Low Income Single Mom. Need ideas for places like the YMCA that give discounts.

[KEVIN M]

Well, fortunately for her, her family is paying for the trip planned for her and her children

Nevermind. Double Post!

 

[boomhauer]

To the OP.

I thought you said that your trips were paid for by family.

That is not what you said here:

I cannot wait to have all BF and I need for our vacation. We have spent a lot of money on this, and our children are really looking forward to this trip. Hopefully we will get everything in the mail by Friday.
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=22841124&postcount=35

I am not picking on you because you are a single mom. Heaven knows that it is a difficult job, but when you post one thing and then another, well, it makes me question your statetments.

pinnie

Thank you very much for pointing that out. I read the same thing. This was also said:

"My EX knew/knows that BF and I are going to FL and taking the children to Disney. It isn't that far of a stretch for EX to see what BF is spending for room, PH tickets, and Deluxe Dining on BF and his two kids... and figure that I must be paying the same if not more for myself and my three kids. Unfortunately now that EX has this information he could have me supeonaed to produce the trip bills.

Anyway, what is done is done... sadly I cannot go and change the fact that EX now has this information. I am willing to bet that he scanned and copied the info he received on BFs trip. I can only hope that EX doesn't decide to take me to court over this."


Call me crazy, but it doesn't sound like this trip was a gift.

 

[KEVIN M]

Stop hating on single moms Boomhauer!

 

[mickeyfan2]

Fair enough, but the OP didn't ask for financial assistance. She just asked for 'discounts/rate cuts/scholarships for low-income, single moms.'

That is quite different in my book.

"discounts/rate cuts/scholarships" are financial assistance.

Maybe she booked it, someone else paid. My dad actually paid for one night of our two night stay in a hotel once when we took the kids to baltimore for a weekend (I guess I have got a free trip!) I booked he gave me the money.

I guess she and her boyfriend paying is that family member.

"The Wonderful man from Guest Relations called me tonight to tell me that all of the documents for BF and his children are going to be mailed out tomorrow. We should have them by the end of the week. Yay!

The man from Guest Relations also told me that he is still looking into the problem with the addresses... and information being mailed to my EX. He told me that he went though all of my records and found yet another window that had EXs address... he sounded surprised to have found it. He told me that the Records Department cannot explain at the moment why this address keeps popping up. We spoke for a while and he asked me to call him back in a week to follow up on the address problem.

I cannot wait to have all BF and I need for our vacation. We have spent a lot of money on this, and our children are really looking forward to this trip. Hopefully we will get everything in the mail by Friday."

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=22841124&postcount=35

No claim of gift here.

 

[boomhauer]

Stop hating on single moms Boomhauer!

No hate from me. My wife was a single mom when we met. I've just really had enough of people claiming poverty on these boards, then taking expensive vacations. Even worse, is when they claim they were a gift, but through some digging, they weren't.

 

[mickeyfan2]

LOL! No! A babysitter where I live is more than the cost of summer camp. FYI, we are talking about daycamp, not sleepaway camp. The cheapest here is $250 and that's usually through a daycare center. An actual daycamp is roughly $350 to $400 a week.

The kids are 14 and 9. They don't need a babysitter! She wants the other summer camp not the babysitting camp.

 

[KEVIN M]

You're really just sorry that not everyone has the same values you do.
I'm a legal secretary, so I have to wonder . . . does yoursecretary qualify for the earned income credit on her taxes? If she's single, has kids, and you aren't in a high cost of living area, she might.

My secretary makes a fine living, I'll have you know! Sometimes I wonder who the boss is, though....

But I will say this, niether I nor my legal secretary have enough disposable income to pay for 3 trips to DW for 4 people in a 15 month tme span!

 

[mickeyfan2]

Well, fortunately for her, her family is paying for the trip planned for her and her children

See my other post. The family members are her and her bf.

 

[Pinnie]

Thank you very much for pointing that out. I read the same thing.
Call me crazy, but it doesn't sound like this trip was a gift.

You are welcome. I just feel using assistance should be the last resort, not a ticket to a resort.

pinnie

 

[mom2my3kids]

People should not feel sorry for all single parents, there are lots of girls at my job that live with their boyfriends. So its not on record as having two incomes so they get all kinds of assistance, while living better then me and my husband. They don't want to get married because they loose their free health care, food stamps, low cost housing, kids get free lunch, help on utilities etc. Not that the OP is that, but I see it every day and I don't feel sorry for most.

 

[GJM]

Her trip in Feb. to the Poly was also with her BF and his kids. Even if someone else did pay for the trip and it cost $3000, which I am sure ended up costing more with food and other items. Wouldn't you just try and stay somewhere cheaper and use some of that money for summer camp.

If family is paying for your trip - why not say "we have been there a couple of times the past 2 years, I could really use that money for summer camp".

I don't think anyone has a problem with you being a single mom and going to Disney. It is just how you are using money for one thing when some of that could go to camp or childcare for the summer.


I am not a single mom but things are very tight for us right now, my DS hasn't been to Disney in 3 years - because we just don't have the money. But we do find other things to do that I hope he will remember even if it is just a day at the beach.

