[MomToTwoBoys]

but I am tired of being dumped on by Murphy!

We've been trying to get caught up with everything, but the more that gets dumped on us, the harder it is.

DH got sick with both the flu and pneumonia at the same time and was forced to take off a week to recouperate. This was ordered by not just one, but two doctors. He started on February 3rd and didn't go back to work until the 15th, so I guess it was more two weeks than one. He went back last Wednesday and found out that his boss had pneumonia (DH's was community pneumonia, so he got it from someone at work).

He applied for short-term disability because all of his sick days were spent (he gets three the ENTIRE year).

Now, we sit at wait and while we wait, we're supposed to be trying to get caught up on bills. I had my first ever shut-off notice served to me at the end of last month and thankfully, I had enough to pay up the two months we were behind at that point. At this point, we're behind one month on every bill except for the automatic withdrawals.

On top of that, we both ended up with tax bills that I am being deducted for each month. I dealt with it last month and now, I'll have to deal with it at least another two months to pay up. DH's will be paid in full when he files taxes this week.

We've cut back all the unnecessary expenses that we can possibly cut back on. We cancelled yesterday's day out because of money and today, our day out is free because it's Family Day.

I feel somehow like this is karma from all the years we had lots of extra money and were careless in how we spent it.

So now, I get to try to pull through this for at least another little while and hopefully, things will get better. But right now, it just sucks.

 

[Momto5RN]

so sorry
kind of in same boat 'my work was real slow for 3 months thank goodness i christmas shop and save GC i earn year round for the holiday or there might not have been much of one .

we owed alot in taxes last year because i was being zealous in paying off debt and working more, had to take out a loan to pay it so added new debt lats year after doing so well prior year paying it down.
dh and ds were both laid off in jan - became active in feb .

thankfully both got new jobs but we are short a paycheck for dh this month beause of paycheck timings so i have been working extra to try to make up for that . oldest dd had car issues ( she is still in college years lives out of home pays own rent etc so we pay 680 for that )

because of my FMS i overdo one day it can knock me out of doing any extra for 3 days. so i can only do so much .

kids didnt get any allowances this month - other then milk bread fresh fruits and veggies -been no food shopping this month . thought we would get our tax return in time to help but new ID theft programs have delayed that so wont help ,

lay offs we found out about in january - my nana died in january - i had no work so that was awful- feb is a little better new jobs found that in the long run will be better and my work is a little busier - but dhs pays all screwed up- so i am looking fwd to march !!

prayers it gets better for you .

 

[mauimagic]

Prayers for both of you - and all struggling to survive.

Have to address the idea of being punished for prior behavior - I really do not believe that is the case - bad stuff does happen to good people - and you are good people!! Sending prayers and aloha for all. Please keep us updated - it does help to talk about it.

 

[pinetree]

We are in the same boat, we take a step forward and then 2 backwards. We cant seem to actually go forward. Seems like the more we try, the more happens. Just hang in there. I know how you feel and agree it stinks!!

 

[Anna43]

BTDT more than once. All you can do is just keep on keeping on.

A couple of things. If you can cancel all automatic pays, do so. You do not want an automatic payment to come out and have an overdraft which will cost you money you cannot spare. When things are this tight, its best to pay each bill yourself so you have absolute control. Late payments are usually much less than overdrafts.

If you receive a tax refund, try to put 50% back to fund your emergency fund. All the stress on you right now would be much much less if you had a good emergency fund. Other than staying employed and controlling spending the best thing you can do for yourselves is get that EF going. I know it seems impossible right now, but its the key to your future financial well being.

Family traditions are more important the gifts at Christmas. My kids are all adults and when they talk about holidays its not the gifts they remember. They remember doing or going or seeing someone never that's the year I got some gift. The same is true for all holidays.

