-02-04
• Thanks. DH is going to unemployment office, aceofbase, 08:41 AM, Jul-02-04
• More hugs & prayers for you..........., WebbTrader, 07:24 PM, Jul-02-04
  • thanks. i already found a job (m), aceofbase, 11:44 PM, Jul-02-04
    • Glad to hear it seems to be working out!, cami_reardon, 01:11 AM, Jul-03-04

Posted on Jul-01-04 at 10:17 PM (Eastern) by 68.227.174.208

Hi,

If he is just 'laid off' check with unemployment. They don't pay much BUT if the company anticpates a recall they will expedite his claim and he won't have to fill out job apps every week. Also, if there is no anticipated recall, they can get the process started because there is a waiting period for the first check.

Also, most of the time when you set up your mortgage you have a month or so until your first payment is due. This could help in this case giving you time to find a job and get organized.

Above all, keep the faith! When I got laid off, I had a really tough time because my hubby had surgery last year and had no income yet from disability. So when I lost my job we had no income. I called the utility companies and explained. They were fairly nice and gave us a little extra time which helped drastically. I put out a call for coupons/frees and made the text so it said what had happened and was up front with everyone about how much I could afford to trade for the items I needed.

The hardest hit were the kids because they are used to doing most anything they want within reason but we just had no money to let them. I'm not saying it's much better now but tomarrow we finally get my hubby's first monthly disability check so if they want to go to a movie, I could probably pay some of that for them if they have some.

It will work out! Honest. I know it seems really bad right now, but you CAN and WILL make it!

Good luck!

Cami Reardon
po box 247
valley, ne 68064

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can.
Edward Everett Hale

Posted on Jul-01-04 at 11:55 PM (Eastern) by 68.92.146.164

I can TOTALLY understand what you are going through right now. My dh is on unpaid medical leave for the summer and it always seems so strenuous. the main thing y ou have t o do is keep up your faith, and PRAY...LOTS! What I have learned through all of this is that things happen for a reason. Sometimes we may not understand those reasons, but soon you will see why everything has happened.

As far as the house goes, that one is a toughy....do you have to make a decision IMMEDIATELY, or can you wait a few days to look into a few more things?

Your dh B-Day...gifts are material things...we can always live without them. Make your dh a homemade card, and write him a love note telling him how much he is appriciated and loved, and that you understand that things happen beyond his control, and no matter what you are with him, support him, and unconditionally love him! That will mean so much more than ANY gift you could ever buy.

State assistance: it sucks! I have learned that ALOT recently...BUT...there is HOPE! for 1, now you have NO INCOME, so you cannot surpass the income guidelines. Get the State assistance application, fill it out, and turn it in...all they can do is tell you no, (which is no worse off than you are now), but they can also then point you into the right direction as to who CAN help you.

Check with local churches, shelters, Salvation Army, etc. Explain your situations..you would be suprised who you can get to help. Check garage sales for good clothes for your kids and yourselves, and make sure you use your coupons WISELY, and stockpile whatever is FREE or almost FREE. Also, some things that I have had to learn (very hard) is that even when we are STUCK on one brand, if youc an get a generic cheaper than you can a name brand with a coupon, go for it! I just had to do this with laundry stuff, and i got a HUGE thing of soap for 5.00, whereas my regular would have been 3.00 for half as much (or less).

Also, whenever you cook, save leftovers and use them for other meals. For instance, I bought a small whole chicken, bakes it in the oven, Just like a turkey, and it came out GREAT! what was left, i pulled off the bone, stuck it in the fridge and then made chicken and noodles and potatoes for dinner a couple nights later. it was like a 5.00 chicken, but fed us 2 nights.

Save your change! lol. I have an old crystal light tub that all our change goes into. You would be suprised how much it all adds up...EVERY NIGHT, we put whatever change we have in our pockets into it, plus whatever change we find around teh house, and the pennies we find in the parking lots. We have cashed it in to buy Milk, Gas, Bread, etc...I even just went the other night and bought ice, with ALL PENNIES! it ws Hilarious! lol

Main thing to do, STAY POSITIVE..it is very hard to do, but just keep thinking...we ARE going to make this! tell yourself that everyday, before you get up, before you go to bed, and ANY time you start to doubt!

