Need emergency income ideas?
ermsmom asked:
My husband works full time and is in college. We try to live below our means. Since our son was born(Nov ’07) we have had a jump in our medical bills and have to move into a more expensive place March 1st. For the first three months our rent will be 50% above normal since we have to pay the last month’s rent and deposit over those months. On top of all this, my husband has to switch jobs and we have to pay the full amount of his insurance until his new job takes over, which happens to be for the same months as we will be paying extra for rent. So, when we normally can live off of $1500/month, our bills will jump to $2800/month for three months. DH makes approx $2100/month. We have drained our savings for medical bills. Moving and changing jobs are not optional. We don’t have much stuff to sell and because of my and my sons health, I can’t work. I really need to figure out how to supplement my husbands income for these months. I’m out of ideas. Any help would be more than appreciated!
We’re on WIC. We don’t have extras (Internet is free). I cook from scratch and send food with my husband. We don’t owe money on a car. We have a small credit card balance to build credit. Payments less than $20/mo. We don’t owe medical bills because we paid out of our savings. Now I wish we hadn’t. We just have an electric heater for the bedroom and I stay in there most of the day(which is driving me crazy, I can’t wait for summer!). Most of our baby stuff is second hand. We have been living in a TRULY tiny apartment and I’m not very picky. Most everyone who has seen it says it is the smallest they have ever seen. Our new place isn’t all that big either, but at least it has a bathtub! DH is taking school off for a few months to save money, but he can’t get a second job because of his intellectual property contract. Spending isn’t our problem. Our big problem is timing, but I can’t change it. I need to find a way to temporarily supplement our income. I’ve cut everything I can think of.
When I say I can’t work, what I mean is I can’t get a full or part time job. I could do some odd jobs, like babysitting. However, my son requires so much attention with his health that it has to be something that I can work on for an hour here and there when he sleeps. And it can’t have a set schedule because I have to be able to check him on a seconds notice. I’m looking into working on the computer, but so far all I can find(that looks legitimate) are programs that require at least a months training and paying for that training. I’ve looked at medical and legal transcription. I’ve done secret shopper before, but I can’t do that now because I have to pack up all my baby’s equipment and then I have a time limit before I have to plug a monitor back in to recharge. These problems will resolve in a few months, but I really need to find something asap!
My husband works full time and is in college. We try to live below our means. Since our son was born(Nov ’07) we have had a jump in our medical bills and have to move into a more expensive place March 1st. For the first three months our rent will be 50% above normal since we have to pay the last month’s rent and deposit over those months. On top of all this, my husband has to switch jobs and we have to pay the full amount of his insurance until his new job takes over, which happens to be for the same months as we will be paying extra for rent. So, when we normally can live off of $1500/month, our bills will jump to $2800/month for three months. DH makes approx $2100/month. We have drained our savings for medical bills. Moving and changing jobs are not optional. We don’t have much stuff to sell and because of my and my sons health, I can’t work. I really need to figure out how to supplement my husbands income for these months. I’m out of ideas. Any help would be more than appreciated!
We’re on WIC. We don’t have extras (Internet is free). I cook from scratch and send food with my husband. We don’t owe money on a car. We have a small credit card balance to build credit. Payments less than $20/mo. We don’t owe medical bills because we paid out of our savings. Now I wish we hadn’t. We just have an electric heater for the bedroom and I stay in there most of the day(which is driving me crazy, I can’t wait for summer!). Most of our baby stuff is second hand. We have been living in a TRULY tiny apartment and I’m not very picky. Most everyone who has seen it says it is the smallest they have ever seen. Our new place isn’t all that big either, but at least it has a bathtub! DH is taking school off for a few months to save money, but he can’t get a second job because of his intellectual property contract. Spending isn’t our problem. Our big problem is timing, but I can’t change it. I need to find a way to temporarily supplement our income. I’ve cut everything I can think of.
When I say I can’t work, what I mean is I can’t get a full or part time job. I could do some odd jobs, like babysitting. However, my son requires so much attention with his health that it has to be something that I can work on for an hour here and there when he sleeps. And it can’t have a set schedule because I have to be able to check him on a seconds notice. I’m looking into working on the computer, but so far all I can find(that looks legitimate) are programs that require at least a months training and paying for that training. I’ve looked at medical and legal transcription. I’ve done secret shopper before, but I can’t do that now because I have to pack up all my baby’s equipment and then I have a time limit before I have to plug a monitor back in to recharge. These problems will resolve in a few months, but I really need to find something asap!
