A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Help, please. Need suggestions.

Posted: Dec 12, 2016

I really hate writing this, but I have nowhere to turn and thought maybe I'd get some suggestions of things I can do.

Things are bad for us financially. My husband was laid off from his job a couple months ago. Within 2 weeks I got a layoff notice. We were finally getting back on our feet after another financial crisis and then this happened. He has not been able to find work (older worker) and I found a job, but it is PT and is making less than what I used to make. We now are bringing in 1/3 of what our bills are. I basically pay the mortgage, a couple of utility bills and that's all I have money for. I've been holding back our creditors, but one day they are going to want a payment (credit cards and loans). I have no money for food this week (luckily we have a bag of rice and dried beans I'll make). No money for gas to bring me into my PT job. No money to get a bus ticket. I've gotten the utilities to get partial payments so our power and water doesn't get shut off.

Last week I went to the energy assistance office and found out that we made too much money last year to qualify. She kept trying to think of suggestions of how to get our income within their guidelines, but this weekend I found out there is no way. So I know they will disapprove me.

Does anyone have any suggestions for assistance. I will do whatever is needed, but I am so dang exhausted. I wake up, do what little transcription work there is, get ready and go into work, come home and look for work. I don't do anything for fun anymore because I don't have any money. I'm living on rice, ramen noodles and water bascally. 3 years ago I had a very good position and made very good money as an MT. Now my next check I'll be lucky if I get $100 for 2 weeks of work Don't know what to do. Exhausted but not getting much sleep and crying myself to sleep with worry. We had no Thanksgiving and we will have no Christmas. We have no friends or family close by and even if we did they are all broke themselves.

Any suggestions are very welcome.

;

A few thoughts. - See msg.

[ In Reply To ..]
First off, I hope your husband has applied for unemployment. You said he was older. That's a plus in some circumstances. There are places hiring temporary workers for the holidays right now, mainly retail, but also delivery companies. Pizza companies are always looking for drivers.

You have a marketable skill. Even though things don't look well for transcriptionists these days, there are still jobs out there. You and your husband are a team. I hope he's helping you carry this load. You should not be shouldering the burden all by yourself. Good luck.

Thanks - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes he did apply for unemployment. They denied his claim because he has not worked anywhere long enough to qualify. He is helping me. We have "sit-downs" every day (sometimes 3 and 4 times a day) to go over what we need to do.

Suggestion - Backwoods Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
I am not sure what exact skills you have, but check out ratracerebellion.com. They have daily job posts that are new every day except the weekends and holidays. The jobs listed are legit work-at-home jobs, so maybe there is something in there you can do from home to earn some more money, or even get you to the point where you can get back on your feet.

If your hubby was laid off, he should have applied for unemployment. That would help. There are places looking for seasonal help right now as another response indicated. Also, you can check your local employment commission for available jobs and even get help with your resume, cover letter, etc. There are people out there too looking for someone to sit with their loved ones while they run out for groceries or need a little bit of respite time, so that is an opportunity. Check into getting into a medical office for front desk/MOA type positions. The opportunities are out there, just sometimes you have to kick over some rocks to find them.

MT is dying and everybody is jumping ship, including me as soon as I find something else. I wish you and your hubby luck. Things seem hopeless now, but will get better. Just have some faith.

Home owners are penalized (SM) - Been there done that

[ In Reply To ..]
Here are some of the things I did when I bottomed out and realized having a mortgage, regardless of no equity, stood between me and food stamps but some offices will take a look at equity and determine eligibility for medical assistance.

I called local utility companies and fell into the right category for a poor people discount on water, power and gas. I went into cable office and pretended to cancel and when she asked why, told her my story and voila' a good deal popped up and she locked it for one year.

I had garage sales, and sold a lot. Put clothes from cruises and fine office wear into consignment stores along with suitcases. Went to farmer's market and sold my Lladro for next to nothing to some nice lady. Sold fine furniture to another lady (these lady had the cash and I am not a wheeler dealer but was trying to make up enough to pay mortgage). Sold jewelry at pawn shop (held back tears and held onto the 2 most precious pieces).

