Financial Help... So confusing!!!

[AES514]

OK, ladies, I am posting this in all my groups so this may be a repeat for you.

Here is my issue~

   I live with my SO, but we are not married.  We have a four and a half month old who was born at 28 weeks.  We both work full time and make 120K a year together. Usually.  This year due to hospital stays and such I made half my salary, and I make more then him usually.  We are the typical American family with two car payments, we have two mortgages, blah blah. Times are tough for everyone. But now the bills are just piling up and we can't keep up.  We live in Illinois.  We make too much for All Kids, SSI, medicaid, ect. I contacted March of Dimes, but now just get a monthly email asking ME for money!!! Is there some big secret out there that I'm missing? Or do we just have to have a pity-party fundraiser?

[jackiec7707]

I'm sorry mama! I hope you find some kind of help through this.

[2girlsMom.MN]

You make WAY WAY to much for any help... Just being honest

In the past I was single mom and made $11hr. and didn't qualify for crap.

You'll have to downsize, figure out what is a true necessity and what is a luxury. CellPhones, Cable, Internet, Coffee, Hair, Nails, Eating Out CUT IT ALL OUT til your caught up and things improve.

[mynameismuerte]

We were in that boat in 2008.  DS spent a month in NICU and my oldest ended up in PT, OT & Speech.  It felt like the rug was just yanked right out from under us.  We just had to call and get on a payment plan with as many people as possible.

No eating out, we cut our cable as far back as we could without cancelling it (we live rural so it's the only way to get local channels).  We got rid of our home phone, got DSL only and bought a magic jack to use as our home phone.  We paid what we could, when we could.

Have you heard of Dave Ramsey? You might see if you can get his book, "Total Money Makeover" from the library.  That book really changed the way we look at things and helped us get our heads back above water.  Good Luck!!!