How do you deal with it?

I was just wondering how you guys deal with stuff that seems to pile up on you? We have been a one income family since Josh was born. Josh has down syndrome and Vickie pretty much needs to be available for him. For a short time she worked outside the home, but when she did Josh's SSI was cut. SSI was more than she was bringing in, so we decided it wasn't worth it for her to work outside the home. We have the same bills as everyone else. We are able to make the payments and obligations that we need to. And then we get hit with some medical bills and a dryer repair bill. All of a sudden the budget is a lot tighter. Of course the medical folks want their money now or they'll turn you over to a collection agency. I've gotten to the point where I'm trying to figure out how to make ends meet, how to keep the bill collectors away, and I'm not able to figure it out. It is getting to the point where it's affecting me physically -- not sleeping good, waking up in the mornings with a nervous stomach. So how do you guys not let your problems get you down?

well i grew up living cheap and then i met my wife and we had our first child and yep i ended up staying home and have other than my job of tree trimming and tree removal that i did when i had the time. One of the key things that i found really helped me out it to set up a bank account were you can stick a bit of money away and only ever touch it when you get in a spot like you are. Yes it is hard to do when things seem to be tough all the time but it sure does help when trouble arises and you really need it. I guess that it is because im so use to living with only a few dollars in my pocket at a time that i can live the way that i do, but there is one other thing that i found that helps is that we also have a paper route that brings in an extra 1000.00 bucks a month. Now we still have bills with out a doubt but we have worked out payment plans with them all and things seem to go along ok as long as we don't over do things. Hope this helps in some way or another, once you get a little money in the bank and you get a plan that you and the wife is ok with you will sleep and feel much better i know i do buddy i been were you are and it sucks.

Ridge...First let me say....I hope things get better for you and your family...A lot of people seem to be in the same hole as you ....Before I became disabled I would do like Mike said...Stash a little back each week and NEVER touch it .....But once I got sick...It went away pretty quick....I would try to set up a payment plan with the medical people...Even if it's only 5 dollars a month...At least it's something....It will show good faith in wanting to pay the bill...A lot of people are 1 paycheck away from being homeless.....Right now it's just hard on everyone.....

I went through years of tight money and wondering where my next meal was coming from...I just never gave up and never let it bother me that I didnt have nothing...Things finally started looking up after I met the wife...No matter what happened to me I was always trying to make someone smile or looking for a way to keep my smile...Just try not tolet the bad part of life get the best of you.

Ridge, I'm sorry you are where you are. I am there myself. Let me tell you a bit of advise... You can tell the hospitals/dr's what YOU can pay. Do NOT let them tell you how much THEY have to have. Like Tessie said, even if it's only $5.00 per month, they have to accept that payment. If they do NOT accept your payment, that bill will be PAID IN FULL... I found this out years ago from an attorney and it still holds true today. It's not easy living on a one person income. Like I said, I am also doing this. Is there anything that you can decrease, say like cell phone plan, lower your cable to basic cable (if you have cable), lower your internet (if you have high speed, go to a lower speed). Things of that nature. I know that I decreased the things that I just mentioned and it helped me out tremendously. I will also be moving in the next couple weeks and after the move, I will be saving $140.00 per month.

I sure hope things get better for you. Keep Your Chin Up!~! Things will get better, I'm sure!

What Peg said,its hard to get by on one paycheck,been there.If my wife wasnt working....but it will get better,our grandson has downs too so i know where you are coming from there.We put a little back each paycheck for them tight times.Times sem to stay tight,but there some light at the end of the tunnel.Getting to the end is another story,but you can get there.

Well I did a quick internet search, and I didn't find anything about hospitals having to take what you send. I did find that most hospitals expect to have it paid in 6 - 12 months. I guess we're just going to have to talk to them and see what they say. I guess if they turn us over to a collection agency, we can keep sending payments to the hospital. If they deposit the check then I have proof I'm paying. Our insurance is good about the routine office visits, but when you get referred out to a specialist for a mri or whatever it's not so good. It will be interesting to see what congress comes up with.

we just make payments to both the hosp. and ambulance. Took us 8 yrs to pay the hosp off when my wife got Hystio-cytosis X, but they finally got it all. You might want to check out state aid and see if they will help you out. If the bill is at Pontiac, you can tlak to them there and they will help you out too. If we had to pay full amounts of the bills for mama and me, we would have to live in the car, so the help is there, you just have to go after it. We still have to pay some of it but they pick up the most of it.