Lemon's drop-inn

[Lemon Cheesecake]

bartering still exists...done that before where I will do something for you and you help me or work on a project together (like barn building) to help each other out.

Dragoness: one good thing about earning less is that their are tax breaks for low income, especially if you have kids. You can do earned income and additional tax credit plus, depending on what State you live in, there are programs to help you with reducing power bills, food assistance etc. It helps but still doesn't reduce the stress of paycheck to paycheck.
The main thing is to reduce your costs so that you can live on the minimum. That's why I like coupons or discounts and there are certain times of the day power costs less...a new fridge saved us $70 a month on power costs.It takes a bit of time to research but there are definitely things that can be done. Groceries sales are generally about every three week cycles and add your coupon and the price is minimal. Grow your own herbs on the window sill, shop at the local discount or thrift stores, car pool, walk, over here gas is usually cheapest on a Monday...there are ways to ease the burden and make the most of what you have.

[Watery Star]

Jobs should cover the cost of living. Getting a decent paying job isn't as easy as it use to be.

I guess if you're well connected you can barter or do favors for somebody you know in return for something. I have a friend that has a large family and is very gregarious. She seems to get by doing just that.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I know people who pay for rent/mortgage more then what I earn in a whole month!! I'd never be able to eat!It's out of whack for sure. Instead of paying people to stay home on welfare the Government should use that money to supplement their salaries.

As much as a degree can sometimes be "useless" not having one keeps you, for the most part, from moving up into management and higher paying jobs. It basically takes 2 incomes to survive these days - unless you can live off your own land and live off the grid I suppose. But you'd still have to work the land, you just wouldn't be paying out to someone else or having much income coming in?

Reducing costs as much as possible still seems to be the answer. No frills living for us average people.

[npixelz]

so confusing! i'm befuddled! *o*

[dragoness129]

@ Lemon - Yeah, I know all of that because we are already living as cheaply as we can. No phone, so no phone bill. Only Cable for internet, because that is how we keep in touch with the outside world. Wifi for text and facebook apps so people can message me rather than call. We are living in a single house with my mother-in-law and her kids, though the houses is split in two (regular house, just walled off into two sections, not really a duplex build). That way we are each splitting the bills, but she cannot seem to budget for her life, and we are having to pick up even more of the bills.
No car for just, just his mom's car and it is kinda falling apart. Plus, sadly, no insurance on it because that expired and who can afford to pay over $100 for that each month? (Can't seem to get that lowered any below 100 >.<)
For food, we live off Foodstamps each month. So that is one good thing. Otherwise, we would probably only eat rice everyday because it is really cheap. >_<
My husband is looking for work still, but it is hard because he has something on his background which in itself is total bull-. My job is barely above minimum wage because I have been there for long enough to get a couple raises.
Right now we do not have to pay for any daycare because my husband is watching the girls. If he finds work, then we will probably have to pay for that as well. His mother can't watch them cause she works. The girls' uncles are in school. My mother is several states away.
-sigh- Life sucks a lot though.

[npixelz]

wow, that's bad.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

Npix: probably because you are still living at home and don't realize how much it costs to live in your own place. Ask your Mom what her household costs are :
Food, electricity, trash pick up,phone, phone service, Gas, fuel for the car, car insurance, car payment, health insurance, rent/mortgage, home insurance, property taxes, repairs...the list goes on. Then ask her how much she (your parents) makes and deduct the costs. Generally there is not much left over.

Dragoness: You are in a difficult position and I really do feel for you.

[+] SPOILER

After my Dad died when we were kids we lived off welfare for awhile until my Mom took some training and got a job and then remarried later. So I know what it is to live off beans and rice and spaghetti. Powdered milk and day old bread.Fortunately we could plant a garden and my Mom canned and froze food for the winter.

Tracfone is super cheap and I got one with double points for life.It isn't fancy like the smart phones but it can get internet. Check online for discounts and promos. Shouldn't be more then $30 to buy and include minutes. Google voice is still free I think and you can set it up to forward or for voice messages and texts.

