Hard Times..ideas please

For now abide with the ideas above...I like the tent in the living room idea. But you need to find a way to get down to Georgia. There are jobs here. It isn't as cheap to live as Kentucky but the Atlanta to Athens area is very prosperous and you can find some type of work. Now the problem is you are literally broke so you will want to get some type of job up there to save up enough to come down here.

The Nashville to Chattnooga area of Tennessee is also prosperous. Chattanooga just won the war to get a new Volkswagon factory. You may want to see how to get in on that from the construction phase on.

Get here as quick as you can.

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Barack Obama - Spending beyond belief, dismantling our military, groveling to enemies, and wiping his butt on our constitution daily.

Well, the way I see it, $1000 changes your life, and gets you out of a jam.

$2000 changes your life alot, and would give you great opportunity to figure out what you want to do.

FWIW, here is what I would do in your position:
1. Keep the laptop. You'll need it for finding a job, etc. Selling assets never solves anything big, and the laptop will be worth more to you down the road.
2. Get the kids on WIC, and do it tomarrow.
3. Get a day labor job thru Manpower, or one of those type companies.
4. Do the day labor thing, and get another part time job, especially if it is something that will pay you cash today (no waiting on a check). You are able to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and it won't kill you.
5. Start asking around, even if it means knocking on doors, for handyman/lawn work.
6. Consider selling blood or plasma...instant cash.
7. Work your tail off night and day to make the $2000.
8. Make sure you plan this out with your spouse, and make it a team effort.
9. Figure out where you want to live/what you want to do next.
10. Again, plan this out with your wife. No one likes to be in the dark, feeling helpless, or desperate.

Just what I would do. Work like the dickens, stockpile cash, figure out the next move.

Clove

I would suggest FIP, WIC, Title 19, food stamps and food banks to get over the hump. That's what they are intended for...helping people get a hand up. Check if any local charity has a free closet for clothing. Salvation Army is usually wonderful to help with various needs from shelter to blankets to emergency fuel. I'd also switch to cloth diapers rather than waste scarce dollars on a throw away item. Use whatever $'s you get to winterize. My dh goes to a farm implement dealer and gets a lot of large wooden boxes used to ship parts or whatever and heavy duty pallets. He takes the boxes apart for the boards and pallets make good stove wood as its usually dry hardwood (free is always good). If you're going to be heating with wood be sure to keep the stove away from cardboard walls...far away. If you can find the $'s for roofing materials and are going to be burning wood, consider a metal roof as they are pretty fire resistant. For keeping kiddies warm at night consider blanket sleepers layered over regular sleepers, undershirts and socks. If its extremely cold try to find one piece snowsuits for them to sleep in. It works better than trying to keep them under covers. With harvest season just around the corner I'd be looking at farm co-ops, farmers, grain handlers for work.

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This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Modern Pioneer, we would love to hear how you are doing. Please keep us posted.

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I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam.

Popeye

I have no idea how big of a city you are near, but there should be some dumpsters close by at some sort of stores, even at the park area. Dumpster dive. People are always throwing out metal and lumber. Get it and figure out how to use it on your room.

If you can't use the metal on the room, then sell it where they are buying metal.

Join the National Guard. Sure you may end up in Iraq but you will get paid for it and your wife will get some pay too. They might even find housing for you.

Get barrels or something to catch rain water off the roof. Beg someone either on the internet or local to help you with your pump. You did not say if you had electric. If you do someone might donate a small well pump that is electric to you.

Watch for yardsales. Hit them as they are over and people are trying to get rid of stuff. Also watch for people moving. They are all time throwing out stuff.

You are at the bottom, now you are going to have to dig yourself out. Hopefully you and your wife are healthy. It is going to take some hard work to make it. But it can be done.

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I will keep you and your family in my prayers Modern Pioneer.

I am thinking why not let the kids stay in the big house to stay warm this winter.

Also talk to mom about willing the house to you in case something happens.

