Thanks everybody. I have some savings until I figure this out but this divorce is not going as easy as it should have. I just can never figure out if I'm making too much money for assistance. I need to go back and reread every thread on cheap eating.

Ok so I am in CA and have never needed to use help like food stamps or anything like that. I am so damn baffled by the information. How the heck am I supposed to figure out if I meet the qualifications? My ex is screwing me royally in the money dept and it's all of a sudden so I am seriously not going to make it. I do have a lawyer but with their stupid computer calculations it just isn't enough for me to make it on and I can't get a roommate or work my second job until the money is settled or they'll use it against me. Any help deciphering the minimun requirements. TIA I may not be back on right away to respond. I'm sort of having a minor melt down at the moment about all this. Just cause it will be better to be divorce doesn't mean I am prepared for how broke I am. And I can't sell the house yet. Not until we agree on it and he is being an ass at the moment.

I don't sweat a ton but I do live where we are over 100 degrees right now and I've had great success with it. I bought it maybe a month ago and still have more than half left.....it only takes a little bit each day. Only once did I reapply late in the day. I really liked that there was no staining on my clothes with it.

I love this product that I saw on Shark Tank called Piperwai. I am usually skeptical about natural deodorants but this stuff is awesome. http://www.piperwai.com/

I do have an emergency fund as I am a saver. So for now I'm good there. I do have a lot of debt but it is all 0% so that's helpful. I've thought of a roommate. My house is kind of small but I could make it work. I believe I should wait until the lawyer sorts it out. I think he wants to sell it but there is so little equity.

Ok it's sad when all the tips for saving money are things I already have been doing for a while now. I understand him being told to distance himself. I am upset though that the papers I got seem to say he not only doesn't want to pay spousal support but he also wants me to pay him back for some supposed benefit I have received living in the house and getting support from him that is too much. I will let my lawyer handle it but she is on vacation. Just scary because I will be living on very little money and probably have to work two jobs. And even though I am glad to be untied to him I am afraid to fall behind my bills.

I meant legal verbage not verbal....stupid autocorrect on my phone. I am so grateful for all the kind words. I'll get back to the thread tonight and respond more but with this new job I don't have much time to be online. Some tips on surviving with very little money? Really that scares me more than amy thing else.

Thanks everyone! I just so need the encouragement. Yes he is already enrolled. I'm not sure what to do yet about the house.....the lawyer says wait a bit. We have been separated for 3 years so I knew we would be here soon but he has cut all communication and keeps telling me to go through his lawyer. It's painful and feels like he hates me. I don't know how to share my 12 yr old with him when he won't speak to me. He just keeps using legal verbal in his emails. I'm just lost and mad at myself cause we should have gotten this over with a long time ago. I just feel very alone.

I need friends to commiserate with me. My ex got tired of waiting to divorce and filed on me. I have a lawyer so that's good. We were on good terms and now he is just killing me. I am probably going to have to sell my house and live in an apartment and I'm so sad and upset. I just can't afford to keep it. And this was the first year ever my son was going to public school for 8th grade (which everyone here really was a great help on advising me about public school). What if I can't find a place in my neighborhood? It so sad for him. I just need some good stories. I have people in my life telling me to just get over it....to just deal with it.....to move on....but I am hurting and it does suck and no one will allow me to be sad. I just started a full time job and am in the middle of training and then add this and I'm kind of losing it.

I just used my phone to scan the diploma so that part was easy. And I had forgotten my high school has changed its name from when I went there. They haven't really explained too much other than they have to verify my education and they are having trouble. As of this morning though it sounds like they have finally accomplished that so the process is moving forward. It's just so crazy to me! Now I have to go fill out an I9 at the office and maybe I will finally be able to start training. You know what's even weirder is this is supposedly a temporary position just until July. I can only hope with all this effort at checking me that they will offer me a full time spot. Please send your good thoughts and prayers my way cause I need this to be permanent. I can't go back to retail tech making little money and I have to get divorced this year. I am so scared cause I haven't worked full time since I was 19 and I wasn't a mom yet let alone a single mom like now.

I had to sign several release forms so they could get the information. I know that when I got my tech license if you were from another country and couldn't get transcripts they gave you the option of taking the CHSPE or the GED. My two older boys have the CHSPE which is a diploma for the state of CA so hopefully they won't run into this problem cause I have no transcripts to provide for them.

It's not government it is for a health insurance company. The job is being handled by a temp agency for them and I have gotten emails from so many different people. It seems there is a one size fits all background check and they won't veer off of that. They won't even answer the question directly. I'm just so happy to get out of retail that I'll do anything. I just wish they would hurry the process up.

At least I know my thoughts on it being ridiculous are correct. They are going to do it anyway but I found it so bizarre. At least I can understand why a diploma doesn't work but then I don't understand why I was given an official copy of one if it isn't useful for anything,

Maybe but it was over 20 years ago. I found a sealed copy of my transcripts today and they said they were required to talk to the school directly. Just seems like they aren't going to get much info from so long ago. I don't have a college degree but I am a certified pharmacy tech so I had tons of background just to get that license.

Can anyone explain why a diploma isn't proof enough that I graduated high school? I just got a new job and in the background check they keep trying to get my transcripts as proof of education and no one will answer me as to why a diploma isn't good enough. I am hoping someone here can explain it to me cause it's driving me nuts!

I made a ribbon that I wear with each of my boys pins on them. I love to show it off.

Yes it is. He'll be 18 in May.

Thanks.....I'm just so proud of him!

Just a brag but my 2nd son just made Eagle Scout! So excited and so glad that's over with!

I feel your frustration! It took two months and so many calls to get my sons supplies in the works thanks to a bunch of mix ups and then I found out our insurance now only pays 50% of supplies so a three month shipment cost us $257, that was for 3 boxes of sets and 3 boxes of cartridges....that was it. I couldn't believe how ridiculous that is. We used to have such great insurance and it just gets worse and worse every year.

:grouphug:

ooh and I just got another call because a second department wants to interview me at the same time at the other one. So my odds of getting a better job just went up. Can't wait for Thursday!

Years ago I only ate between 12pm and 6pm and I lost about 20lbs in four months. I wish I could get back to it again cause it was easy for me. I just ate whatever I wanted and as much as I wanted in that time frame. Oh and congrats!

Thanks.....and congrats to you. I remember reading your job thread and I missed that you got the job.

I work retail in the pharmacy part time and don't really love it. It's been a place to get experience but I always knew I wouldn't want to work there as a full time employee. It just might kill me! I'm just not cut out for retail. Some people may be more lucky but my store doesn't pay well and there really is no room for advancement. As some of the board may remember I made the decision to put my youngest in 8th grade in August so I can finally work full time. I have been hearing that a certain health insurance company in my area is hiring techs and still looking for more. I was going to wait a few more months but really felt like I shouldn't take the chance and miss this opportunity, so I applied. I have an interview next week......I could really use this change. More money, more hours and no nights and weekends like I am doing now. I'm excited and completely nervous. TIA