 

[6TimeMomma]

People should not feel sorry for all single parents, there are lots of girls at my job that live with their boyfriends. So its not on record as having two incomes so they get all kinds of assistance, while living better then me and my husband. They don't want to get married because they loose their free health care, food stamps, low cost housing, kids get free lunch, help on utilities etc. Not that the OP is that, but I see it every day and I don't feel sorry for most.

Yup, yup, yup!! That's pretty much what I see here too!

 

[disalways]

Wow! This is an amazing thing happening with this thread... What are you looking for? Quoting my previous threads? It is all pretty funny.

I am who I am. My posts are all mine and accurate. My last two trips were not from my money. period. Not sure how many times I can write that. They were gifts. I was given the money for my children as combo Christmas/Birthday presents for my three children from some members of my family. In other words, my children went without presents from some members of my family so they could be given one big WDW trip for both 2007 and 2008. My children were so excited to go tot WDW for their first time in 2007, they begged for the same again. By the way, the last time I checked, a gift is a gift. You do not tell people how to gift youself or your children. I am not in a situation to tell them not to pool their money to do something fun for my children. The money was so my children could go to Disney, and we did. And we had two wonderful vacations. No apologies. We are very lucky and very blessed.

I clearly do not understand how my children being lucky enough to have a family who wants them to have fun has anything at all with how I am spending my income. One has nothing to do with the other. I am at a loss here... Again, I am finding this thread pretty funny. I have been posting here since January, and I love these boards. Especially the Budget board. I am learning a lot about saving money. The CVS threads have been so helpful. I just joined the Grocery Game to see how much I can save on groceries. I have asked this board about health insurance, and have been given wonderful information which has helped make my decision on a HSA. I think there is a group of well informed helpful people here, and I am happy to have stumbled upon you all.

I am thinking I should stop reading this thread. I do really hope that everyone who is looking for goodness knows what in my past threads enjoy themselves. lol Who knew asking such a question would cause such a witch hunt? Seriously, enjoy. Have at it.

Peace.

 

[Anjelica]

Strictly FYI but YMCA is partially funded through charitable contributions. I know the United Way gives quite a bit of money to the YMCA organizations.

 

[tasha99]

I know women who turn their noses up at me for shopping at goodwill and garage sales, while they dress their kids in brand names, full price from the mall, that I wish I could afford. And then they brag about being on welfare.

mrsklamc: We shop at Goodwill/St. Vincents/garage sales, too! It's one of the areas where we cut back so we can have more money elsewhere.

to all: Someone else mentioned that they thought doing without cable tv was living sub-standardly. We go back and forth--generally getting cable for 6 months or so, then dropping it when Comcast raises our rates. We've been "new" customers many times. There is a certain quality in our house when we don't have tv that I really value. Everyone gets really bookwormish, and I think we spend more time together. I wouldn't call having no cable sub-standard, just different. Actually better in some ways.

 

[DisneyfeverTN]

Unfortunately now that EX has this information he could have me supeonaed to produce the trip bills.

Anyway, what is done is done... sadly I cannot go and change the fact that EX now has this information. I am willing to bet that he scanned and copied the info he received on BFs trip. I can only hope that EX doesn't decide to take me to court over this."



So not only did she and her boyfriend pay for the trip themselves, she was hiding the information from her EX? Don't even ask me what I think about hiding info from the Ex. Wow. Also, if I just returned from a "gift" trip to the Poly and had very little money, there is no way I would spend $3,000 on another trip less than a year later.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

The OP said she was going to visit the Social Services office for assistance.

Summer Camp is a luxury. Vacations are a luxury. My personal opinion is that $12,000.00 could have been put to better use rather than a few weeks on a luxury vacation, especially on such a low income. Feel free to flame away at me though for expressing MY opinion.

Very true. I would love to send my kids to summer camp, but can't afford it. I never thought of looking for assistance because it is MY job to provide for my children, not anyone else's.

 

[crisi]

Wow! This is an amazing thing happening with this thread... What are you looking for? Quoting my previous threads? It is all pretty funny.

I am who I am. My posts are all mine and accurate.

I find it very sad that you find it funny that you've been discovered lying to this community. That shows a lot of disrespect for the other members of this board. I really feel sorry for the people who were kind enough to defend your behavior - who you have been lying to and now find this an endless source of amusement.

 

[Loverly]

People should not feel sorry for all single parents, there are lots of girls at my job that live with their boyfriends. So its not on record as having two incomes so they get all kinds of assistance, while living better then me and my husband. They don't want to get married because they loose their free health care, food stamps, low cost housing, kids get free lunch, help on utilities etc. Not that the OP is that, but I see it every day and I don't feel sorry for most.

My supervisor at my old job was like that. She made a decent salary and is still "engaged" for 12 years and counting, because of all the freebies she gets by staying single-esp health care paid for her 3 kids by the Government. It's a way of life for many women in the USA.

 

[taximomfor4]

Wasn't going to chime in at all, but have been a married, broke parent, a broke single parent getting assistance (reduced lunches and WIC), and once again a married parent ( some years broke, other years ok).

I say, since your children have the blessing of some enrichment in their lives already (WDW trips gifted by loving family members), leave the camp grants/scholarships for kids who would have NO enrichment without it. Only so many kids can get the scholarshipped camp rates...leave it for the ones who have nothing else.