Coping with little income

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 2:19 am

So.. I'm kinda new here and wasn't sure exactly if this is a good place to post this, but here goes.

I'm having a hard time right now trying to live with what little funds I have. It is affecting my eating and other issues (I don't have a diagnosed ED). I only get about $200 a month in food stamps and $18 a week left over from my disability check each month. That money all has to be used for food, soap, cat litter and cat food for my cat, and pretty much anything I may need. And It's hardly enough. I can't seem to get a job and I think if I did my health care would go away. And If I didn't have my health care, I would have to pay for my therapist, doctors, and if I ended up in the hospital, for that too.

I recently have been eating about a meal a day, and currently I'm always hungry but when I eat I feel sick.. And I have these food allergies of milk and wheat that also make it hard.. Its like now I'm also worried about food because I don't have much money to get food and yea.. idk.. UGH I currently have some food but I don't want to use it all right away and even when I am hungry and try to eat I feel sick.. So now I'm always hungry and tired but I eat and feel nauseous.. Ive had this once before.. it got to the point of if I smelled food I would be nauseous.. And I hardly ate for a week.

Anyway, I'm also trying to cope with a lot of other things I'm dealing with. And it's really overwhelming. Mostly being deaths this time of year and worry over some people I know. Then also not sure how to deal with this low income. It's getting to be tiresome doing nothing all day because I have no money to. Anyway.. I'm trying my best to hold on, but it's getting hard to cope with everything. =(

PLAIN JANE · Post by **PLAIN JANE** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:10 pm

Hello,
I'm sorry things are so rough right now.
Is there a food bank in your city? What about churches? The ones here give out food baskets.
I try to buy inexpensive foods I can make several ways like rice, beans, pasta.
I read and I care.
Welcome to bus, lots of good people here. Please let me know how you are doing.

Licentia Poetica · Post by **Licentia Poetica** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:38 pm

Check with your healthcare and disability companies - I'm not sure where you are but with me, I'm on disability payments but I can still work 15 hours a week without it being affected. Also, depending on the job you might get, it could come with healthcare of its own.

Have you shopped around for different healthcare covers? Sometimes they can be different prices but still cover the essentials that you need.

I'm sure there are soup kitchens, community aid organisations or salvo's where you are. If you ring them up they can help out with essential things you might need like a food, accommodation, household appliances, etc.

Finances are such a sucky thing to deal with especially when you have a whole lot of other stresses.

Stormy Llwellyn · Post by **Stormy Llwellyn** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 1:58 pm

Hi, I'm Mike, welcome to bus. I am on the east coast. Before I had a job with health care benefits and I was a single parent the Health Dept. would take care of my daughters needs ie: checkups, shots etc. They also sent me in the right direction for WICK. I don't know if you would qualify for that, but they did let several area churchs and the food bank know. Social services helped and sent someone out regularly to check on us since I was going through the same thing, not eating and getting sick just to make sure my daughter had plenty of food. You mentioned a disability check, have you had that re-evaluated recently? I had mine re-evaluated and found it needed to be updated and recieved more care than I was getting. Check again with the Health Dept. It might be worth it. As far as other contributing factors, I know what thats like. Maybe a local area community service board can get you someone to talk with you to help cope with your plight.They can put you on a sliding scale or you may qualify for free help. It sounds like you do. Do you have transportation? Is there someone who can help there?
I hope some of these suggestions help, and your situation gets better for you. I am reading also and careing. Feel free to pm me or anyone else on the board. We are all here to help and support each other.
Take gentle care of yourself.
Mike

bibliophilia · Post by **bibliophilia** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 12:43 am

If you are receiving disability, you are probably eligible for Medicaid as well. I would suggest that you call the Department of Social Services in your area and see what is available. There are also programs for things like heating bills and you might also be able to get your food stamp allotment increased if you talk to them about it.
Another thing that I've found helpful is bulk buying for staples. Things like rice or oatmeal go a long way and are often very inexpensive for store brand larger packages.
And most stores have a rack for things nearing the sell-by date. While it's kind of a crapshoot, you can get really cheap produce at most farmer's markets this way and so long as you use up what you buy quickly, there isn't anything wrong with it besides a few bruises here or there.
Finally, if you check craigslist regularly, sometimes you can find people giving away or deeply discounting things like petfood and coupons for litter and such.

Hope that helps some....

