When I got home from work I noticed the Christmas tree stand in the front yard. Upon entering the house the Christmas tree was gone, lights neatly packed up and all needles vacuumed! Wow! Twin 2 (based on birth order) had taken it upon himself to do all this when he got home from school. I’m so proud of him! Twin 1 said he would have helped but a friend was over and he felt obligated to entertain him. Twin 2 had wrapped each light strand around cardboard and put each one into a plastic gallon size freezer bag (fleeting moment of “gee those bags are expensive” immediately replaced with pride in son for doing this).
Home front is in order. Here's the dilemma I need suggestions for. How do you budget when you don’t even have enough to pay the bills? It’s never been this bad before. Ever since I separated from my husband (a year ago) I have had problems. I know I pay the bulk of the boys’ expenses where I didn’t before. I would get more from him but unfortunately his company closed down and he has had a hard time finding work. I know he is looking and I also know it is very hard on your self esteem to be looking for work and no one wants you. He’s 53 and worked for his last company for just less than 10 years. Anyway, I digress. The point is I’m not going after him because he really doesn’t have anything. I’m now working 2 jobs and figuring out ways to bring in extra money on top of that. I don’t want to be away from the boys anymore than I already am. I have just a short time left with the boys. I know at their age they will have less and less time for me so I literally savor my time with them now. I don’t want to be working around the clock and not be able to spend ANY time with them. When you are stressed out it’s hard to see the big picture and get creative. My bills are about $1,300 a month more than my income from job #1. It will be at least 45 to 60 days before I start seeing income from job #2 but after job #2 starts rolling I will most likely lose job #1 (which is okay because my plan is to eventually be self sufficient on job #2 alone). However, in the meantime this is what I figure my options are:
1)Sell my house – but I don’t think renting is going to be much cheaper (especially since I don’t get a tax write off for rent).
2)Bankruptcy – REALLY don’t want to go there!!!
3)Take on a roommate? (Worry about how that would work with the boys especially since they are in school band and practice at home all the time – sax and drums and I wouldn’t bring a stranger into the house unless it was an 80 year-old-lady from church … and then she might have an issue with the sax and drums!!)
4)More jobs???? (Is there like a Guinness World Record for this?)
5)Debt Consolidation (Just delays the problem)
6)Can I sell my debt?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. And yes, I'm still packing my pennies away for a vacation. I just may not get to take it for 10 years 
Nothing is impossible
January 11th, 2007 at 12:11 am
January 11th, 2007 at 01:35 am 1168479352
At any rate, I'm with you and I hope you get some good advice. Just know you aren't alone.
January 11th, 2007 at 02:51 am 1168483870
Do you have anything else to sell? Car? Anything you can sell on eBay?
Write down your fixed expenses--things you absolutely have to pay each month to survive. Then look at areas you might be able to reduce, like your grocery budget. Can you sell your car, and buy one that will get you around town, but won't break the budget?
When I was a single parent, all of our clothes came from Goodwill. We were all well dressed, and no one knew that our clothes came from a thrift store.
I made all meals from scratch, and planned menu's around loss leaders. We can still eat well on just over $100.00 a month, but that doesn't include soda, chips, junk food, etc.
Get a copy of The Complete Tightwad Gazette from the library, and start with the "success stories" in the back of the book. They will really motivate you. The book also has great recipes, and ideas for cutting down on expenses. You need to get down to the bare bones. Don't worry about your credit rating, you need to pay just the bills that are necessary to live, like the mortgage, food, utilities, and have affordable transportation.
Even though the boys' father is unemployed, he could always find somethig to do to earn some money. It might hurt his pride, but he can get some kind of job, and help out with groceries.
Worrying about a tax deduction, in your financial situation isn't realistic.
It will be very hard to move to a rental, but if doing so would pay off a lot of your debts, it might be the way to go.
Good luck, and hang in there. You can make it work.
January 11th, 2007 at 03:55 am 1168487758
Can the boys take on work to pay for some of their own needs? If not now, then when they turn 16? Obviously this is the wrong time of year to mow lawns or rake leaves, but they could clean gutters on weekends if you have a ladder.
Alternatively, can the boys practice in the music room at school right after school so they aren't doing it in the house, so if you do take in a border it won't bother them? Or do you have a garage you can set up for them to practice in so it won't be so loud in the house?
I imagine if you sell your house and rent an apartment that the sax and drums practice will still be an issue with other tenants.
Good luck. Your road ahead isn't easy.
January 14th, 2007 at 02:08 am 1168740504
You still have to track your spending and budget, even if you're under and its depressing. Matter of fact, its the only time! If you were making ends meet, you wouldn't bother, right?
Remember that people are like tea. You don't know how strong they are unless they're put in hot water. I think you can get through this ... but you'll have to be willing to make massive changes. All expenses should be on the table, and you have to know what they are to face them.