It WILL get better! Shannyn

~Don't ever frown! You never know who may be falling in love with your Smile!~

"Every AIDS related death is a rip, a tear, an immutable hole in the tapesty called life. The equation is simple, if we are to continue, the disease cannot!"

Posted on Jul-02-04 at 00:45 AM (Eastern) by 170.224.224.102

Have garage sales, if your kids are old enough maybe they could mow lawns, Have a car wash, Goodwills can be nice place for things & gifts. At least at ours Target donates all their stuff that they have clearanced out so you can get new Target stuff cheaper. With the 4th of July parades & activities see if you can sell pop, etc.. along parade routes or whatever. If your hubby is laid off & can't draw unemployment he could look for another job & if he can draw unemployment & also work some that would help. Hope this helps.

Posted on Jul-02-04 at 08:41 AM (Eastern) by 141.153.127.164

I know he can find another job it is just that he was making good $$, we had insurance & his retirement. We know that he won't be able to find a job around here making what he was. He had to drive 1 hour 45 min to get to work but it was only four 10 hour days. We stayed up really late last night & decided to go ahead & close on the house next week. We have waited so long & been through to much stuff to not take it now. State assistance heree makes you show a month work of pay stubs before you can qualify for assistance so we will have to wait aa little while to do that.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I just started refunding/coupons in December so I guess I better get better at it. I was able to gets losts of stuff for free or almost free but since we didn't need it at the time, I made up baskets and gave them to people I know who really needed it. I am a little concerned about the state assistance. two years ago my sister's husband had problems with his kidneys & was off work for six months. My sister works for the state so they still had their insurace but when she signed up for state assistance, they were over the income guidelines for welfare & her car was worth to much $$ for food stamps. They actually suggested to her that she sell her car. And this wasn't a fancy-dancy car. The value of it at that time was $2100.Her reply was how am I supposed to get to work if I don't have a car?? Anyway, they eneded up getting no assistance.

We started saving our change when before my DS was born. We have put it all in an account for him. he is three now & has $1200 in his account. He will have more money than we do! No matter what, that is his money & if we have to use it it will only be for things he needs.

Thanks for all the suggesstions. I do feel a littler better now. Last night was kinda rough. But like you all siad "We'll make it!"

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Posted on Jul-02-04 at 07:24 PM (Eastern) by 4.224.204.41

When I was laid off a few years ago, we sold our house, downsized to a smaller one (we wanted to move anyway). With the money we got from our house, we were able to buy some land & a modular & pay off our debts. Because the plant said they were closing, the state (OH) paid for me to go to school & re-train for another job. Maybe your state does this - they paid for expenses too. Check with Community Action. They can help you with your job hunt also. We had a big yard sale, sold a bunch of un-needed stuff, and of course coupons & refunding helped a lot. We were able to make it on my DH's small retirement check. Now I am back at the same plant as a contractor making almost twice as much as before. So there is hope - hang in there.

HTH,
Michelle

Posted on Jul-02-04 at 11:44 PM (Eastern) by 141.153.127.164

My sister got me a job being a waitress at the family restaruant she works at. I start tomorrow at 2 so at least we will have some cash. My DH boss called today & told him that next week there will be a meeting with the company that outbid his. They will be offering jobs to about 1/2 of the guys that got laid off. Hopefully my DH is one of them. If they do hire him he will be taking a $4 pay cut but I guess that is better than no job at all. They said it will be a few weeks before it starts though. Thanks again for all the advice. I am feeling much better now & have lots of hope & faith that things will work out somehow.

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Posted on Jul-03-04 at 01:11 AM (Eastern) by 68.227.174.208

Cami Reardon
po box 247
valley, ne 68064

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can.
Edward Everett Hale