Got a room mate several times when I ended up in a job which I had to leave (Spheris) and it was very difficult probably because I make poor first impressions and had little time to figure out the characters. But...it got me through that tough place.

Also, I watched utility use. I lived beside neighbor who told me he would shut his whole house down when weather was agreeable except for fridge. I guess at fuse box. His bill was 12.00 a month.

I went to emergency food shelter and they gave me some stuff after taking all my information (worth, income, bank account). He told me to not buy food, to come there, and to use food money for utilities.

I was once told "buy things you can sell" which I tried to follow.

If you are an internet person, you or husband may make a good moderator on websites. Also, go to your state web site and do "unclaimed property" search.

Consider taking up arts and crafts. Shipping has gone up but things on Amazon are cheap if you are into that. I make candles as they are too expensive to buy in my state (local tax adds 10%) and have just purchased products to make my own mascara, lip stick, lotions. Want to try shampoo as well. YouTube is where you will find many people who will show you how.

My friend sells Avon, another sells Arbonne. If you have a large circle of acquaintances, this could be lucrative.

Good luck. And by the way, Donald Trump is hiring. He has website up which should be easy to find.

help - 1shopper

[ In Reply To ..]
I really can't add anything to the suggestions you already received, but this is a very hard time of year to be going through this. Please know that I am thinking of you...

Churches/Food Banks - see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
I think this was mentioned, but I would go to local food shelters and pantries, church pantries. Many of them are "no questions asked." I do know the Harry Chapin Food Bank is--pretty sure, anyway. It's important you get good nutrition, not just starches.

I am not in your situation, but we do little things that help us. For instance, we have our water heater on a timer. I'm in a warm climate, so not everyone can do this, but we have it set to come on around 5 a.m. and turn off around 8 a.m. This leaves enough hot water in there for our showers and dishes. Nobody needs a water temp of 140 degrees unless you're in an industry where you're washing linens and/or dishes for the public.

Also, keep in mind that you don't necessarily need to wash all your clothes in hot or warm water. I have completely turned off the "hot" spigot of my washing machine.

I'm also a person who doesn't leave lights on when not needed. My outdoor lights are almost never on, unless I'm expecting company. I live in a safe enough neighborhood to do that. No room lights are on unless we're in that room.

Go easy on your gas pedal. The more you move your foot up and down on the pedal, the more gas you're using. Use a steady left foot and don't go fast off the line at a light, lol. I went from getting 27 MPG to over 30 MPG now. Oh, and remember--unless you have a high performance car, or your auto manual says otherwise, you don't need premium!

We also don't let our water run when brushing our teeth. We wet the brush, turn off the water, and that's it until the rinse. Ditto for washing your face. You can use the same method in the shower, but that's annoying.

A lot of little things can make a difference in a utility bill.

Good luck to you!

Why Did This - Not Paragraph?

[ In Reply To ..]
I used well-appointed paragraphing in my post. Why did it come up as one paragraph? I even went back to edit using 2 full spaces, and it still didn't "take."

Julia - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Filing for bankruptcy and going to the food pantries as well as other suggestions already provided are good ideas.

You can still have Christmas. Christmas is not a day or a financial position. Christmas is in your heart and sharing it with the ones you love. This is hard I know, but do it anyway. You and your husband still have each other and you will find a way through this. I do not know how, but being broke never killed anyone. Please know that you are in my heart and in my prayers, not just today, but for quite a while. God bless.

I Agree - With sm Poster

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree with the poster who said that you can have a Christmas with your spouse. You don't need presents. You just need your hearts. Heck, turn off all the electricity, light some candles, have some romance. Romance is free and will make you feel better. If you have a bottle of cheer gathering dust somewhere, open it up.

