The Financial Nightmare

By choice my husband was the major bread winner in our home. I have always worked but the focus has been on jobs with flexible schedules. These types of places do not usually pay the big bucks. I have an advanced degree but have always chosen to put my family first so I never had one of those high power, high profile, big paycheck kind of jobs. I have always done something that I liked for places that I have enjoyed working. Then when my husband was first questioned, his employer immediately fired him. He had been working a part-time job at the time, so it was a help. However that all changed when he was formally arrested, his part-time job also let him go. Now he was unemployed and all over the media, what were we supposed to do? He was not eligible for unemployment because his employer was claiming that he violated a condition of his employment.

He somehow managed to land a new job in a manufacturing environment making a third of his previous income. It is also at this time that we decided that he should move out of the house to keep all the legal stuff away from the kids. Suddenly I was trying to support a whole household on my smaller income. Most of his new income went toward his own living expenses and all his new legal fees.

It has only gotten worse since he started serving his sentence. Now I no longer have an extra source of emergency funds. I make just enough to not qualify for any government assistance but not enough to pay all my regular bills and buy groceries. We were cautious about our mortgage, so I actually pay less in my mortgage payment than if I had to rent a place to live, but even still it is a struggle every day deciding want gets paid and what doesn't. I have reduced my expenses as much as possible while still trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy for the family. But even his once a week $10 collect phone calls home start to add up. It is all the unexpected stuff: new shoes because they outgrew the old ones, a field trip for school, instrument repair, and don't forget car repairs.

I am currently looking for new work anywhere. Moving would be a blessing for most of us, but with this economy it has not been very successful. Another part-time job that would take me away from home even more is also out of the question. This is an hourly struggle that affects me physically and emotionally. It has only been through the kindness of friends and strangers that we have been able to keep groceries on the table. Grocery store gift cards have been a God send, but I can't expect them to continue. I continue looking, applying and exploring any other options that may be out there, some days I get discouraged but I do keep going. Why? Because I have 3 children who are counting on me to take care of them.