Contact Habitat for Humanity to see what could be done to be considered
for that program.

Take care of todays needs but also think of things that will
improve your future situation.

Pray..God answers prayers .. I know for sure !!!

ps..one other thought... advertise that you will house/farm sit in return
for room and board. Get togther some references to show that you are honest
and responsible.

Double post. Now how did that happen?

Hope things are better today for you.

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Hello to all,
First of all id like to think you all for you ideas, prayers and support. It means more than you realize. It is very uplifting to hear kind words from strangers.
There was alot of questions in those posts and ill try to answer them all.
We are in Ohio now, we was going to move to KY untill we had the flea fiasco, so we came back to where we are from, more or less. I was raised bout 60 miles from here in Lancaster.
To give you a little more background on our situation. Im 35(dad) mom is (30) we have 3 boys (8-3-1) I have a medical condition known as Myotonic Muscular dystrophy. It is the adult onset type that i have. It limits my abilities to use my hands and i dont have the balance or stability on my feet that i once had, not to mention the strength. I have been fighting to get some sort of disability for 3 years, so i have been a stay at home dad for that time. Im not able to do the hard, physcal labor i once did. Although im in the prime of my life i feel like a very old man. The military is deffinately out of the question, as for my wife who has scoliocis. She has to bars that run almost the length of her spine(harrington rods) so she too would not be fit for service. Although i did try to enlist in 2000. Uncle sam said i was unfit because of prior drug arrest i had when i was 18. If i could join i think i would, even if my wife was against as i know she would be. You are right it would be a step in the right direction. Even if i did go to Iraq and get killed or lose my legs or what not at least the wife and kids would be a bit better off, i dont know.
As to help, we currently receive food stamps We are on the WIC program. We have been on the section 8 waiting list for 2 years and we sit at #90 on that list. So fat chance of help there.
I have decided a few weeks ago to try to go back to work even if it was part-time. Ive been doing alot more and feel pretty good most days but i do have my off days. The town we are in is very small only couple gas stations, a dollar general store and a DQ. The nearest big town would be Athens. About 20 miles one way. We have put in resumes and applications all over the place ther. The wife has a good lead for a full time waitress there. She has been a waitres better than 10 years and likes the job somewhat, well at least decent money in tips. As for plasma donating there is a Biolife in Athens and the wife sells her plasma there. I am unable to do it. I done it in the past and every time i did i passed out and became very sick, after the fact not during. She goes again on friday for her second appointment. I think i might have a good chance at a local greasy spoon. Im at least praying for it, i could walk to work if i had to. Its only bout 3 miles to the kitchen. I just happened to pass it and i thought i got a stack of resumes why not drop one by. I did so and when i went to open the door a little sign said..cook needed, only experienced need apply. With better than 10 years of cooking under my belt and a year of culinary arts school i more than fit the bill Lets just hope they think so.

As for living arrangements Here we go again. My mom is still up to her drinking again. She came in last night 3 sheets in the wind and being rude, loud and obnoxious. So we retired to our little room early. I hate having my boys see her like that. Im not sure how long we can endure this, it is becoming very difficult to deal with.

I found a large tarp in the goat shed today and we stretched that over our roof too help shed the water, the tar paper had been on for over a year and was in bad shape, we patched it up best we could with materials on hand. Here we cant buy seed with food stamps, but you can buy vegetable and herb start with it like at wal-mart or wherever. Im not sure about that route yet as i do not if we can stay here or not. My mom is very wishy-washy and it is hard to talk to her. One minute she is one way and with the blink of an eye another. I guess that comes with the drinking. You would thing after bout 25 years or more with dealing with drunks id know better, guess not.
I have electric an internet connection here at her house, its just a free trial of netzero dial up , but it works I kept our Dell desktop, cause we had paid too much for it and i couldnt get enough out of it. Im glad now i didnt sell it. Have been dumpster diving and looking for scrap to sell or to build with. So many people down here are scrappers, and it is very difficult to find a gem. Collecting cans has been my best bet so far, even that is becomming harder. I never seen the highways so clean of aluminum. As a matter of fact that what my moms boyfriend does is scrap junk. Athens is pretty busy town Ohio University is there and the town will soon be filling up with students again, most of which will be competing for the same jobs. So thats sort of a bummer, but hopefully we are ahead of the game.

