Just need to blab about situation

[klmno]

As most of you know, I'm waiting to find out if I get a job offer in HI and if I can get them to pay me enough to live on and move out there. I don't care if I found a job around here- I'd take it if I could. But I haven't had anything come through around here and I've sent out countless resumes. I never had any trouble before with this resume and a job recruiter/headhunter assured me it wasn't a problem with references or experience but it's just the economy. I have no Plan B and I need to come up with one quick. The only things I can think of is to walk away from it all and go to my mother's- which I am sure would not last long at all. She would kick me out because she is nuts. The only other thing I can think of is to put the dogs in a shelter temporarily and myself in a shelter. But frankly, that makes it harder for me to find a job. This would be so much easier if I knew how long it would take to find a job. I'm willing to relocate to Wash. Difficult Child, NC, anywhere in VA, and the near vicinity. Does anyone have any ideas for a Plan B for me?

Now, better news!! If I get the job in HI for a salary comparable to what I'm used to making (with a cost of living adjustment), I might be able to make this work- actually, I would have no choice. I got an idea after reading Janet's suggestion about a car trade with someone in the military and I advertised (free) for a house swap. I owe on my house and am not all that close to a military base so I wasn't sure how musch response, if any, I would get. But, I got a response from someone in the army who has a townhouse near the place I'd be working in HI. Now, this might not work out but it gave me hope- maybe we could rent from each other or work something out with the banks so we don't have to be foreclosed on. This lady owes on the townhouse too - but she said it didn't have air conditioning. She said AC wasn't really needed there. Does anyone know if that's true? I told difficult child that the dogs would need to be quarantined but should be out around the time he was released and there and he didn't flip out like I thought he would. He said if he could survive being locked up a while that his dog could, too, as long as I go visit her. LOL!

I lived on credit card debt thru all this and now they are maxed out and are calling because I haven't made payments. I hated to think what this was doing to my excellent credit record but I spoke with one rep from the company today. I've been dealing with them for years on good standing but I told him I have no job right nnow and cannot work out a payment plan until I get one. He said my credit score had dropped some but he told me what it had dropped to and it's not nearly as bad as I'd thought. TG!! They are willing to work with me and lead me to believe that if a payment plan is worked out, it won't hurt the credit score anymore. Did you all know that? I've been watching this guy on Headline news and he says credit card companies will sometimes drop interest altogether if a person commits to paying a certain amount each month. The guy says to make sure you get it in writing before making a payment though. Anyway, if the CC company agrees to that and it doesn't hurt my credit score anymore, that would be excellent!

Ok, there's tonight's ramble. LOL! I just don't know what I'll do if this job doesn't work out. I need a Plan B to get a job!!

 

[Hound dog]

Ok. Hmmmmmm. I guess my plan B would be to figure out all my necessary expenses, what I just have to pay to survive. (food in stomach, lights and gas on, phone on, roof over the head, ect)

Then I'd start looking for any job that would meet or come close to meeting that requirment, even if it's just working for a temp co, walmart, or something along those lines.

That might buy you more time before you'd have to do something drastic like moving in with your Mom or going to a shelter.

If you can get a job to meet your necessary needs you can still look for work in your field......but you won't feel like the bottom is about to drop out from under you all the time.

CC co's will work with you if you've been a good customer. Often, especially with the bad economy, loan co's for homes are doing the same sometimes temporarily reducing the monthly payment to help the person survive until their financial situation improves, then payment goes back to normal. (husband and I may have to try this one) Loan co's aren't so anxious to take back houses cuz they can't unload them like they normally do.

At least this is what husband and I've discussed doing if necessary. The job market here is so poor that he may have to work 2 minimum wage jobs just to keep our heads above water. And I've got to stay in school in hopes of making the situation better in the future.

 

[klmno]

Thanks, Lisa. Unfortunately, I don't think min wage will keep a roof over my head. I'll see if I can find something though.

On a good note, dinner is left-over fried chicken, a fried potato, beans, and cornbread. Ok, it's not expensive, healthy or elegant but it's good food!

 

[Hound dog]

dinner is left-over fried chicken, a fried potatoe, beans, and cornbread

oh yum!!!!!

