OK, everyone is hearing to sob story of the finantional crisis going on right now. We have one, my sister has a worse one, everyone seems to have one. My husband and I have gone through our budget crunches before and done just fine. The only diffrence is that every other time I have been able to cut costs in more areas and been able to bring in my own money. We could always just spend less and make more. Now, I have more and larger mouths to feed, and diffrent situations.
This time is diffrent. First, this time I'm seeing Dr's regularly- and paying the co-pays for them ($40 a visit), and taking my medications ($120 a month) and my husband is seeing his doctors ($40 a visit) and taking his medications ($50 a month). We are both Bipolar (mood disorder), I have RA and he has chronic skin "stuff" (we are not far enough into treatment to know what it is just yet- but he has it on his hands, it looks awful, and he works at the hospital, which makes it worse). It is a huge chunck of our budget that can't be cut out without makeing some very hard choices.
Another thing that makes this finantional crisis diffrent is that I am no longer working. My husband has started working 48 hours a week (up from his 36 hour regular week) to make ends meet- but it is never enough. He talks about adding annother 12 hour shift to the week while they willl let him- but I'm afraid it will kill him. I still have enough hard RA days when the vicodin is getting me thorough, and the housechores are having to wait, that I don't think I would be able to take on a job and still keep up with the house and kids. With my husband working so much- I have to be able to look after the kids.
We have tried to re-finance our home loan and were denied this week.So long as my husband gets overtime we make just enough money not to qualify for food stamps. I have insurance (thank God), but it seems we use it so often that just the co-payments are killing us. We paid off both our cars, and now they both need work done. Do we get it fixed? Do we try to sell one? How- everywhere I look there are cars with sale signs in them. My child needs a tooth pulled and I don't have the money to take her to the Dr. (will cost about $200) My older daughter is growing out of her clothes as the seasons change- I can't take her shopping. We have easter in a couple weeks- I don't know how I will pay for it. We have birthdays coming up in a few months- I just don't know.
I don't know how to deal with all of the things going on this time. Before, I would just go make more money. Now, I can't. Before, I would cut all costs that deal with me- now I am the most expensive. At what point do I consider not showing up to the Dr's appointments? At what point do I not fill my medications? As for my husband- he needs to be stable or we risk our income. We have already made that decision. At what point do I just need to "bully through" the pain that may (i'm sure) come back? What do I give up, and how do I risk falling back to where I was pre-treatment?
he strain is getting to me- My oldest daughter should be brought to a dentist to have a tooth removed. It just won't fall out and is now causing her discomfort.