I dont know about begging or "asking" churches for help, always seems like there are strings attached. Even if that isnt so i dont feel right asking "begging" for a hand out or "up" Maybe its just me and my foolish pride/ego. I dont know. But i do like the idea of maybe volunteering. There is a small church ip the holler from us, maybe ill go see the preacher man? What do i say to him? Ask for work? Ask for help? Both? Or just volunteer?

Sorry if im jumping around alot, but i just keep scrolling thru all the responses trying to answer those questions Im trying to keep them somewhat organised and grouped together. I like the cloth diaper idea, it sure would save some $$ but without water it be very difficult to clean them. I guess a load at the laundry mat be cheaper than a pack of diposables. Anyway to make decent homemade ones? Whats best way/material? Link? As for the Morels they only grow here in early spring. There will be small market for Paw-Paws soon the grow everywhere in the hollers here. Can probably sell hazlenuts, black walnuts in another month or two. I tried to sell some turtle meat but no takers yet. Blackberries are gone. There is very little to gleam from wildcrafting. Then i have to travel nearly 50 miles one way to sell my goods to a root/fur buyer. Not only that but im not the only out of work man down here so there is lots of competion for that sort of thing, seems locals have all the connections locked up already. I have asked around at a few local farms for work for
$ or trade for food and what not, but no takers yet. Listed on craigslist and such as well, ill keep hoping. As for the park service work. Those jobs are non exisiting. Usually they are filled in late winter by college kids going to Hocking College, they have an incredible Natural resources department there. So there are lots of students wanting those jobs as their mandatory internships, i know i went to school there for culinary arts as well as natural interpretation. Good idea tho.

Well i think i answered all the Qs. I really would like to do some improvements on our place"room". My moms place is a nice little house all finished and what not. It is very small 1 bedroom place, thats why we are in the addition. Its either the addition, the goat shed or the van. We went with the addition. Im afraid tho it might become the van again soon. I cant handle all this drama with my mom, it is very frustrating. There is a homeless shelter in Athens, but i havent checked it out yet. I want that to be my very last resort. I do not want to go to a shelter. There is alot that can be done around here, and it could become a decent little homestead if my mom would get on board. Im not willing to do alot of improvements to this place just to walk away. I mean we help out alot already, getting stuff cleaned up. Doing small repairs and stuff. Im just not willing to put our hard earned money into a place that i could be asked to leave at anytime. At the same time tho if we stay here thru winter, the improvements must be done. I guess we will just keep riding this wave till ends. See whats in store for us next, whatever or wherever that may be.

Well i think ive got some stuff off my chest. It feels good to get some of these thoughts out of my head, to talk about them in a way. My wife is fantastic and i love her to death, it just seems as tho it helps to talk with others. I just feel like im so alone and helpless at times. I know i have my wife and boys, but there is ever present feeling of doom around me. Like im being chocked into submission by some strange force. I can say one thing tho, it feels great to be out of the city. We all love it here in the woods. It just seems more like home, even more so when we had an apartment back in town. Im not lost yet but the path is barely visible and is hard to stay on. Ill keep on keepin on as the old saying goes. You all be well, and thanks again to you all.
Keep your powder dry

This may be a bit unpopular but one option may be for you to consider military service. This will provide long term income and training for you and housing for your family if you are active duty. There are many opportunities in the service that can translate into civilian jobs later on and/or a career in itself. My husband has been in the guard for over 27 years and the income and education benefits, insurance etc. have been a blessing in hard times. Your family will be in my prayers. Keep us posted!

