Foo - Screw'em! I'm not paying!

It's been months since my last OMG I'm so broke thread... well, I'm still broke. And I'm not alone. Coworkers earning more money than me are in similar situations. It's been a combined clusterfck of financial events.

Few days ago I went to the movies with the children, $35 bucks. The first $35 bucks I spend with them since last year. They were happy, I was happy. It was a great day. And now I'm paying for it with 5 bucks in my pocket, seven days away from payday. The car has barely enough gas to get to work and back for 7 days. My kitchen, with enough boxed pasta to survive for a few weeks. But I'm sick I'm tired of this.

For the sake of my credit score health, I've been trying to pay all my debts on time or within 30 days past due. But that means pawning most of the little stuff I own and taking payday loans over and over. It was a mistake that only added to the bills a lot of financing charges and left me even worst than before.

But no more. I'll take the credit score hit. Phone Company, Cable Company, Bank (personal loan), Bank (student loan), etc etc etc... you can all go to hell. I'll make a new budget plan with the following:

* Rent
* Energy Bill
* Water Bill
* Car Payment
* Car Insurance Payment

And that's it. The fabulous five I'll call em. Everything else just screw'em, I'm not paying. I'll place the saved money aside for a rainy day like having to replace a tire or dealing with the kids getting sick. Because when **** happens, very few help and MANY take the opportunity to run you over while you are down.

If anybody else is planning on not paying some bill, go ahead and rant about it in here.

I'm not going to give you advice because I think you already know what's up.

But in terms of not paying a bill or anything I owe, I wouldn't dare. My girlfriend is in that exact same position but she has a grown 30 year old daughter who lives with her that isn't working. I won't give her advice either. It's kind of obvious what steps need to be taken in her situation.

One thing I don't know if you have considered is that if you have a credit card and you are late, they will send the interest through the roof. You are correct though, if you have to, you pay what can be taken away from you, your home, your car, etc.

You might want to think about your phone though. Most people need communication.

Cars are incredibly expensive, is there anyway to do without one? Car pooling, public transportation, etc?

But no more. I'll take the credit score hit. Phone Company, Cable Company, Bank (personal loan), Bank (student loan), etc etc etc... you can all go to hell. I'll make a new budget plan with the following:

* Rent
* Energy Bill
* Water Bill
* Car Payment
* Car Insurance Payment


A few points. Federal student loans can not be discharged so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to stop paying, if they are true 3rd party loans then it's just the credit hit. You can call and have a deferrment placed on those loans. Power and Water you should call the state and find out if there are any subsides that you can take advantage of. Rather than stop paying you should cancel your cable and phones, you can pick up pre-pay phones cheap for utility calling. Call up your insurance carrier and see if there is a higher deductible you can take advantage of to knock of some cost to your insurance ( although there is a balance here, too high and you're out the car waiting to save up the deductible ). Call your landlord to see if there is a way you can get a discount by signing a slightly longer lease.

I agree with the sentiment, but if you are really that broke you should consider chapter 7 BK. If you are going to take the hit you might as well get the debts discharged legally ( except the student loan ).

Yeah I know what to do. It still sucks lots.

My work is 30 miles away and there are many bad areas between home and office, so commuting on the bike is out of the question. I could return the car that has debt and keep only the spare car which is paid for already. But for now ex has exclusive use of the spare car, by law (long story, already posted).

Phone is a must, by law, for every parent with elementary school children in the county. But a prepaid cellphone or a magic jack thingy will suffice.

One good thing, smoking is a thing of the past as I can't afford it anymore.:thumb:

I don't have debts with interests that will go up if left unpaid. But my creditors will have a field day with my credit report and will harass me on every phone I have listed.

But even if the interest rate of my debts don't go up, my income keeps going down causing the same effect. Bonus, none... thx to the economy. Pay raise, none, thx to the economy. Delicious over time, no more, thx to the economy. And when the excuse is not the economy, then is the preparations for an upcoming department-wide outsourcing that was announced early this year and will, at best, mean a salary reduction (if we even get to keep the jobs that is).

Changing jobs, difficult... specially with my own coworkers saturating the market while abandoning the sinking ship.

Oh well... at least I'm sleeping warm some nights. :innocent: I've had it worst.

The debt collectors will eventually catch up with you.
What about getting a 2nd job?

This should be a country/western song Rubin.I think it will be another 6-12 months till it's business as usual in this country and you can go back to supplying women with extra cars.