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:44 am

I have the maximum SSI Disability check for 1 person living alone as I am. And I also have the max benefits for Food Stamps. I then also have Medicaid.. But If I work I fear my medicaid being dropped and I have gone to food banks / churches before. Tho it is hard with no car to get there and carry things.. The only one Ive been to is about a miles walk away. There is a bus I take tho. But I have a payee who manages my funds from SSI.. I basically only see the $200 in food stamps a month plus $18 a week left over from my SSI. And those pay for food, cat litter, toilet paper, everything.

I have though this week.. One of the people who are also in my therapy group got a job at this pizza place and I have been helping her re-do the menus and make signs for the place to get business. She is the only one hired. But she will pay me under the table to hold signs maybe at some point. So that's good. The issue with trying to get a job, is the fear of loosing my healthcare.. Then my food stamps will be reduced.. Then depending my SSI.. and I have to pay taxes too.. So there is a lot to consider.. especially in the USA. Where pretty much any medical care will cost u unless u got full medical coverage.

Other then that I also have food allergies to milk and wheat.. So yea..

Licentia Poetica · Post by **Licentia Poetica** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:56 am

sigh, I could rant forever about how much the american system annoys me. I don't understand much about their social security and policies, except that they are less socialistic that the aussie system, but the amount of times I hear from my american friends that they can't afford to go see a doctor/psychologist, which for me is a basic need that is covered for free by my country because I'm on a low income; seems completely ridiculous.

My sleep meds are slightly making it difficult for me to form sentences that say what I want them to say right now, so I'm not making too much sense, but the basic point was I think that system is stupid and I hate that you're unable to organise work/ disability/ and healthcare in a way that makes your income sustainable.

On the issue of underhanded payment in cash - for what it's worth, when I asked my disability social worker that I could potentially do some language tutoring whether I need to delcare that money, he said that most of his clients probably do work for cash and just don't tell him about it. I mean, if the money you're receiving is clearly not covering your basic living needs, I wouldn't feel too bad about freaking a few rules just to keep myself alive.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 5:25 pm

Yea.. Right now all I have ate was 1/2 a pear.. My food stamps did re-fill today and I need to buy food, but right now I feel so sick and I want to puke.. I don't understand it! I'm hungry and I try to eat and then I feel nauseous.. :'(

Maybe I'm too overly concerned with money.. And I need to buy some food.. Just also scared with the food allergies because they really aren't diagnosed yet so not sure what they are specifically..

I did get results I suppose on some basic allergy tests yesterday.. and blood drawn for a gluten allergy test.. I'm pretty sure its gluten.. Tho so many things contain it. I'm not sure what is really safe and not..

I'll have to go to the store and get something.. Because right now nothing in my cupboards is really eatable.. pretty sure all have high amounts of gluten.. And last time I had some noodles and I had really bad reaction.. Got really dizzy, tired, my throat felt tight, I made a whistle when I breathed out hard, I felt like I was shaking, my stomach hurt, my chest hurt, and I was a tiny bit itchy.. Ugh.. I'm hardly eating when I need to be.. But I'm overly concerned with money and food allergies.. I'm not sure how to cope right now.. I'm always really tired.. And I feel really dizzy and like I might fall over sometimes..

Sorry if this is in wrong section again.. Sigh..

Post by **mande** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 6:01 pm

Stress can really affect your eating - and it sounds like you've got a lot going on so it's not too much of a stretch that aside from the gluten allergy eating is difficult!

Our system here in the states is ridiculous. I love my country, but our system is so unforgiving unless you have like 10 kids and live in an impoverished area.

My boyfriend is currently out of work so we are surviving on my salary alone. It's difficult and I can't imagine how the government can expect someone to live on what you're getting.

My grocery store has a 'damaged' rack that I go to right away when I get to the store. First place is the fruit/veg that they're going to throw out, so I buy it to chop and freeze. Then I hit the damaged rack and get things for almost 75% off most of the time. If your kitty isn't finicky about her food, you can get your cat food from there for a fraction of the cost. Kitty litter, too. I get my cat and dog food from there a lot.

I saw this website on easy to find/make gluten-free foods: http://www.gluten.net/downloads/print/E ... %20Fix.pdf Since you live alone, when you cook you can freeze the extra for those times when you're waiting for your next food stamp payment.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:56 pm

Thanks... I actually did buy a few things this morning.. About $20 worth.. And I do buy my cat really cheap cat litter and food.. Tho hardly ever she get treats or toys, etc.. I did manage to eat some today but all this stress is killing me.. I haven't even begun with it all on these forums.. I generally use another forum, but was told about this one and thought I'd check it out..

