need financial budget encouragement

[njcarita]

This may sound silly, but have you tried taking a good B Complex vitamen when feeling down? They are rather cheap when you buy them in bulk. They work as a great mood enhancer and give me energy when I take them. Give it a try for a while.

im on iron cause my ferritin and iron satuartaion was severly low........vit d cause it was almost non existant.......and potassium cause it plumpted to the point where it could have given me a heart attack.....scary scary scary.............my vit B blood levels is actually pretty good on high side...but I do take a multi that has the B's in it.......i get blood work about every 2- 3 months now to monitor my levels.............. but i have to say ever since my ferritin got into a normal range............and my vitd is getting there not yet.......the fatigue has gone down immensly............and not silly at all i saw first hand how being defiecent in potassium did to me.........quite scary

 

[njcarita]

Good luck to you! The crockpot and food.com are 2 of my best friends! There are lots of recipes that call for frozen chicken breast, and they cook in about 5 hours. If you are shopping with Amazon lots, I recommend using Swagbucks. It is easy to get enough points there to get a $5 gift card or 2 a month.

will check food.com........actually have 5 different crockpots all different sizes and shapes....................have one that has the 3 different crockpots.......will need to get it firing again soon............thanks.....one of our favorites was pulled bbq pork and russian chicken....will have to pick up those ingredients next time I venture outdoors

 

[njcarita]

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. If you have a crock pot (slow cooker), that'd be a good way to get the kiddo to start cooking. Most recipes just involve dumping everything in and letting it cook.

have 5 different crockpots will need to dust them off ...........

 

[njcarita]

Okay so start small to let the family adjust again.

Who does the grocery shopping? You can have groceries delievered depending on where you live though it isn't cheap.

Start with making 3 meals a week. Make them easy meals like breakfast(think pancakes and fruit or eggs and bacon), homemade pizza and a bag salad, or a pasta and sald.

Know what your limitations are for yourself and your family. If you can't whip up a 4 course meal then don't attempt it. Make the meal you know you can make without hurting yourself.

Make a meal calendar and include the recipe so the kids can start it or help you out if need be. Ask for their input on what they would like and how they can help with the meals.

I would start with basics like pasta, breakfast items, chicken breasts and whole chickens, pork chops or loins and bags of steam veggies and fresh fruit.

I think women put alot of guilt on themselves when not making a big beautiful meal but a meal can be tuna melts with cut up veggies. No shame in that sort of dinner either.

wonderful post ........THANK YOU......been repeating to myself over and over start small.......do what i can...........and yesterday went out twice solo to local farm and small food store............ and lastnite while running errands with husband told him to drop me off at supermarket door and he waiting in car cause he was soooooooo tired from work...so I ran in and got a few more things...................so now I have enough stuff for about 6 lunches and dinners...........and been ordering some nice staples and health and beauty stuff thru amazons subscribe and save.......

 

[njcarita]

Do you have an Aldi grocery store nearby? They have good quality food at amazing everyday prices.

No Aldis i heard they are great store to shop at for bargains

 

[njcarita]

op here...well just wanted to update....the food budget thing is undercontrol...I have been feeling much better and have been shopping and cooking etc............now i sat down today and figured out my credit card debt............and i feel physically sick over it......................a few years ago we were debt free except for house.......now I am really really really in cc debt and still have a bunch of medical bills to pay..................i know I have to look for a local part time job I can manage...........and will sit down tomorrow when I am not ready to cry my eyes out and write out a realisitc budget and stick to it..............and than a set up a system of repayment for cc's( most are still at 0% thankfully for another year)............ its going to take years to get out of this mess............but as long as we got our health....where there is a will there is a way..............just really want a corner to cry in for a while.....but I have cried more tears this year than I have in my entire life......so time to roll up sleeves and get cracking..............any ideas....suggestions....critics are all welcomed

 

[ceecee]

Keep your chin up...sounds like you are getting it under control. Don't dwell on the debt, just keep doing what you can to get out of it. Feeling better is the top priority.
Enlist the kids and on a day you feel good...cook ahead and prep ahead then fill the freezer with dishes...mark the date and what it is so the kids can even throw something in the Crock Pot. Make double recipes and freeze the other half.

 

[njcarita]

Keep your chin up...sounds like you are getting it under control. Don't dwell on the debt, just keep doing what you can to get out of it. Feeling better is the top priority.
Enlist the kids and on a day you feel good...cook ahead and prep ahead then fill the freezer with dishes...mark the date and what it is so the kids can even throw something in the Crock Pot. Make double recipes and freeze the other half.

thanks Ceecee...............now that i have the full financial picture i can start a plan of attack...............

 

[njcarita]

just wanted to update will be starting full time job close to home in about a week............first full time job in 16 years .........thankfully have felt well enough lately and think this will work out well..........really hope to start saving and start chipping away at debt........

 

[flamom]

I can relate to alot of what you're going through njcarita. hang in there and congrats on the job!

 

[Doodlebug939]

That is FANTASTIC news!!! I am so happy for you. It is really important now more than ever that you enlist the children in helping and maybe creating a chore chart. It is really important that everyone is on the same team.


I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

 

[MouseloverJD]

just wanted to update will be starting full time job close to home in about a week............first full time job in 16 years .........thankfully have felt well enough lately and think this will work out well..........really hope to start saving and start chipping away at debt........

Congrats, thats such wonderful news. Before long you should be back on track with your bills and on the road to being debt free again. It's really encouraging to read about your journey and how much you have been trying to deal with it all.

