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Rural towns are dying because they lack the kinds of jobs that can support a family. If your husband is unemployed then he needs to go ahead of the rest of the family and find a job in the nearest large city. You're only going to be apart a few months until the kids summer vacation anyway. If he is by himself it would be easier for him to get into a homeless shelter while he is looking for work. He can also start looking for an affordable place for the rest of the family when they are back together. Cities have much more low income government housing than rural areas. In my area rents in low income housing are fixed at 30% of household income and provide a whole range of benefits for children and families. They even have employment services.
I didn't find any free RV's in your area. It sounds like all the money you have now is going into basic living expenses so I'm not sure that suggesting buying an RV without any extra money was that useful. Maybe if your husband gets a job you could start saving and get an RV in a couple years.
Cities also have many more places with free Wifi internet access. This way you can forget about paying for cable and internet and just walk to the nearest wifi hotspot. Probably all city libraries have them so you can go there all day if necessary. Don't let your children think of the computer as a toy for playing games. It is a tool that can open a door to a better LIFE if they use it properly.
You are going to have to impress on your children the need to get the most out of their education if they are ever to have any hope of breaking out of the poverty lifestyle. They should concentrate their education on the types of skills that can get them decent paying jobs. Also if they stay out of trouble they have a very good chance of using the military to get their college degrees.
You don't want them to become like the young man I was talking to yesterday. He dropped out of high school, has a criminal record for assault and got himself covered with tattoos. He can't get into the military or find any steady work. The few nickels and dimes he makes from odd jobs goes to payments on a flashy looking car that the current owner won't even let him drive until he is finished paying for it. This kid has done everything he can to screw up his life but he tells me it's the 'white men' that are the cause of all his problems.
You can break out of this lifestyle with enough grit and determination. Keep focused on this goal and don't let these setbacks to cause you to ever stop looking for a better life.
I find it hard to grasp that the OP's family can't survive on the bare necessities on 2K a month.
You know, that's exactly what I was thinking. If you added up all the folks taking in $2K or less per month, you'd have a pretty sizeable % of our population!
My best advice is to sit down, and look at where all the $$ are going. Do you guys have smart phones with monthly plans? Do you have cable or satellite TV? Hi-speed internet? Some folks just figure these things are a necessity, I guess. Buy a Tracfone at Wally World for $9.88 and a $40 phone card to go with it. That's your phone. Any library will issue you a card with minimal ID and you can surf the web all you want there, even print pages for low fees per page. Forget the TV. It's just crap, anyway. I agree that microwaves aren't the best, but how about something called a "hot plate" for about $40-60? Just plug it in, turn it on, put a pan on top of it, and now you're cookin'.
I'm finding a total lack of imagination here, and an inability to do with any less than the best. Until you're back on your feet, you don't need the very best. Whoever posted that this is what we'll be dealing with when TSHTF, was right -- people who panic first and think later.
$2,000 a month is not chicken feed, and should be able to support a family of 4 for quite a while. All of the necessities, none of the frills. If you cut out the frills for awhile, you should be able to save something in case this ever happens again (= you'll have savings to fall back on).
Rural towns are dying because they lack the kinds of jobs that can support a family. If your husband is unemployed then he needs to go ahead of the rest of the family and find a job in the nearest large city. You're only going to be apart a few months until the kids summer vacation anyway. If he is by himself it would be easier for him to get into a homeless shelter while he is looking for work. He can also start looking for an affordable place for the rest of the family when they are back together. Cities have much more low income government housing than rural areas. In my area rents in low income housing are fixed at 30% of household income .
I disagree about small towns not having jobs available. When I lived in rural MO, I knew several employers who were frustrated at not being able to keep workers--the guys would get their first paycheck and disappear and these were decent paying jobs in trades like roofing, bricklaying, and auto body repair.
Rural towns are dying because they lack the kinds of jobs that can support a family.
Yep, you move to BFE and you lose all sorts of economic opportunities when the world doesn't come to an end. Not to mention things like health care, shopping, fine dinning, etc... I'm sure lots of people on this forum will turn their noses up and claim they don't need any of that stuff but "me thinks they doth protest to much".
Yep, you move to BFE and you lose all sorts of economic opportunities when the world doesn't come to an end. Not to mention things like health care, shopping, fine dinning, etc... I'm sure lots of people on this forum will turn their noses up and claim they don't need any of that stuff but "me thinks they doth protest to much".
Actually I am planning to move to "BFE" but my situation is almost the exact opposite from the OP. What she needs to provide for her family and keep them from living in a tent is much more likely to be found in many large cities.
I'm retired, no kids and in good health. I'm looking for peace and quiet and a small farm to to raise a few livestock. Try finding THAT in a city.
Sending the kids to relatives in Calif. is a good idea, I just wouldn't make it too long. The Florida plan doesn't sound bad, if you can get that job. For your husband, better to find employment than hang around waiting for checks. Once you get to Florida, he can start looking too. Also probably a good idea to let kids finish out school year if you can. Giving away pets, losing stuff is no big deal. Once you've got regular incomes coming in, you'll be able to replace that stuff.
I think you should move to FL now if you have a job. I have looked extensively on the internet for apartments in FL and have found some for as low as $400 per month. Your husband can take on a couple of part-time jobs in the service sector. I never had as bad times as you are in now, but I had them. What I learned most was that "life" requires a Plan A. And once you have Plan A, create a Plan B in case something goes wrong with Plan A. It isn't easy but in the long run it will work out.
Location: A Very Naughtytown In Northwestern Montanifornia U.S.A.
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Eight days later and the OP has not answered why she is becoming homeless in ten days and she makes all that money.
Something is fishy about this thread.
Camp out, the kids would most likely love it, but I'm doubting that this OP is for real, either that or someone is really bad at budgeting.
There has to be a reason, did the OP just space out on paying the rent or what.
Some folks post pity tales in hopes that kind hearted folks will offer up money.
I want to know the real reason for the so called impending homelessness.
Why will you be homeless if you have money? Is it a rent issue? Why would you seperate from your kids? If your kids can stay with your mom why can't you and your husband? You would use up quite a bit of that money sending them to CA, can't you find a cheap place to rent?
Eight days later and the OP has not answered why she is becoming homeless in ten days and she makes all that money.
Something is fishy about this thread.
I think, since it doesn't take long to know if you will get unemployment, that her husband probably just lost a good paying job. So good that they were use to living on a lot more than 2k/month. Just what I perceive from the OP but who knows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DontLookPhoto
Some folks post pity tales in hopes that kind hearted folks will offer up money.
I want to know the real reason for the so called impending homelessness.
If I had the money to help I would, it's just money.
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