I posted this on the other forums.. I really don't feel like re-writing it again.. Just too much.. And I'm guessing this thread need to be moved.. sigh.. I still am trying to figure out the layout for this forum..

So much on my mind.. so to make a brief list here it is:

(Taken from my diary thread)

I'm happy for a few different things:

-I have a gf now.. Tho I'm nervous about it...

-I finally have been working at this pizza place and may eventually get payed

-I have the horse training a week from now aprox. (April 9th)

-My birthday April 14th I will be 20

I'm kinda sad about:

-Deaths and anniversaries this month

-Suicide attempt anniversaries

-My brothers death date and birthday

Worried about:

-STD results (Get them on my birthday)

-Aunt needs pacemaker put in for her heart (And Ive lost another aunt to cancer this time of year)
Yea.. Idk.. ugh.. I keep going between happy and sad and its so confusing..
Now to get into slightly more detail..

Food:
So today my food stamps refilled, I finally got some food, but I'm way too concerned with money. And when I eat I feel sick for some reason.. I think I may have a gluten allergy because I've been having issues with certain foods, so today I bought all things without gluten..I got a whole cooked chicken, some gluten free crackers, some sweet and sour sauce to make another stir fry, hummus for crackers, apple juice, and some danimals yo-gurt for breakfast..

Recently I have been hardly eating because I feel sick and I'm so concerned with money..

Money:
I currently live on Disability and it is hard to do anything being in the USA.. It seems if I try to get a real job, I fear loosing my health coverage. And then it may also affect my Disability funds and my Food stamps.. So I have to find something I can get payed for with cash.. And I guess for now I may have something.. I have someone in my therapy program who just got a job at this pizza place and I may get payed from her to help with sign holding and to help re-do the place and get business.. As it is currently I basically see about $272 a month total for food, toilet paper, cat supplies, etc.. Everything except bills.. I'm really hating the USA right now..

Past:
So I lost my brother in April 2005 a day before he turned 13.. And it always is a hard time of year for me. I also lost an Aunt to cancer in March of 2003.. Then I have some past history of suicide attempts.. One in particular where I was dead for a little while.. Yet I can't seem to understand what really happened.. Anyway, it's hard to explain..

Medical:
I just had a doctor visit with my new doctor yesterday.. Had to get STD tested because there was this jerk guy at my complex who used me for sex few weks ago.. Anyway, I was checked and got a pill for yeast infection and took the pill yesterday.. I'm worried about the STD results and I will actually know those results on my birthday, as I go back there for the results of that April 14th.. As well as I got my blood drawn for gluten allergies.. So I'll know that too.. And I get my 2nd Aids swab then.. Sigh.. Was really uncomfortable.. Anyway, I am still waiting for the pharmacy here to get in the cream stuff I'm supposed to use.. Unfortunately my insurance wont pay for it and I'm not sure how much it is.. I may end up not even getting it.. bleh..

Horses:
So April 9th I get to do this horse training to be a volunteer at a horse therapy place.. I'm kinda excited to go and can't wait.. My only concerns are if I will be able to handle being out so much and use so much energy with what little food I eat and be OK..

Other:
I have a girlfriend now and I'm excited about that, but I'm also very nervous as I've had a lot of relationship problems in the past.. And I really don't want to screw this up..

My Birthday is April 14th, I'll be 20

I haven't had a suicide attempt yet.. And thats good considering I've had one every April since 2007..

One of my Aunts will have surgery for a pacemaker for her heart on April 8th (Day before Horse thing) And I'm a bit concerned as I have already lost people this time of year that I was close to..

--------------------------------------------------
So I guess that's the basics.. If you want to call it that.. My mind is just spinning a lot.. Going between happy, depressed and worried pretty quickly..

So yea.. A lot right now.. And my head is screaming.. I feel like I'm going to explode..

Post by **mande** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:32 pm

Im on my phone so I'd like to do a proper reply when I'm home, but since you seemed kinda worried thus isn't the right part of the forum (and it's fine that this is here, since it's about coping!) have you considered starting a place?
It's in the members only section of the forum but a lot of people use it to discuss their personal thoughts and get advice. It's also a bit more private and you can set the 'rules'

bus