How do you intend to remain a "playa" without any scratch in your pocket?Will you join a Moonie cult where all the benefits are free{wink,wink**?Looks like a rough road ahead for Rubin but"endeavour to persevere"dude.

The debt collectors will eventually catch up with you.
What about getting a 2nd job?

He's already got an evening job:thumb:

I feel for the OP, the economy is tough. My sister and bro-in-law were always well-off financially and they made financial investments in real estate ventures; they tried staying above water as long as possible in order keep their credit score. They relied on this for their business. Ultimately they ended up carrying too much financial burden until the bottom fell out...

Depending on your situation, contemplating bankruptcy may be a plausible and financially effective solution. In all honesty it may be wise not to pay those bills...
Stick with the fab five, and prepare for bankruptcy, bankruptcy can provide a clear path of financial reconstruction.

Again... I don't know your financial situation, but if your financial burden is such that you cannot see yourself carrying it for prolonged periods (3-5yrs or more) then the protection bankruptcy offers may be a blessing.

*student loan* = Fab 6

Phone is a must, by law, for every parent with elementary school children in the county. But a prepaid cellphone or a magic jack thingy will suffice.

Snag a google voice account and then you can have it ring multiple locations as well as having transcribed VM to email. Then get the best prepaid deal for your area and point GV to that number, but you can also point GV to your work number ( if you have a direct dial ) so you don't waste minutes when you have a land line around.

Seriously, you should research and declare BK, that way you take the credit report hit but then you are out of debt and can rebuild. It's what it's there for and you should qualify based on what you are saying here.

I would suggest you call the phone company and downgrade to minimal service and you'll have to cancel your cable service. And internet if that's not your cable company. If you call them first and try to work stuff out, maybe you can salvage something.

you know what you need? Strip bars!

Cancel your cable. Cancel your internet. You can go to the library to use the internet there, and check out books & movies for free entertainment. Reduce your phone to the cheapest plan you can get. Stop drinking alcohol & going out to eat. Sell your car (payment) don't replace it or get a really cheap beater car if you have to have one. Take the bus, walk or ride your bike. Renegotiate your student and personal loans. Stop using your credit card.

Good luck.

you know what you need? Strip bars!

Who is going to pay Rubin to strip?

Who is going to pay Rubin to strip?

Watched Shadiya(TM) bellidancing howto, I have a web cam and a paypal account. I'm game!

Are you healthy? How much is a kidney worth?

Are you healthy? How much is a kidney worth?

Can't even donate blood, let alone a kidney. :(

Didn't you buy a motorcycle when your divorce started? How much cash will that bring you?

You might think this is strange, but download Walden by Henry David Thoreau and read it. It is so good to know what you need, compared to what you have.

Didn't you buy a motorcycle when your divorce started? How much cash will that bring you?

Ouch! That was a low blow :eek: But probably good advice if you don't use the motorcycle as your main transportation.

Watched Shadiya(TM) bellidancing howto, I have a web cam and a paypal account. I'm game!

You understand this may attract a different audience than you are used to.

Have you tried a credit counseling service? Some cities offer them for free. They plan a budget for you and negotiate with your creditors so that they all get paid a certain amount each month. It will not ruin your credit report.

Didn't you buy a motorcycle when your divorce started? How much cash will that bring you?

That's what happen when you look at the pics but don't read the threads :notamused:

I posted pic and made thread of bike I *wanted* to buy. But never bought it. Lawyer fees got ahold of motorcycle funds.

Still poppin' that attitude with me I see.

I don't read half the things you post, Ruben. It's all the same anyway. :p



oooo pwnd! :D

Get a part-time job..

You could try Consumer Credit Counseling. They can not legally recommend bankruptcy, nor would they if they could. The non-profit variety gets a lot of their funding from the credit card companies/lenders.

I went through them about 10 years ago. Put me on a budget and charged me a fee based upon income. They would make payments on my behalf (after they received the money from me). But then I found out that they were not paying one of the creditors... I dropped from the program. Why should I pay a fee and not have one of the creditors not get paid?

You do what you gotta do OP, but the one thing that you have to do RIGHT NOW IS STOP USING THE PAYDAY LOANS.

Have you tried a credit counseling service? Some cities offer them for free. They plan a budget for you and negotiate with your creditors so that they all get paid a certain amount each month. It will not ruin your credit report.

Will investigate.. thx

Still poppin' that attitude with me I see.

I don't read half the things you post, Ruben. It's all the same anyway. :p



oooo pwnd! :D

liar!

