DHS, Finacial aid workers please read.

dudeinaroom

I have been through some ruff times the past few months, and am tapped out. We have barley any food in our house, and cannot afford to buy anything. We were receiving food stamps, but my wife had to re-certify. The tell us that home land security requires them to ask for a birth cert. to prove you are a us citizen. Well at 45 bucks a pop it is money I don't have, and it's like 62 to have it in under a week, so thats 90-130 bucks. We do not qualify for financial aid because I make $522 a month from unemployment(3 dollars more than they will give you). We have cut out all luxury's and are still havening a ruff time. I am as of right now driving an unregistered vehicle because the registered one broke down(and was cheaper to fix). What do I do, I need some kind of short term help until I can find a job. We are literally on the verge of us and the two kids moving into one of our vans. My wife does not want me to sell off my adcoms but I think I am going to have to.

Sorry for the long windedness,

Ted

mrbigbluelight

First, always remember: it ALWAYS gets better.

Second: sell off whatever luxuries you need to; you can always get it back.

Third: get a job doing anything. Heck, there's McDonald's around here that pay burger-flippers $8/hour. It would be nice, of course, to get something that pays more doing something you enjoy, but if you can't do that, do something where you can shut off your brain and still get the job done.

Fourth: (and this goes along with #1). During this stretch of tough times, try to imagine 5 years from now. Do you want to be able to look back at this time in your life and say, "Yeah, it sucked, but remember how we did it with a smile" ? Sure you do, so realize EVERYBODY has to go through tough times.
No avoiding it, so the only variable is how you react to those tough times.

Also, look for the opportunities that are around you at this time. Tough times bring opportunities, if you let them. The key is not to get down, but keep your head up KNOWING that opportunities are coming your way (that may sound Pollyann-ish, but it IS true).

So .... have some fun along the way.

BaggedLancer

Be careful Ted and don't let DSS come and take away your SDA's. jk

Anyway, good luck, things always get better. I hear that Home Depot is a great company to get a job with. Good money and benefits.....might be worth looking into.

G-2

pm sent

engtaz

mrbigbluelight
Well put. dudeinaroom, keep your head up and check your network of friend. Old jobs, school, church, where ever you have met friends and acquaintances. Ask if the any of job opening. I don't now your skill set so I can't recommend in side work you can do to supplement your income. I have work 2 full time job at less then 10 hr. to help in the past. Just promise your self you look for jobs 8 to 9 hours a day. No it's not easy and I hope and yes pray thinks work out for you.

Roy

shack

Get off unemployment now. Get 2 or 3 jobs if you have to....even at minimum wage. Sell anything you don't need. Let the wife work. One works days and one works nights if you can't afford childcare. I have been in a place where the wife and I had to work for next to nothing. It's hard but you get through it. Get a job as a waiter, (one of my daughter's makes over $500 a month only working a couple of days a week waiting tables). There are jobs out there, even in MI. Just do whatever it takes to make a living.

dudeinaroom

Thanks for all the replies. I have been looking for a job and so has my wife, the problem is no one seems to be hiring.as of the past couple months we have been forced to just searching online because we can't afford to spend money on gas. we live in a small town, and the next closest town is 20 miles north or south( which are not much bigger). The bigger citys are an hour away. We have to make a trip down to the bigger city today for our boys doctors appointments so we will do some searching down there seeing as we will be down there any ways. I have been told by a few different people that they are also having trouble finding jobs in our area. In the past couple of years minimum wage here went from $5.35/hour to $7.15/hour. Most of the businesses in a 45 minute radius are mom and pop type places which the jump has hurt them. A few places have gone out of business and others have streamlined. We do have a McDonalds here in town, but I have quite on them twice(last time was in `98). I'm trying to keep my head up, and I have not quit looking for jobs. I plan in sending out a dozen resumes between today and tomorrow. So hopefully some thing will happen here soon.

engtaz

Good Luck. Do lawn service or handyman stuff. Just ideas.

WilliamM2

If the town is that small, the employment situation is unlikely to change. Have you considered moving?

I'm in northern Michigan, and around here the growth is non-stop, new businesses popping up everyday. A lot of them don't pay that well, but there seems to be a job for anyone who wants one.

dudeinaroom

We are planning on moving next summer. Right now we don't have the money to move otherwise it would have been done already. Where do you live in MI.

Fireman32

Dude hope everything works out for ya. Mrbigblue gave some good advice. I'm sure it will turn around soon and get better

WilliamM2

Where do you live in MI.

Traverse City. My family also has a vacation home in Petoskey, both towns seem to be booming. The drawback is that living expenses are a little more than downstate.

On the other hand, the way the economy is headed overall in Michigan, especially since Granholm took over, it may be better in the long run to move to another state entirely.

dorokusai

I would sell all the stereo gear, there's nothing that can't be replaced.

dudeinaroom

We are planning on moving to Kalamazoo next year. They have a program down there where if your kids attend school k-12 they pay for the first 4 years at a Michigan college. I from what I have seen the job market looks pretty good down there. If we could have afforded it this year we would have moved.

dudeinaroom

dorokusai wrote: »

I would sell all the stereo gear, there's nothing that can't be replaced.

Already working on that, check the Flea market.

treitz3

If it comes down to it, you and your wife hop in your van and head down to Charlotte, NC. I'll give you a job and I have many contacts that can hook your wife up with one too. Down here jobs are plentiful, weather is wonderful and the economy is quite good. Plenty of affordable housing as well.

My mom is quite involved with the church and might be able to help as well. Best of luck with whatever path you might take. Keep your head up, and as suggested, sell what you need to get you by. They most definitely can be replaced.