Hanging In There

Saturday,  October 29, 2011

That’s how I answer when anyone asks how we’re doing.  We’re hanging in there.  We are still unemployed, and still job hunting.  We are still pinching pennies and worrying about money.  We are still making do with a ridiculously inferior health insurance policy and praying that we don’t get sick.  We are still living life in limbo.  Over four months, now.

Actually, I do have a bit of a job---contract work for the unemployment support group we have joined.  I am being paid to update the group mailing list and am also doing some of their newsletter / social media updates on a volunteer basis. This will help me fill in the gap on my resume, develop some new references, and give me some practice using software programs I had long forgotten.  Not to mention the pay will be very much appreciated.

Mr.  Struggle is still snagging an interview about every other week.  There are always several jobs in the pipeline, but they never pan out when he follows up on them.  His most recent interview, just yesterday, doesn’t look too promising: a company that has been foundering and has recently been sold, a guarantee of being asked to move not once, but at least twice, a six-day work week and a salary at least a third less than he is used to earning.  Still, we would consider the job if the company offered to pay relocation expenses, but that doesn’t sound at all likely.  I guess we'll decide when, and if, an offer comes.

We have signed up to volunteer at our local university hospital, in the hopes of learning some new skills and making some connections there, and possibly finding work.  We hope to start next month, after our interviews, health screenings and papers have been processed.  A friend  who volunteers there told me she was offered a temp job before her first day, but had to turn it down because she was afraid it would negatively affect her unemployment benefits. 

As to the finances: things have been a bit hairy.  We received an updated FAFSA saying we qualified for quite a bit more financial aid to help pay our son’s tuition at university. While waiting to hear from the university itself, we made the mistake of paying off the oven, replacing the slick tires on my minivan, and sending extra money to the doctor and to Visa. Once the checks were in the mail, we finally managed to speak to someone at the university, who confirmed that we did qualify for more aid, but unfortunately, their funds were depleted at this time of year, so we would need to pay the original amount.   In other words, we’ve been waiting since late June for absolutely nothing!  We sent the tuition  to make sure it arrived by the deadline, and were down to only $8.00 in our checking account until the next unemployment check came.  

The only reason we were able to pay the university without dipping into savings was that our application for the federal foreclosure prevention program was approved and went into effect this month.  We signed papers for a zero-percent loan, and the state agency actually made our mortgage payment this month, including taxes, insurance, and even our home equity loan payment.  This loan doesn’t have to be repaid until you sell your house, and is forgiven entirely if you stay in the house ten years.  We decided it was a better deal than taking money out of our retirement funds and paying a penalty and taxes on the withdrawal.  Even though we hated to borrow against the house, we have lived here many years and we will not be “underwater,” as so many homeowners are today.  The program can pay our mortgage for ten months, or can be cut off as soon as we find jobs.

I calculated that we spent almost the same on gasoline as we did on groceries last month---just over $300 for each category.  That was food for three, since Miss Struggle2 is still living with us, but of course she pays for her own gasoline separately.  She is also paying some “rent” as of this month, just a little, but enough to help with the extra food and utilities.  She will also begin making payments on her student loans as of next month.  Struggle, Jr., on the other hand, may require a bit of allowance to get him through the semester, as his bank account is getting dangerously low.  He isn’t working this semester, but is interning at the student newspaper and has been promised a paid position after Christmas.  Most of the campus jobs went to earlier applicants who qualified for work-study jobs.  At that time, we were well above those income limits.

I made a bunch of holiday crafts and rented a booth at the local flea market several weeks ago.  Unfortunately, the only things that sold were some old paperback books of Mr. Struggle’s, and some old shoes Miss Struggle2 donated. Maybe it was too early for people to be thinking of holiday décor, or maybe this was just the wrong venue.  The folks at this particular flea market seemed to be more interested in tattoos, biker helmets, knives and tobacco.  I probably need to try a church bazaar before I give up completely.  Of course, I'm wondering, too, if this time wouldn't be more productive if spent filling out job applications.

                                   

Middle-Class Struggle: A Possible Job Offer?

Thursday, September 8, 2011

I’m on pins and needles: Mr. Struggle just left for a job interview.  This interview is actually for a promotion to a full-time position, at the company where he has moonlighted for over four years.  It is basically placing orders, merchandising and stocking for a large, national company that distributes to retailers.  The job wouldn’t pay nearly what he was making before, but there is great growth potential, it is nearly stress-free, and the hours are fantastic compared to what he’s worked before in his previous positions as a salaried manager.  

Because this is a corporate environment, there are benefits available that had eroded at Mr. Struggle’s previous job (small business), such as a company match on retirement, and medical insurance with a reasonable deductible. It would put my mind at ease to know we could afford medical care again, should any of us need it!

We have had a long stretch of nothing---no responses from previous job interviews, followed by several days of bad news: disheartening newspaper reports of company mergers and layoffs at companies where Mr. S. had just interviewed, as well as a rejection or two from jobs for which he was extremely well qualified.  We also have had no news at all from two or three fantastic jobs that Mr. S has applied to, and are getting really tired of waiting.  We have determined that if the job is offered at today’s interview, Mr. S will take it and then continue to look for something better, especially if he isn’t give a chance at promotions fairly quickly.

We have also been brainstorming about possible business ventures the two of us could do on our own.  We have gotten a federal tax id number and have been designing business cards for this venture.  We have decided that we need to create a source of income independent from employment, so as to be more self-reliant.  In other words, we want to have more control over our income and our finances.  This idea is evolving, so I’ll report more on it as it progresses.

As to the finances: 

We are still waiting to hear back from Struggle, Jr.’s university as to our appeal of his financial aid package.  We inquired last week and were told we should have a decision before Sept. 22, which is the deadline for the current semester’s bill. 

We finally managed to gather all the required information for the mortgage assistance program and are awaiting a decision from the state agency as to whether we qualify for this program.  If Mr. Struggle gets this job today,  we may still be eligible for a lower amount and will have to decide whether we want to cancel this entirely.  This program provides a zero percent loan to help make your mortgage payments, and doesn’t require repayment until you sell your house.  A portion of the loan is actually forgiven for each year you stay in the house after the first five, so it’s a pretty good deal if you weren’t planning to move.

I have paid the minimum allowed on any bills due in the past few weeks, trying to hold on to as much cash as possible until we see what the university requires.  I did break down and send a larger payment  ($100) on the medical bill (the one that came so late), because they had told us they would send it to collections if it weren’t paid in six months.  

Did I mention that Miss Struggle2 found a job? She was called by the local school system the week before school started and offered a Teaching Assistant position at the school where she had done her student teaching.  For a fully-licensed teacher, the pay is horrendous, but given the fact that teachers are being furloughed everywhere, she realizes that she is lucky to have full-time work with benefits.  She is living at home for the time being, at least until she gets her first paycheck and is able to determine a budget.  She is deliriously happy with the job, and will surely be offered a teaching position next year.