When you can afford it, get a 50cc scooter. They typically get atleast 95-100mpg minimum. The higher the quality the less you'll have to pay in maintenance. That should solve your work commute problem :)

... so when are you going to stop paying for internet access? ;)

(runs)

Take a look at some of the financial advice offered by Dave Ramsey. He has some good thoughts on getting out of debt, how to do it, and how to avoid getting back into debt.

A few points. Federal student loans can not be discharged so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to stop paying, if they are true 3rd party loans then it's just the credit hit. You can call and have a deferrment placed on those loans. Power and Water you should call the state and find out if there are any subsides that you can take advantage of. Rather than stop paying you should cancel your cable and phones, you can pick up pre-pay phones cheap for utility calling. Call up your insurance carrier and see if there is a higher deductible you can take advantage of to knock of some cost to your insurance ( although there is a balance here, too high and you're out the car waiting to save up the deductible ). Call your landlord to see if there is a way you can get a discount by signing a slightly longer lease.

I agree with the sentiment, but if you are really that broke you should consider chapter 7 BK. If you are going to take the hit you might as well get the debts discharged legally ( except the student loan ).


And ohhh yeah - they will garnish those wages. Just finished paying one off like that.

I posted this on Siu Wind's thread:

I've actually been there... you give up things like cable (TV and computer), the extra phone, magazines, eating out and entertainment, shopping unless it is for necessities (toilet paper and bread - necessary, cookies, pizza and paper towels are not), I kept my old car (it's now 15 years old) and not bought new like everyone else. I am using the "car payment" to either save or pay off debt. I don't take vacations, I don't have the latest greatest electronics (I still have a great big ole TV, no flat screen) and my clothes are simple and make do from year to year. By doing this I paid off $11,000 in debt in 3 years.

Now if I need "big" money I am screwed since I have nothing of value. I never bought into jewelry and stuff. I don't own a home. The only thing I could do is cash in my 401K, such as it is.

As much as I know you want to please your kids, doing a movie ain't the way - it costs money. Take them out for a hike and teach them to appreciate nature - it's free. And basically you have to give stuff up - you can't have your cake and eat it too. You have to sacrifice. I did for 3 years. Now I am debt free and saving. You just have to make the right choices... like dieting it seems hard at first but gets easier with time.

Do you have current balance sheet? Profit/loss statements every month? There's treasures and riches to be found on those innocuous-looking pieces of paper.

No advice here but I hope things get better.

Few days ago I went to the movies with the children, $35 bucks. The first $35 bucks I spend with them since last year. They were happy, I was happy. It was a great day. And now I'm paying for it with 5 bucks in my pocket, seven days away from payday. The car has barely enough gas to get to work and back for 7 days. My kitchen, with enough boxed pasta to survive for a few weeks. But I'm sick I'm tired of this.

For the sake of my credit score health, I've been trying to pay all my debts on time or within 30 days past due. But that means pawning most of the little stuff I own and taking payday loans over and over. It was a mistake that only added to the bills a lot of financing charges and left me even worst than before.

But no more. I'll take the credit score hit. Phone Company, Cable Company, Bank (personal loan), Bank (student loan), etc etc etc... you can all go to hell. I'll make a new budget plan with the following:

* Rent
* Energy Bill
* Water Bill
* Car Payment
* Car Insurance Payment

And that's it. The fabulous five I'll call em. Everything else just screw'em, I'm not paying. I'll place the saved money aside for a rainy day like having to replace a tire or dealing with the kids getting sick. Because when **** happens, very few help and MANY take the opportunity to run you over while you are down.

If anybody else is planning on not paying some bill, go ahead and rant about it in here.

phone: do you have the cheapest plan possible or do you have some fancy dancy internet, text plan? If the fancy pants plan - get rid of it.

Cable: done get rid of it - plus you won't have to worry about making the payment.

Entertainment: If it ain't free don't do it. Your kids want you not your money. The only gas you should be buying is to get you to work and back. Can you carpool? Can you take alternative transportation at least twice a week? Get rid of collison coverage and drive carefully.

Pay day loans: Cost money. Stop the practice immediately

Pawning stuff: Do it. It just collects dust anyway.

Sit down and examine wverything you have to pay for each month. Circle the necessities and underline the extras. All extras... cancel, gone, sold whatever that way you only have ot pay for the neccesities and will have enough money.