Sounds like some good leads on jobs. I lived the alcoholic parent thing.The good thing is maybe if your boys see your mom like that they will be less likely to drink when they are older.I protected my boys from it and that has back fired on me because they didn't live it they both think they can handle alcohol.
Don't feel like the little black cloud is following you around. Concentrate on the positives.The things you can fix.The roof over your head etc..At least you and your family have some help and are willing to do what needs to be done to keep the children warm and dry.

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Chris
http://aberryvinefarm.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your 2nd post, it clears up a lot of the questions. The only thought that came to me was, that you need to be in a different area, where there are more social services and opportunities available. That probably means closer to a bigger city, like Cinncinatti, for example. If you can just find somewhere to live in an area like that, then you & wife could probably get some part-time work to tide you over. This is in case the jobs you applied for don't come through. Where you are now, you just have too much competition in the job-hunting dept. I am experiencing somewhat the same thing, I am job hunting, have good skills but a slight physical disability and I am over 50, I am not having any luck. If I was able to pick up and move to another area, I would do it, but at this time, I can't. Since you don't have any permanent "roots" right now, I would sure think about it. Best wishes to you!

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[COLOR="Blue"]Expect Little - That way you will be seldom disappointed.../COLOR]

He won't be accepted by military given his and his wife's physical conditions. All I had was asthma and they wouldn't take me in 1982. Unless things have changed I doubt seriously he could get in.

I still say you should get out of Kentucky and Ohio and move South. The best employment area would be Atlanta to Athens here in Georgia. Secondary would be Nashville or Charlotte. Both are boomtowns.

There are opportunities here that they don't have up north and you are much, much more likely to find work that your condition will allow here than up there. My ex brother in law has a level of cerebral palsey that makes one side of his body a bit weaker than the other. One arm is very weak and one leg causes him to limp a bit. But while he is lazy and often unemployed (his choice) he does find jobs everytime he looks. Anyone who wants to work can find work here.

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Barack Obama - Spending beyond belief, dismantling our military, groveling to enemies, and wiping his butt on our constitution daily.

Congrats on your food service training. That is a "plus" in any town. I hope that you are able to get that job. If you are working, then you won't be witnessing your Mom's drinking problem as much and you will be less stressed. Have you thought of making pastries/pies and selling them to the local convenience store/restaurant. Since you have walnuts that grow in your area, maybe you could make some that are candied, roasted or sugared. Package them up and sell them to the c-store/restaurant.

As for your roof, I am going to suggest that you go by the new home subdivisions and pick up left over shingles. Drive by the homes during the day when the workers are up on the roof and ask them if you can have the left overs. DH was able to get several packs of shingles from his job site(s) after the roofers were done.

Your Mom's house has absolutely no water? How can that be? How does she flush the toilet and keep herself clean? Not to mention cooking and washing dishes.

Do you have a Goodwill/Salvation Army store in your area? They may be a good source for cloth diapers or material to make some diapers. Would baby underwear work with a sanitary napkin stuck inside? Just a thought. It sounds weird but it would be affordable. Also, with your disability, Goodwill may be able to provide you with some employment. Around here, a couple of Goodwill workers walk the roadways and pick up trash.

That shelter that you don't want to move into could be your ray of hope. They would have employment training and contacts. They would also be in a more populated area. There would be more job opportunities and they would be within walking distance.

Good luck!!!

The thought occurred to me that you might want to look for employment that offers housing as part of the deal. Here are several such situations that I can think of and if anyone else has ideas, please jump in and offer up your suggestion.

I had a friend that was a night manager at a motel. He lived in an apartment that had a door from the livingroom that went into the office. If someone came in at night a buzzer went off in to let him know. He was paid minimum wage, and the apartment was additional compensation. A place like this could offer jobs to both you and the wife.