Depending on what state you are in you can get insurance packages that include your home and car insurance - often for less then the cost of one individually! Unless you have been in accidents you should be paying a lot less then $100/month for insurance, although I guess it goes by your driving experience as well. If you are using your Mom in laws car she can't pay the insurance either? If she got her pay checks direct deposited she can have her insurance directly taken out and that might help her budget? She could insure you on the car too and that would cut your costs since it isn't your car...I am sure you probably have researched all this stuff but sometimes there are things we haven't tried.
Can you work into a management position where you are at? You don't want to give up your job until you have another in place but you are building experience. Can your hubby work where you are and get his resume/work history cleaned up?
Are your girls old enough to be in school next year? Our local high school does child care for their school credit, do you have options like that? Some churches have free day care. I know it is difficult for you to look while you are working. Well, you keep doing what you can, you seem to be the responsible and reliable one and one day you will be able to keep your head above water and hopefully begin to save and move ahead.

So I am looking through Publication 17 for our tax stuff and you are supposed to report bartering! ReallY!?:

[+] SPOILER

Bartering is an exchange of property or services.
You must include in your income, at the
time received, the fair market value of property
or services you receive in bartering. If you exchange
services with another person and you
both have agreed ahead of time on the value of
the services, that value will be accepted as fair
market value unless the value can be shown to
be otherwise.
Generally, you report this income on Schedule
C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business,
or Schedule C-EZ (Form 1040), Net Profit
From Business. However, if the barter involves
an exchange of something other than services,
such as in Example 3 below, you may have to
use another form or schedule instead.

[dragoness129]

@ Pixels - Life can be rough.

@ Lemon - The type of phone I have is Tracphone, but to get the minutes and such is still $40 for the cheapest here. That is why it is just a shell of a phone, lol.
My husband is the one driving. I still have no license. I need to try for it, but can't in her tank of a car. Too damn big. I want one of the itty bitty smart cars. 3 point turn and parallel parking would be a breeze. But he had a few accidents on the record. I think one may have fallen off by now, but there is still another that may fall off next year maybe.
I work at a Subway and know two managers personally. I really would not care for all the headache that comes with it, plus there is no moving up unless one of them gives up that position. And I had asked just yesterday if he would be able to work there, but of course they said no because the owner's policy. Apparently people actually had gone in the cooler and done things in there in the past.
My girls are currently in 1st grade this school year. They have some after school stuff, but I am not sure of what all options. My husband keeps note of that stuff.
Yeah, our family got dunked underwater in the middle of an ocean in 2012 and we have still been trying to swim to shore.

Oh wow, there is actually bartering on it, that is crazy. We never file online or by ourselves. We just pay to let the tax people do it. Jackson Hewitt does a pretty good job, so we keep going to them.

[npixelz]

Lemon: yeah, if i do that she'll start thinking i want to move out and get all emotional.
dragoness: yes it is.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

dragoness: well, looking through the tax stuff you should qualify for tax credit, additional tax credit and earned income credit which takes off about $1000 each kid or more.

[+] SPOILER

we go online to renew my tracfone. Sometimes I see a phone and minutes for $20 and you can transfer those minutes to your original phone I believe. Walmart sells the cards for minutes for like $25 too.

I am too cheap to pay someone to do my taxes. It isn't difficult unless you claim self employment and then it gets picky.If I enter it online the irs rejects it if I do it wrong so I just go back and fix it. I just am not savy on all the credits available.
If you aren't driving then your insurance will be more to start off with. In California they don't make you do anything too difficult so it is easy to pass the driving test. I had to do the test in a big cluncker so I know how intimidating that can be

Npixelz: You just present it to your Mom as you want to know what she has to go through for you and how difficult it is to survive. When she tells you what it costs tell her you might not want to move out too soon!Then she might not cry!!

[npixelz]

i could, but i'd probably get lost in the explanation and never find my way home anyways. i'll see what i can do, looking at my math book. (took workplace math last semester).

[Lemon Cheesecake]

my head is tired from math and reading today and my tummy didn't like the leftovers... I'm going to eat some veggies I think

[npixelz]

i love reading! but not math.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I wouldn't be a very good engineer

[npixelz]

i wouldn't want to be one.
hey, i just made a new thread over in forum games. it's called Song-Speak. wanna check it out?