Credit cards: If you owe any credit card debt do what you can to rid yourself of the burden. After paying my off I was amazed at all the extra money each month, especially now with the interest rates on cards. First thing is to pay them off.

Oh yeah... are there cheaper places to live? Do you conserve and save on gas, water and electricity? Are you really doing all you can to save? Really think this through - I bet your situation is better than you think - it's just your priority are messed up.

Take a look at some of the financial advice offered by Dave Ramsey. He has some good thoughts on getting out of debt, how to do it, and how to avoid getting back into debt.

+1 - helped my sister a *lot*

btw, Fry's offers dial-up access at $5.99 a month with local numbers everywhere

phone: do you have the cheapest plan possible or do you have some fancy dancy internet, text plan? If the fancy pants plan - get rid of it.

Cable: done get rid of it - plus you won't have to worry about making the payment.

Entertainment: If it ain't free don't do it. Your kids want you not your money. The only gas you should be buying is to get you to work and back. Can you carpool? Can you take alternative transportation at least twice a week? Get rid of collison coverage and drive carefully.

Pay day loans: Cost money. Stop the practice immediately

Pawning stuff: Do it. It just collects dust anyway.

Sit down and examine wverything you have to pay for each month. Circle the necessities and underline the extras. All extras... cancel, gone, sold whatever that way you only have ot pay for the neccesities and will have enough money.

Credit cards: If you owe any credit card debt do what you can to rid yourself of the burden. After paying my off I was amazed at all the extra money each month, especially now with the interest rates on cards. First thing is to pay them off.

Oh yeah... are there cheaper places to live? Do you conserve and save on gas, water and electricity? Are you really doing all you can to save? Really think this through - I bet your situation is better than you think - it's just your priority are messed up.
Amen to all that you posted.
I have cut back on more than I care to think about only because I don't need much more. I find it to be a bit of a game in addition to the right thing to do. I own and live in my house so I have a bit less to worry about in regards to getting "kicked out" of any place but I live efficiently because it makes sense to do so.
If you are ever low on food, visit the local food bank. There is always food to give out to those who need it.
Volunteer at the local rescue mission. You will be fed for your time and given a little extra to take home.
If you have to pay for water, wash your dishes in a dishpan then use the water to flush the toilet or to water your plants.
Wear your clothing a few times before washing. If you have a washer in your place, go to the laundromat to wash in a larger machine. It can save on the water and electricity you pay at your place.
Grow your own food. Your kids will enjoy doing so as well.
Cheapen up on your toiletries. Buy the cheapest ones rather than what you are used to getting regularly and/or use coupons.
Use your local library to entertain your children. Take them there to pick out a movie and to listen to the story of the week read by the librarian.
Find something that you like to do and can do for others, start a business.

fancy pants plan
Fancy pants plan?

Can't even donate blood, let alone a kidney. :(

Sperm.

ewww gross!

ewww gross!

That's the 2nd post of mine you've eww'ed in like 5 minutes! :p

To the OP, what about living in your car? You can get rid of a HUGE chunk of your expenses that way. Or roommates?

I can relate, Ruben.

In 2006, my brother-in-law lost the only job he could get, and since we were already stretched thin, adjusting to the loss of that income was a mess. I got into payday loans, too. Often, I had to choose between monthly bills and food for the household.

My employer dangled a program in front of me called "Associate in Critical Need Assistance"; I felt we were in critical need, since 1 of the 9 people that would have been homeless was my now-107-y-o stepmother. Short story on that, I got danced for seven weeks.

I eventually had to cash my 410k and profit sharing account, after 12-1/2 years with the company. The only way to do that... was to quit.

It saved the house, paid off all the bills (except one that I've been disputing ever since, as I don't have a record of getting any money from them), and paid for a few frills. While i was off work, I looked for other jobs, to no avail. But I was able to get my old job back, but at a pay rate of over $2/hour less. After three-plus years of hard work, just like I was doing before, I'm back to what I was making... in 2005.

Payday loans seem necessary; they seem a lifesaver at times. Sometimes they actually ARE, for the short term. But you HAVE to get those albatrosses off your back ASAP. They have a nasty habit of snowballing, as well.

Cut your expenses to the bone; any deal you can work, do it. Did I read correctly that you were between jobs? If so, is there day labor work available, those places where you basically just fill one-day extra body jobs. Min wage, sure, but better than NO wage.

My sincere best for you working your situation out, man.

Thx for the replies foo. Many great tips here. Sadly, I've been already doing most of the tips and still running low on cash. But I'll keep trying, there's no giving up here.