Summer camps have full time care takers, and if they also do 6th grade camps they have full time employment year round. They keep people on site to care for the place and keep the vandals away. They have housing on site for the caretakers. I have known several people that have done this, and they loved the work and living in the woods. There would be additional work when they have guests with cooking or leading activities like hikes or different classes they offer. Call schools and churches to see where their camps are.

Larger farms and ranches have need for hired hands and they often have living quarters for the help.

Apartment complexes often need onsite managers and will exchange rent and often some pay too for being there, collecting rent, making repairs, cleaning apartments.

All of these would put your family in a warm dry place to live. I wish you all the best. It could be that there is someone out there with such an opportunity to offer and they are praying that God will send them a decent, honest, reliable man or woman to fit the bill.

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I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam.

Popeye

An easy fix to the skeeters, use vanilla. I buy cheap vanilla, and use a cotton ball to rub it over exposed skin. Smells good and works as good as any commercial product. I did my own tests with it picking black raspberries this summer and will use vanilla from now on. Good luck.
Joanie

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Registered mini jerseys
NW. Ohio

I was just reading some of the online articles from Backwoods Home Magazine this morning and saw one about making money by building birdhouses from discarded pallets. No matter how small an area is, there's usually somebody got some old pallets to give away, and birdhouses can be built using just hand tools if you have to. Since the materials would be essentially free, and you could work from home, that would save on gas too. If you get a chance, read the article, it's pretty interesting, and they have other ideas as well.
Somebody mentioned that you can't buy seeds with foodstamps. But you have access to many free seeds or next to free ones in a lot of unexpected places. When you eat a tomato, pepper, or anything else with a seed, save it. Potatoes that aren't looking so hot can be planted under some hay and dried beans from the store can be planted. I have volunteer corn all over the place from where my critters have dropped it when eating. For cole crops for the fall and winter, if you can't afford to get some seeds, let me know. I don't have much, but I'd send you some seeds. Check in dumpsters for discarded vegetables that you can glean seeds from if they're past eating stage or put out word that you're looking for seed on a local bulletin board. I've found people are pretty generous if they know you need/want something.
And speaking of dumpsters, my wife and I recently were taking a short cut behind some stores and saw employees from this small grocery store unloading rack after rack of bread into the dumpster. All of it was in-date, unmoldy and it was being thrown out just because a new shipment had arrived. We asked if we could have it for our "hogs" and we went home with enough bread to have fed Napolean's army. After filling our freezer, the rest went to feed our animals.
If you're where you're able, and are of a mind to, fishing and hunting can provide meat for the table. This time of year everybody's trying to get rid of excess produce too, so you might come across free offers of that. Check to see if there's any type of "party line" program, like our local radio station has, where folks put items on to sell or give away.
It sounds like you folks are working hard to raise your family and I commend you. We have and still are doing the same thing, and it does help to know other folks support you. Lot of good people on HT. Keep your chin up, brother. It's all going to work out.
papabear

So what is the point of all these multi-million dollar churches that they have in this part of the country if they don't preform charity work? They have enough money to put a 100 families in housing and don't??? They have tax exempt status because of the charity work they are supposed to do!!! That is it I am running for president and am going to pressure the IRS to double tax churches so we can fund our welfare system.....

Probably a dumb question, but have you tried a church? The Menonites are well known for helping people get back on their feet, especially if children are involved.

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Justice is the insurance which we have on our lives and property. Obedience is the premium which we pay for it.

You really need to get adequate housing. Your situation, if found out me CPS is grounds for taking the baby away. Gov't housing would be better than your current situation. Take it from the voice of experience. We lived in an uninsulated cabin for 2 yrs. with a wood stove and there nights I thought I would die in my sleep from being so cold. That wias with 3 people, tons of quilts and an electirc blanket. And we're in GA. I can't imagine your OH winter there. I could prove deadly. Tea tree oil is a natural insect repellent. Only need about 10 drops. RUb it all over, doing your face last. DOn't get it in your eyes. Reapply about every 2 hrs.