I think some people get so down they forget that love is free. It won't fix the finances, but it will give you a moment of peace.

evaluation - time

[ In Reply To ..]
You have a hard time now and probably will have for awhile til income goes up. It's tough but can be handled. We've been through tough times also, have learned a lot. Sell anything you can that you don't truly need. I sold probably half our things on Craigslist. Watch out for scammers, but there are decent people out there also. I sold a lot of things at a local auction and eventually worked for them a short time. Since I know how to sew, I made side money by doing mending for friends and others who didn't have time or interest in doing their own mending. I knitted scarves for a lady who wanted what she saw in stores but wanted them "her way". She bought the stuff, I did the knitting. Being an MT, contact the local schools & see if there are students who need help with their essay papers (editing, proofing). I've done house cleaning, learned interior painting, minor plumbing and maintenance, etc. When times are tough, you go out and do what you know how to do... somebody will be interested. Reduce utilities. Leave a room, turn the light off. Stuff like that. Whatever you do, don't just roll over and die and think you "can't fix this". Yes, you can! What do you know how to do? Make it work for you! At least on a temporary basis. My husband has been in a hospital so much and lost so much income and mine wasn't near enough. To keep son fed, I went without and lost lots of weight. We had peanut butter in the house. That was all, sometimes. Times are better now, but you never know when it can be hard again. Look for solutions. I hope things get better for you very soon.

Some real life examples - Sweets

[ In Reply To ..]
Hello: I can certainly understand your situation. Right now, things seem really overwhelming. You have received some excellent advice here, but I thought I would briefly give you some examples of people going through some very difficult times financially.

My BIL: divorced, laid off, and hit bottom when he could not even afford the McDonald $1 ice tea. We loaned him some money to keep his mortgage paid. He spent about four months paying interest only with agreement by the bank. He went to food banks for his food. Then he got busy looking for work. He is an excellent mechanic but not licensed. People don't really care though - he could literally fix anything. That was in 2010. Now, he has a comfortable side business fixing cars, owns his own cleaning business, and has a part time delivery business.

My sister: a stroke in 2010 left her severely disabled, aged 52. She had always worked but never saved enough money. She lived in another state. I am her only sibling, so I assumed her care. I sold everything (house, car, furniture) that she did not need. This money was her only income for about a year. During that time, she was approved for SSDI. Now, she is living in her own small apartment near me since she has recovered enough to live on her own, but her daughter and I still drive her around and I handle her finances.

My mother: in 1976, my father left her with two kids, no job, and a house payment. He only paid her $150 a month child support. It was hard but Mom did it. I babysat for my own money. Mom worked two fast food jobs before she became a secretary at the military base, I remember Christmas 1976. There was no money for any presents. My sister and I were teenagers so we understood that money was tight. But Christmas happened anyway, We got a little tree and made our own ornaments. Mom could sew (fabric was cheaper than clothes then) so she made my sister and I both some clothes. Some friends had us over for dinner on Christmas Day and loaded us down with food.

Many people have been in very similar situations. Cut your expenses to the bone. Look to see what jobs are out there and don't be afraid to apply for them. I know you said your husband is older. Take a look at your options for social security, such as disability or taking social security at aged 62. Retail is hiring a lot of older workers lately. Been in Lowes lately or Ace Hardware? All older gentlemen! I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Do you live near Indiana? - Rusty

[ In Reply To ..]
If so, there are lots of options as far as church and food pantries. Look them up on internet, find as many as you can, some require no information, they are just willing to help out. Find a church who is serving dinner Christmas Eve (we do a pie social), and join them for service and also food. Call your local churches and ask if they assist families this time of year, most will say yes(we do, every year), and tell them to add you to their list. Go to a soup kitchen or homeless shelter and help serve them meals. That could be all the Christmas you need to remind you how much you have, and also get a free meal out of it. There are many ways to celebrate His day without gifts. Go sing carols at a nursing home, work a soup kitchen, take a walk with your loved ones and look at lights in your neighborhood. Go to Christmas Eve services, different faiths have it at different times, go to many. Just celebrate the fact of His birth and that you are alive and He has not forgotten about you. PM me and if you live close, I might be able to help in other ways. Don't lose hope. There are some great suggestions on your replies, read them, take them to heart, and follow them. Sell, sell, sell. Pray, don't give up, and reach out to people. Prayers.

Thank you everyone very much - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I am so sorry I haven't been here for over a week. I have been extremely busy looking for more work, among other things.

I want to thank everyone for your suggestions and guidance. I am working on what everyone wrote.

Just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and thank you from the bottom of my heart. Wishing you all a joyous holiday season.

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