One thing that felt stupid to epic proportions not long ago (Ruben(TM) Priorities Fail story follows):

It started some weeks ago while making my budget. Due to unforeseen events, income was not enough to pay bills on time. I tried to get the essentials out of the way, but energy bill got hanging. I pawned what I could, requested extra over time @ work, etc. But many bills were past due and services were going to get cut any moment. I knew it was coming so I prepared for the worst, which was surviving without electricity.

Now keep in mind that here in Orlando people love electric. The stove, the heater, everything is electric. When you lose the energy, you are left with a roof and nothing else. Pretty much like camping. Anybody remembers my camping trip thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?624584-Food-for-Camping-Trip-%28No-Refrigeration-No-Heat%29&highlight=camping)? Truth is there was no camping trip. I knew my energy was going to get cut and there was little I could do about it.

As expected, one day I was sleeping and it got very cold. I woke up, checked thermostat and heater no worky. I grabbed some extra blankets, winded the old emergency clock and went back to sleep. And God! It really gets cold when there are no appliances generating any heat.

Anyway, few days later I got the money I needed and then some thx to ubber boss granting me overtime. Energy was back and I was literally butt naked, standing below ventilation grill, enjoying freaking warm air flowing trough mah privates. The phone rang but I left the answering machine take it because that warm air in mah butt felt so good I didn't wanted to move. It was the cable company calling, threatening to cut off the services.

Once all my body parts got warm, I returned the call. I talked with cable guy about cutting the cable tv for good. It was a no brainier. What's the point of having cable if you have no electricity to turn the tv on? But I also have internet and phone bundled with the cable. I can't get rid of those as easy. Kids school requires a home phone and job requires home broadband connection. Then cable guy says that if I cut cable tv, the other services get price hike for not having the bundle and I'll end up paying the same anyway.

At this point *got very angry and frustrated* :mad:

So I did research and found a possible solution. Local baby bell is offering cheapo broadband service for $29.95 and they no longer require you to get phone service in order to get internet. I could go with that for data and then hook up a magic jack for phone. So I called the local bell but they say my credit is bad (for paying the other bills late) and I need to give deposit. I don't have deposit... back to square one.

And same goes to other money saving measures. They are available to me *if* I invest a little bit up front. But being broke, I can only come up with the up front money by screwing something else up. :(

Shame on me for not having some money put aside for a rainy day. **** happens and you should be prepared. Kidz get sick, cars brake, payroll dept messes up and underpays, health insurance get stealth ninja hikes, etc. It happens. But looking back does not help. Looking forward is the only way to go.

I'm motivated, I'm focused and my butt is warm... I'm a fighter, a survivor.

PS for the geeky: I already tried to piggy back the nearest MacDonnals wifi with a pringles can antenna, no worky but I did enjoyed the pringles.

My heart goes out to RubenX. He's the tip of a very depressing iceberg, and they always get bigger in recessions. This particular recession of course is the worst one since WWII in many respects. The pain spans the economic strata, from white collar guys going from $300K to $70K (if they can even find a job) and having to tell their kids they'll be going to Community College instead of Tufts next year, to hard working guys like Ruben who can't keep the electric on. And the cards are stacked against you, Ruben wants to pay his bills, he simply can't, then the credit score system will make him pay for that involuntary choice with higher costs for credit for years. The Republicans and the bank lobby even tightened up the bankruptcy laws to make it much harder for consumers in Ruben's position to get some relief. This notion that there are people gaming the system, buying fur coats on their Visa cards and then diabolically declaring bankruptcy is preposterous. 99%+ of bankruptcies result from job loss or medical calamity that shreds a family's resources.

My fall out from this recession was a $100K drop in billings from 2008 to 2009, which resulted in me having to lay off one of my two full time workers. That sucked. I held on to her for 4+ months longer than I needed her trying to get enough business to save her job. Couldn't do it in the end. But I still have a business. Many do not. The only thing I still spend money on is bike crap. Fortunately for me my wife knows that cycling is the key to my sanity. She has seen me both ways. She understands. But our consequences are nothing compared to what I'm hearing about out there, so I thank God, stay grateful, keep my head down and pray for guys like Ruben here.

I don't have any answers, just prayers, thoughts and empathy. I wish you could pay the cable bill with those. In the end, you need God and family, the rest is rough, it's stressful, but it's critical to keep it in perspective. Hope you can make a go of it Ruben. Hang in there.

THX Pcad...

