It seems like every month our finances are good for a week and then we are broke again. This is every embarassing for me to post because it's an admission of how bad our situation has become. My sole income right now is child tax benefit cheques that I recieve monthly, since I am a stay at home mom right now. My husband works in construction and used to make really good money up until a few years ago and he's never had a stable job since. He works with a friend they get jobs here and there but it's not a continuous flow and even with jobs waiting the rain we've had recently has left him staying home more days than he's working. I cannot support our family on my $1200 cheque. I am thankful we live with my father who we pay only $400 to for rent and what's left is spent on groceries and the kids, plus my husband's cigarettes and beer, and other expenses. He does make money but I honestly think it doesn't even add up to the amount I recieve. My plan is to continue my education and obtain a degree once my son is old enough for school but with the way things are going now I dont know if it will happen. I've tried finding him work but they never pan out. He's dug himself in a deep hole, now having his license suspended, possible charges brought against him for DUI, plus no family car since he totalled it a few months ago. I'm trying my best to deal with the hand I've been dealt, I manage my money when the cheque comes but a week later were broke! I try so hard to budget and put money away, I stupidly decided to go out with a friend last night and we spent $50 which I feel terrible about. Plus our eldest's birthday is next month which I'm panicked over. I feel stuck in a cycle I can't escape.
My husband may be sentenced to jail in a few months so securing a long term job seems pointless to him (and me too honestly) but there must be something better in the meantime! Even making minimum wage would bring in more than we currently are making, or he could stay home with the youngest and I could get a job, anything to help. I don't want to live with my dad, I have goals and a future but I'm stuck in a cycle. I don't know how to go about making changes and improving the situation. I used to receive $800 and managed to make it work for the month for myself and one kid and have money to save, back when my husband was making more money. Now it's like he's so used to not paying rent or paying bills so life is so easy, he can use my "free" money when he's broke and so it continues.
Any advice or tips are greatly appreciated. I try to take out cash and hide it from myself until the end of the month but around the 2nd week it's being spent..
Submitted May 05, 2019 at 01:38PM by cherrytree95 http://bit.ly/2IXDJ4M
