money woes
Apr. 26th, 2012 05:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wickedcherubI've been asking around for work for Adam, seeing as he hasn't worked for weeks, but it looks like the construction industry here is going down down down for the next 6 months and there's no work anywhere. Seems like Adam already knew this, but didn't want to voice his fears.
He's so stressed now he can't even breathe properly.
I don't even know really what kind of jobs Adam can do since he's been a bricklayer his whole life. We've got his application with the Victoria Police going, but that can take the better part of a year.
I've applied for a lot of part time jobs and heard back from none - I've been told the job market is tight, but it's the first time I've not had a phone call the very next day asking me to interview. I've always had it super easy when finding jobs and it's making me a bit nervous. I'm going to give it another week or so of applying, and if I get nothing, I'm just going to have to apply for full time work, of which there are many many more jobs.
Part of me isn't as stressed as Adam, simply because I'm good at blocking it out in my brain, and I know it sounds stupid, but I know my parents would bail us out if we ever got into real strife? My mother is constantly asking me if we're doing okay and whether we need money and I always tell her we're fine, just so she won't worry, so I know that at the very very very worst I've always got them.
Anyway, I've put in an application for Adam to go on unemployment benefits. He hates it. He hates the idea of being on welfare. Either because it means he's failing, or because we're relying on the government, I don't know. I think it's stupid, we paid our taxes for this reason. It's not like we're lying around on our asses waiting for government handouts, we're actively looking for work so we won't need it!
While I was inquiring about unemployment, turns out that we're eligible for Parenting Payment because we're low income. If that all goes through, the money the government gives us will almost pay for our mortgage which would be the biggest relief. I can reduce spending on groceries and on utility bills, but the mortgage is always there, so not having to worry about that will be the best.
One thing I'm actually finding really hard about being poor is gifts. We have many weddings/baby showers/birthdays this year which all require gifts and I don't have the money for it. And a lot of them are Asian, who expect monetary gifts. And *worse*, are Asians who've been to *our* wedding/baby shower etc and so I'm expected to give them a monetary gift the same size they gave us. I just don't know my way around this one. My youngest cousin's baby's one month celebration is on Saturday and he gave us $150 for Liam's! I'm just going to have to get the baby a cute outfit or a book or something and make it up later, I think :((((((((((
I'm okay with saying 'sorry, I can't go out with you today because I can't afford it' to my wealthy friends, but not having enough money for gifts is really really getting me down.
He's so stressed now he can't even breathe properly.
I don't even know really what kind of jobs Adam can do since he's been a bricklayer his whole life. We've got his application with the Victoria Police going, but that can take the better part of a year.
I've applied for a lot of part time jobs and heard back from none - I've been told the job market is tight, but it's the first time I've not had a phone call the very next day asking me to interview. I've always had it super easy when finding jobs and it's making me a bit nervous. I'm going to give it another week or so of applying, and if I get nothing, I'm just going to have to apply for full time work, of which there are many many more jobs.
Part of me isn't as stressed as Adam, simply because I'm good at blocking it out in my brain, and I know it sounds stupid, but I know my parents would bail us out if we ever got into real strife? My mother is constantly asking me if we're doing okay and whether we need money and I always tell her we're fine, just so she won't worry, so I know that at the very very very worst I've always got them.
Anyway, I've put in an application for Adam to go on unemployment benefits. He hates it. He hates the idea of being on welfare. Either because it means he's failing, or because we're relying on the government, I don't know. I think it's stupid, we paid our taxes for this reason. It's not like we're lying around on our asses waiting for government handouts, we're actively looking for work so we won't need it!
While I was inquiring about unemployment, turns out that we're eligible for Parenting Payment because we're low income. If that all goes through, the money the government gives us will almost pay for our mortgage which would be the biggest relief. I can reduce spending on groceries and on utility bills, but the mortgage is always there, so not having to worry about that will be the best.
One thing I'm actually finding really hard about being poor is gifts. We have many weddings/baby showers/birthdays this year which all require gifts and I don't have the money for it. And a lot of them are Asian, who expect monetary gifts. And *worse*, are Asians who've been to *our* wedding/baby shower etc and so I'm expected to give them a monetary gift the same size they gave us. I just don't know my way around this one. My youngest cousin's baby's one month celebration is on Saturday and he gave us $150 for Liam's! I'm just going to have to get the baby a cute outfit or a book or something and make it up later, I think :((((((((((
I'm okay with saying 'sorry, I can't go out with you today because I can't afford it' to my wealthy friends, but not having enough money for gifts is really really getting me down.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-04-27 01:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-27 04:45 am (UTC)This. They're there to help people in exactly these sorts of situations. I HAVE a part time job and I'm still collecting Newstart because I can.
no subject
Date: 2012-04-27 08:50 am (UTC)Can you sign up with a temp agency? It might be a bit hard with Liam because they'd probably expect you to be available on short notice, but I think people often use temps more in bad times because they can't get approval to hire permanent employees but there's still stuff needing done. Even if you just get a day here and there at least it's some cash coming in.
The gifts thing does sound hard. I mean, it's hard to say to people that you can't afford to give them a gift because it's supposed to be a spontaneous thing and you don't want to explain it and make them feel like it's an expectation (even though really it is....) Ugh. It is good that your parents are there at least. I always felt a bit comforted by that, like, I don't think my parents would have let me lose my house without helping me, even though I wouldn't want to ask them for anything unless it was truly dire.