If things keep going south by October, when my current lease ends, I'll have to move to an even smaller/cheaper place. It would be the 3rd year in row I would scale down my living quarters due to financial constraints. Long gone are the days where I could ride MTB on my mini-mt-doom without ever getting out of my big-arse backyard. Two rooms duplex around here are going for $600 a month, and this is a pretty decent place to live. And that's as much as I could scale down if I wanna keep the privilege of being super daddy 15 days a month. I can't put a boy and a girl in the same room, each need their own. Me? I can sleep on the couch.

One thing I know for sure. I'm not gonna fricking die. Even if I have to quit everything, live on a shelter and eat at the local mission, I *will* live on. And as long as you are alive you can always recover. I'll keep my head high and my sense of humor strong.

And talking about sense of humor... You know that you are *really* effed up when great god stone-heart Pcad himself takes the time to post that he feels sorry for ya. :eek: I would post a self portrait of the OMGWTF expression on mah face but I pawned the camera to keep my butt warm. I-Thanks :thumb:

.... Did I read correctly that you were between jobs?....

Not yet but anytime now I'll be outsourced. So far it seems the outsourcing company will hire us. Makes sense, training new ppl is a pia. But nothing is on writing so anything can happen. And with the outsorccerers being based off India, hopes are next to none. Obama said he plans to tackle outsorccerers with taxes but that's far from being a done deal. Time will tell.

It's less that I feel sorry for you and more that I feel sorry for an entire nation with similar stories to tell. If you're like me, you don't want people feeing sorry for you, you just want to make it on your own. Stories like yours are very tough to hear. But not as rough as it is to live through. My step brother's whole life came off the rails the past couple of years: divorce, lost a business, home, etc. Through no apparent fault of his own from what I can see. It is crucial to understand that there but for the grace of God go all of us.

By the way, I'm not stone hearted. I am stone headed. Hence my presence here.

THX Pcad...

If things keep going south by October, when my current lease ends, I'll have to move to an even smaller/cheaper place. It would be the 3rd year in row I would scale down my living quarters due to financial constraints. Long gone are the days where I could ride MTB on my mini-mt-doom without ever getting out of my big-arse backyard. Two rooms duplex around here are going for $600 a month, and this is a pretty decent place to live. And that's as much as I could scale down if I wanna keep the privilege of being super daddy 15 days a month. I can't put a boy and a girl in the same room, each need their own. Me? I can sleep on the couch.

One thing I know for sure. I'm not gonna fricking die. Even if I have to quit everything, live on a shelter and eat at the local mission, I *will* live on. And as long as you are alive you can always recover. I'll keep my head high and my sense of humor strong.

And talking about sense of humor... You know that you are *really* effed up when great god stone-heart Pcad himself takes the time to post that he feels sorry for ya. :eek: I would post a self portrait of the OMGWTF expression on mah face but I pawned the camera to keep my butt warm. I-Thanks :thumb:

At one time in my life, due to circumstances of my own stupid doing, I was living from friend to friend and had only the change(you know those nickels, dimes and pennies you toss in a jar) I saved for years to live on. I won't feel sorry for you 'cause like you said you will live - trust me your situation is not that bad. I have a friend, her health is poor, she has no car, no phone, no TV or internet. She works part time in a sandwich shop and if they didn't feed her she wouldn't eat. Right now she is sleeping on another friend's floor. The friend helps her with bus fare so she can get to work. Although a minimal wage job, it's her only source of income. She can't qualify for assistance because of where she lives and her nationality. She just learned she is losing her job next month.

Do you really think your situation is that bad? Reuben I do understand which is why I am trying to toughen you up. Stop the excuses. Sit down and think this through. What is your PLAN to cure your debt and save money? What is your plan to a better tomorrow? Have a goal that way you know this situation isn't going to last forever. Be grateful for what you have and stop focusing on what you now don't have. You have kids that love you. Find ways to connect with them that don't need money. Use the opportunity to teach your children an extremely valuable lesson - money isn't important to be happy.

It's good to know you will be finding cheaper digs and save money. I lost a 5 bedroom house (and my entire life savings - through a "con" long story) and had to sell almost everything I owned (but I learn its just stuff nothing else) and move into a room. Talk about downsizing. Your kids can sleep with you in one room. Slumber party on the floor. They won't mind. Get over this pride thing.

And if this hasn't been your habit or leaning, maybe seek out a church to visit. You will be surprised at how the notion of "hope" gets one out of a funk.