April 8th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
WOW, Well start from square 1. First Its food, lights, gas, & house. Then your husband should get a part time job or use any talents to draw in cash. pack lunches. If you have car payments sell the car with the most equity. Then buy a car for cash. Cut all house hold expences. Its like beans & rice time. There is Financial Hardships at all doctors & hospitals that they dont. tell you about. Write them a letter telling them you are financially strapped & they will send you a form to fill out. Then make sure all you utities are on the budget. Cut you HBO or any thing you can to lower your debt. You need to move to a lower rent place to live. Change your dependants to 5 at his work. this will give you more cash in your pocket. When you get back on track change it back to 3.
there is a program called WIC its for children for formula, milk, baby food etc. go to the web and check that out. I hope this helps.
April 10th, 2009 at 4:41 am
Hi friend. There are some really a good way of making money online being at home.There is no need to pay at front.Just basic knowledge of internet is enough.Further it is much much better than online paid surveys & data entry..Just try it out there is nothing to lose since u r not going to pay
April 11th, 2009 at 11:51 am
You have enough on your hands so any second job is out for you. On that note the on line jobs are all a scam as millions would be doing it if it was a truly viable option.
Cc’s answer has some good tips. The changing exemptions to the max is a great idea. Your husband will then get most all of his check. Of course more will be have to be paid a year or so from now but that it another time…….. you need to just get through.
That he dropped college for now is great. The fact that you are mind full of food and expenses is as well. But there is always a way to pare more off the bills. Depending on your bills and cancellation fees…… you might just drop cable or a land line phone.
My main point depends on your husbands schedule. Intellectual property can mean many things in many businesses. Be it corporate or to it being a DJ it only means that you can’t work for a direct competitor. In each case it means something has to be signed. You can work in any other field regardless.
Years ago I went through this kind of thing and put my pride aside. I worked in a restaurant after my normal job. I also took a stab at just stocking groceries in the middle of the night. Sure it was not my thing but the bills got paid. I did not see my family at all and I was butt tired. Now years later when I make ungodly money…….. my wife knows that I would do anything to care for my family.
Intelectual property is a copout.
April 11th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Try some online business that do not require investements. Check the links below for some ideas:
April 12th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
That is a super tough situation, and I don’t have an answer for it. But here’s a few things that might help:
You can check on your local Craigslist.org site under “gigs” to see if there are any odd jobs you (or your husband) can do. Also check out this site, although its range is much more limited:
If you meet the stringent requirements, you could apply for a work-at-home job with 1-800-FLOWERS:
If you have certain skills, you could try freelancing through
To cut expenses, get some food from a local community or church food pantry. They may also have nonfood items, such as diapers, available to give to you. You normally don’t need to be a church member, or even attend, to access their food pantry; most churches see it as a ministry outreach to the community.
Join your local Freecycle (for free) and you may be able to obtain some things you need, such as household items or things for your baby. Not having to buy these things will cut down on your expenses.
You should also look to see if there might be any church or community sponsored “free stores” in your area. These are places that give away completely free second-hand clothing and household items to needy families.
Ask at your local department of job & family services, or if that fails, start calling local churches and community service organizations to see if they know of any “free stores.” Also ask for recommendations for any other financial assistance (or other constructive) programs that might help you.
Sounds like you’re already very frugal, but you may find additional helpful info and ideas at:
Check out
to see if you can find a bank account that will pay better interest on your money, or a better deal on your car insurance or credit cards.
Another small way to cut expenses is to make your own household cleaners using basic ingredients such as bleach, baking soda, borax, salt, washing soda, white vinegar, club soda, etc. instead of purchasing store-bought ones.
You may already use your local library, but if not, remember to check there for books, audiobooks, music, movies, sometimes even videogames, and paintings you can borrow to hang on your wall.
Could you babysit in your own home? I know if you care for a lot of kids, you have to have a daycare license and follow certain rules & meet certain requirements, but that probably isn’t the case if you’re just babysitting one other child.
Couldn’t your husband sign up with a temporary agency to do some labor that is not in his field and so would not infringe upon his contract?
P.S.
If you have an electric oil-filled radiator, and the heat does not spread through larger rooms very well, try taking it out into the general apt. area and facing an electric fan towards it, to help spread the heat and warm up the apt. better.