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Sometimes the last minute is the best one.

Some good ideas. As for the CPS, when we lived in the alley at my friends house out of our van we contacted CPS to turn ourselves in for neglect. We were told that we could get extra help that way for they have diffrent funding than the Job and Family services agency. Well that didnt work. They sent us a letter 2 weeks later saying that they could not find neglect and basically said good luck. Oh we did get a used stroller for the baby and 1 pack of diapers and a pack of wipes., as well as a big list of rentals that are availble in that area. I called our CPS counsler/person and she said there was nothing the could do about us living in the van without water or electric etc.. as long as the kids are clean, fed and in good physical condition with no signs of mental or physical abuse, then we were ok. Our counsler even came to our "camp" to see what was up inspected the van and what not. We had power running to the van, i put in a 5000 btu window a/c unit in the back window. We closed off the side windows etc. She said it was adequate especially since there wasnt room in any of the family shelter.Ive heard about the disasters some people have had with CPS people. I for one have not seen or experienced it. Is it a crime to be poor? A crime to be homeless? We are not living this way by choice. So i fear not the long arm of the federal or state govt.
I was wondering, and i might be leaning the wrong way. I was just curious what would happen if i went to the recruiters office and tried to enlist? Is it a crime to withhold medical history from them? Or if i dont tell them? Whay would happen if i enlisted and something happened to me in basic or what not? Would i get or would my wife and kids get something for it? Does the military have something like a civian corps? I think i could handle military duty if i could make it thru basic training (???) if i could have a light duty assignment such as a cook or pencil pusher of some kind? Maybe that last idea is a bit far fetched, but im trying to brainstorm and trying to think outside the box.
I just got back from the dentist. Had to spend my last $6 on gas to get to there and back. My moms BF took me. I had 2 teeth extracted, they had been giving me alot of pain last few days.

I really like the idea of making confections to sell. Could i make bake-sale type items and sell at farmers market? What do u think would sell better single portions or whole cakes and pies? Cookies, candy or what not? The buckeye trees will be throwing nuts soon i thought about trying to sell "Buckeye" neckleces with scarlet and red beads. and other OSU type stuff. Ive seen those neclaces sell for as much as $20 before. I used to make all sorts of american indian type crafts. I used to make braintanned buckskin mocs, bags,war shirts and what not. Also did a bit of beadwork on the loom as well as porcupinne quill work. I also used to do alot of biker type stuff, custom tool bags and saddle bags, chaps, vest, knife sheaths and even bikini's. Mountain man type hats and stuff sold well to. It has been a few years since i was into that sort of thing. I have some talent with taxidermy as well. The only problem is lack of materials to make stuff with. I'll have to wait till hunting/trapping season rolls around. I usually can get free deer skins. Anyway my mind is wandering.
I found out this morning that there are 3 packs of shingles in my moms basement, ones that match the house. Go figure huh. I have never laid shingles before, cant be much to it. I mean i got the basic concept and all that. I guess i just need some roofing nails now and should be half way good to go. If i botch the job up it will still be better than tar paper and an old tarp. Now as long as i dont fall thru the roof i'll be ok
I like the vanilla skeeter repellent as well as the tea tree oil. I have some vanilla extract going to give it a go after we visit the shower house tonight.
As for the house not having water , it is true not a single drop is here unless it falls from the sky or is brought in by 1 gallon jugs. We use the outhouse and portable camp toilet. They use the regular toilet and flush with a couple gallons of water. As for cleaning themselves, i dont know for sure but i assume the shower at a friends where they get there water from and do laundry, but im uncertain. Thats the other problem of using the main house. Lets just say its a bit on the dirty side and ill leave it at that. We do all our dishes and stuff at the fish cleaning table where thee is an old sink and countertop at the edge of the woods. She washes their stuff up in the sink with jugs of water.

Keep your powder dry