 

[Mattsmom277]

Umm ... none of these might interest you, but in a pinch to avoid a shelter for you and your dogs ... maybe something here would work if it came to necessity.

- Consider making a room for rent to a university student or a single person who can afford rent all inclusive and could use a break financially by house sharing. The money could supplement a low paying or minimum wage paying salary if you don't find something right away on your field. Sharing a home can be horrible but with the right person, with the right agreement on how to share the space, it can turn out to be a good thing. Even maybe someone who works the opposite shift you do so that you sort of are ships in the night, missing each other and giving you both private time in the house.

- You obviously love your dogs. How about putting an ad in the paper that you are available for dog sitting. If you find work that you need the extra income still, you could be available during the hours you aren't working or on weekends or whatever. Even if you only had a few people you dogsit for, it could offset the cost of your dogs foods, any vet bills etc. You can choose how many dogs you could comfortably handle. One? Two? And if your dogs don't get along with another, then it doesn't work out. But they might enjoy some company as well and it can be lucrative. My neighbor, I don't charge her. She's a retired widow and struggles but boy she loves her dog. I do to. When I'm not available she gladly pays the doggy daycare as she wants quality care for her dog. The expense is unreal. Undercutting the cost and offering a more close quality of care by being in a home and not a kennel? They avoid the high fee, they avoid their dogs getting kennel cough. No cages. Proper walks. Etc.

That's all I've come up with off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are other creative ideas. I'm sorry you are struggling right now. And I really hope that the Hawaii job works out of another great opportunity heads your way.

 

[klmno]

All the ideas interest me!! I've been a little busy today so haven't been on much but I will keep these in mind. I called the mortgage company today and they are willing to work with me. I found a few more ads online today that I can send resumes to- this goes a lot quicker with my files of resume and cover letter (that is easily revised) ready to attach to an email!

Someone emailed me from HI with a link to find homes there that have been foreclosed on. I haven't even looked yet and probably won't until I find out about the job and how much my credit has been effected.

difficult child and I start family therapy tomorrow- I'm not sure how that will go yet. The therapist says we'll talk about whatever difficult child wants to but all the previous profs who I've talked to says there are several things that need to be worked out in family therapy before difficult child comes home. Anyway, this is the therapist that works with difficult child individually which I find odd that a kid's todoc will do that plus the threapy for the family but an adult's therapist will not, saying it's a conflict of interest. I don't get it. But tomorrow is our first time in this situation so I don't expect a lot to come from it.

 

[Mattsmom277]

Wonderful that the mortgage place is going to work with you! That will give you a great starting point to gauge how much income you MUST have to make it work out in your current home if the HI thing doesn't pan out.

You might also consider renting in HI on base housing for a year or something if prices are outrageous or in some way beyond what will work. If it is the same as here in Canada, military support staff that are not enlisted can live in base housing so long as there is an opening of a place that isn't wait listed for a military family. It can be pricey here for some base housing, however it normally is much less than market value rent. Maybe there is a single person on base there that is in baraks and hates it and would love to rent share or pay you rent if you buy a house. Maybe a young woman who is new to the forces and doesn't want to live cramped into single barracks? That may help you off base with your housing costs if you get that job. Any savings would be helpful when adjusting to relocating and learning the new cost of living in a more pricey state.

 

[DammitJanet]

K...I think it would be a very good idea to think about taking in a roommate now. Many people are now doing what is called house sharing. Also you should think about lowering your expectations for a job in this market. Any job at this time is better than no job. Even minimum wage pays more than nothing.

 

[klmno]

Well, I will ultimately have to take whatever I can get. The current problem though is that minimum wage plus a room-mate wouldn't be enough to cover the house payment, CS, and living expenses, I would still be going further in the whole so it doesn't solve the problem, even temporarily. Now, if I can get a job even at min. wage, move out and let the house go, I might be able to find a cheap 1-BR apt somewhere, I'm not sure. I could move in with someone else but my guess is I'd have to give the dogs up. That will cost me difficult child though, probably, and make it extrememly difficult to ever break back into my profession. I just have to weigh all these things- which I am.