notquitesoscared13 said...
Hey Dude--thanks so much for your input. Yes, the solutions you suggest re my son are all things that were considered before he made a commitment to the college in New Hampshire. We might have to go back and revisit those options. He might need to learn the lesson that life doesn't always go as planned, and sometimes we need to adjust.
Yeah the furnace--if I'm staying in this house I'll need to do something before the end of the summer, as I live in a cold climate and couldn't really do without a furnace during winter.
Sounds fair! Thank you for considering the information, though. Again, this was just a "brainstorming" session.
But, it seems you had already done a lot of thinking about
it already.
A few years ago, I rented a house that had an oil furnace and I hated the smell. So, I didn't run it. Instead, I bought a couple of small space heaters and kept one in my home office (since I was in there much of the day, though running my computers helped heat-up the room, too) and the other in the living room. But, when I went to bed, I moved the one from the living room to the bedroom.
It was a bit inconvenient, but it was doable and I don't recall the electricity costs being any more than what the heating oil (which was kinda expensive at the time) would have likely cost me. I live in a mountain town that's at a couple thousand feet elevation, so it definitely gets cold here and we've had some hefty snow-dumps.
Anyway, again, best of luck going through the process. I know it's easier-said-than-done, but try not to worry excessively about
it, as doing so won't help. One of Wayne Dyer's teachers told him something similar to the following:
"It makes no sense to worry about the things you can't control, because you can't change them. If you can control things, then it makes no sense to worry about them, because you have control over them. So, either way, it makes no sense to worry, as it immobilizes you."If you get all this stuff out of your head and down on paper, that alone will likely help. Then, when you see it on paper, you can see all the possibilities and realize there are options - even if not they're not ideal or not what everyone would prefer. Once you select the best available options for each issue, then you put them in chronological order and that's your plan. Then, you implement it. If you need to make course corrections along the way, no problem. Just update your plan and remain flexible.
Again, I realize it's not always this easy. It may be simple, but just not easy. Just do your best to keep things out of your head and written down on paper. Then, you can review it and remind yourself that you have a plan and are following it.
I left my job at the beginning of January and have had zero income in that time. I'm still unemployed and was just notified that my rent is increasing by $105/month starting August 1st. So, while I'm not in the exact situation as you, I'm speaking with some experience and empathy. I've got other financial considerations, too, but that's not the focus of this thread.
Take care of yourself first. That's the only way you'll be able to help your family.