 

[Karenj2]

Hey OP - I remember reading this in July, but I didn't have anything to contribute to your immediate needs, so I didn't post, but I was thinking about you! I'm glad to hear that you seem to be getting better!

As for the actual financial/budget part, may I recommend that you look for Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University? (It's a 10 week seminar/"class" that you go to that can help you figure out your finances to get out of debt. He had some great tips about working with hospitals to consolidate debt, etc.

May I also recommend that you check out a program called YNAB? (www.youneedabudget.com) It's a program that you purchase, that you enter in your budget categories & your income, etc., and by using the program, it steers you into saving money so that you can end up budgeting for the next month using your current month's income. (i.e., you would budget for October using September's income.) (Basically it creates a "buffer".)

I use YNAB and attended FPU, and between the two of them we're accelerating paying off our car debt & saving money for some purchases down the road.

 

[njcarita]

I can relate to alot of what you're going through njcarita. hang in there and congrats on the job!

thank you

 

[njcarita]

That is FANTASTIC news!!! I am so happy for you. It is really important now more than ever that you enlist the children in helping and maybe creating a chore chart. It is really important that everyone is on the same team.


I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

yes i sat down with husband and kids and had a talk with them before i took job............and thank you..........not sure for your praise......so dont feel I earned it yet...........but all i can do is try my best and God willing get thru this mess...............but I am just grateful right now to be functioning and feeling better that has been the biggest blessing................

 

[njcarita]

Congrats, thats such wonderful news. Before long you should be back on track with your bills and on the road to being debt free again. It's really encouraging to read about your journey and how much you have been trying to deal with it all.

Thank u this year has taught me to take things one day at a time ( no choice) a very hard lesson for me to learn cause I was just a planner........I ask God for the strength to get thru just today and leave tomorrow for tomorrow........... i am very encouraged and excited about starting work in a week ad seeing those bills get pd off........

 

[njcarita]

Hey OP - I remember reading this in July, but I didn't have anything to contribute to your immediate needs, so I didn't post, but I was thinking about you! I'm glad to hear that you seem to be getting better!

As for the actual financial/budget part, may I recommend that you look for Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University? (It's a 10 week seminar/"class" that you go to that can help you figure out your finances to get out of debt. He had some great tips about working with hospitals to consolidate debt, etc.

May I also recommend that you check out a program called YNAB? (www.youneedabudget.com) It's a program that you purchase, that you enter in your budget categories & your income, etc., and by using the program, it steers you into saving money so that you can end up budgeting for the next month using your current month's income. (i.e., you would budget for October using September's income.) (Basically it creates a "buffer".)

I use YNAB and attended FPU, and between the two of them we're accelerating paying off our car debt & saving money for some purchases down the road.

thank u for yout advice and encouragement...........before my life stopped last year........ i was quite the financial wiz................till than lived on a budget etc..............my only debt was my mortgage......now its medical bills and cc bills.............cause of not being able to work my part time job last year............my husband is self emplyeed so every month varies......so I just figured out our budget for yr.......divided by 12 and take thats what we live on...............or did...............

 

[natfrac]

We went through something similar when my husband first had a stroke (mild thankfully), then his kidney's failed. We went from dual income (he made more than me) to living on my income. We took on a lot of credit card debt when we had to move to be near his kidney doctors. My husband qualified for SS Disability, but that took some time to get going and the move was expensive. Fortunately I was able to find a much better paying job to offset some of the income loss. My husband often feels guilty about the financial burden, but I feel that no amount of money can equate to saving someone's health.
It's so tough to go from debt free to feeling buried. But having a financial plan helps us stay focused. We pay off one bill at a time and celebrate those little victories.
Hang in there and know you're not alone. Many of us have dealt with or are dealing with similar situations.

 

[njcarita]

We went through something similar when my husband first had a stroke (mild thankfully), then his kidney's failed. We went from dual income (he made more than me) to living on my income. We took on a lot of credit card debt when we had to move to be near his kidney doctors. My husband qualified for SS Disability, but that took some time to get going and the move was expensive. Fortunately I was able to find a much better paying job to offset some of the income loss. My husband often feels guilty about the financial burden, but I feel that no amount of money can equate to saving someone's health.
It's so tough to go from debt free to feeling buried. But having a financial plan helps us stay focused. We pay off one bill at a time and celebrate those little victories.
Hang in there and know you're not alone. Many of us have dealt with or are dealing with similar situations.

omgoodness what a stuggle you guys have faced...............here is hoping your husband is doing much better........and wow for doing what u needed to be done...........
and Health is priceless...................u dont realize it till its compromised

 

[hsmamato2]

Op...hope you continue to feel better...it sounds like you feel that if you don't coupon and work etcetcetc you're shortchanging your family....stop stressing about that- get a new plan that works for you NOW,not what you did in the past...
Go to an Aldi Or other small discount grocery,and stock items in your house that your kids can make themselves,easily. Like instant mashed potato boxes,they're cheap and easy(my ds loves those)
cans of soup,tuna, pb&j when needed, I even keep canned fruit on the shelves for when we run out of fresh,(my dh loves those,brings him back to childhood LOL)even a simple dinner sometimes of scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast is fine...if you're having a bad day.
If you plan to stock up on your good days,then help the kids see their options for food, you won't feel such guilt on worse days-and your kids will benefit by knowing how to navigate the kitchen,and even make you some dinners!
These foods don't have to cost a fortune, and bake a cake or two on a good day,so the kids can have it for snacks throughout the week,it's cheap and easy!