 

[alotofgooddeals]

right there with ya...

we were waiting for our tax return to come in to catch up the mortgage... I was told to not pay anything unless i knew i could catch it up before it was reviewed for foreclosure...so i have not paid and have been relying on the income tax return to come in to pay that amount off...Well i owed prior taxes from the year before so we did not get it when i thought we were going to...we have been living on a wing and a prayer checking everyday to see if it has been deposited so i could call and get current with the mortgage.....it has caused so much stress for dh and i...and we both had come to a point where we had accepted the inevitable if it was not received....i kept checking everday with it saying the same thing if you filed an acurate and complete return you will receive your refund within 6 weeks from the day your return was accepted...yesterday like any other day i checked again and it now says it is scheduled to be deposited on the 23rd...imagine my joy....i am still thanking Jesus and my daddy(who is in heaven and i know he puts a good word in for me)....however once the mortage is caught up we will have some left over but my middle son totaled the car last week so.....there it goes.....i don't care that the car is gone i am just thankful he is okay and we will make it through......just like you all will to...

 

[warramra]

Another one that can empathize. I feel like it has been one thing after another since 2008. We ran out of savings at the beginning of last year and 2011 we lived on a wing and a prayer. For the last six months we've constantly been behind while trying to play catch-up. Every time I think we have turned the corner something else comes up. I won't even go into detail about the run around with our mortgage holder that landed our mortgage in foreclosure and cost us an extra $700. It still makes my blood boil. The gist was 3 people telling me three different things...I finally sent them certified letter informing them I wanted one contact only...so they sent it to a lawyer . The crap was that I HAD the $$ and was trying to make a payment.

If financial issues were not stressful enough our extended families have been hit with several health issues. My SIL has terminal lung cancer, she had been doing great on the new drug for the last 9 months but this past month was readmitted and they found the cancer has again spread to her brain and now into her blood. DH's other sister was just diagnosed with leukemia at the end of January. DH is going through testing to see if he can be a marrow donar. My dad called on Valentine's Day to tell me that his prostate cancer has gotten worse and will be having surgery soon. And, my step-father is slowly dying from heart failure. The drugs he has to take has affected his mind so much that my mother cannot leave him alone.

There are so many days that I just want to throw my hands up in the air and say "Screw It", but the kids keep me in-line

 

[GrantsMom]

So sorry for all of you


I sort of feel like I am getting "financial karma" right now. Bad, bad financial decisions several years ago (basically had a house given to us free......then did an equity loan to get a hot tub, new tv. etc, etc)......and then years of excessive spending and frivolous spending......UGH!!!

We have been struggling the last 4 years...always behind on one thing or another.

I agree that always feel like I am 1 or 2 paychecks away from FINALLY getting it together and then the car breaks down or an unexpected house repair and the whole cycle starts again.

Wishing you all the best.

 

[MomToTwoBoys]

Wow, I'm so sorry you all have been having so many problems!

We ditched having to pay anything for today. Museum was free and lunch was on the inlaws, but either way, we would have eaten at home if they didn't offer.

I am definitely giving the 50% return into an emergency fund a go. After we pay back the inlaws and buy ourselves a new countertop, I'd love to stick the rest into savings. We'll see how things go Wednesday.

 

[bent]

my prayers are with all who are struggling to make it.

 

[katesmith]

It is an overstatement to claim that “money is the root of all evil,” but it is hard to refute that money difficulties can become a great cause of financial grief. According to Emel, accepting that you have a problem is the first step. Experiencing financial hardships are resulting to a financial catastrophe. It is inevitable and you must not deny its symptoms. Instead of being emotional, be realistic, wise and understanding to the problem that needs to be fixed. Being positive in life while working to rebuild emotionally after a financial catastrophe can fasten the healing process. Countless therapists work with clients who have encountered financial devastation due to major life changes and industry collapse. As The Wisdom Journal suggests, however, there is a definite psychological path out of the woods of financial difficulty.

 

[BlissMommy]

I just posted this in another forum, but our yukon ended up needing a new transmission and tires, we got all for about $1800, but it completely wiped us out. I still have two kids bdays coming up, but God is blessing us and we are going one day at a time.