NM

[ocelotmom]

Lentils are great - you don't have to pre-soak (though it can help with digestion if you do), and they cook faster, especially red lentils.

[bolt.]

The caffeine tablets I buy are 100 for about $4. Each tablet is 2 cups of coffee. I don't understand how that could turn out more expensive than buying coffee.

[Guest inoubliable]

He'll probably need to buy one of the convenience store's thermos to get their refill price.

 

I'll have him check. So far they don't seem to care which cup he uses, but if it's a large Thermos they might. 

[Guest inoubliable]

The caffeine tablets I buy are 100 for about $4. Each tablet is 2 cups of coffee. I don't understand how that could turn out more expensive than buying coffee.

 

I didn't know how much those cost. I'll look into it. 

[unsinkable]

Okay, I'll let him follow his instincts with the job bit. And I won't pressure him on the coffee and cigarettes. He does brew at home and take two metal thermoses with him but it doesn't last all day. He has to be up at 4:30 am for the morning text (that tells him when to be there). Some days he has to leave right away but other day he doesn't go in until 8 or 9 am. And he can't go back to sleep. And then he doesn't usually get home until between 10 pm and midnight. It's very, very long days for him. He's forced to buy coffee on the road so he can stay awake.

 

*sigh*

 

So I guess all I can really do is keep an eye out for other jobs, update his resume, and figure out groceries for a family of five with $14. :/

 

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Can you fall back asleep easily?

 

If so, can you get up at 430 and read the text, then only wake him if he needs to leave then?

[unsinkable]

This is a great cooking site and I'm linking straight to her "beans" page.

 

For dried beans, you can soak them overnight or quick soak.

 

Quick soak is when you sort and rinse the beans, then bring them to a boil. Once they boil for 10 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let soak for an hour. Then drain and proceed with the recipe.

 

http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2008/01/bean-recipes.html#axzz3Bd2TDkBh

[unsinkable]

http://www.budgetbytes.com/

 

This site has some tasty, cheaper recipes.

[lewber]

Yes, where we live truck drivers with a clean record and can pass a drug test are in great demand. I hope it turns around for him or he has luck with a different job. 

[Guest inoubliable]

 

[Twilight Woods]

We are going through something similar... DH is actually losing his job though. I have stopped helping with the job situation b/c it puts him under more stress than he already is. As far as smoking.... I bought myself a Ecig to make the regular smokes last longer..... and I no longer buy coffee out. I use a travel mug if I am out and about. Since moving I am not working.. BUT I am looking but can't really do anything until DH get's back here... 2 more weeks. I can't remember if you have any medical experience? If you do I would look at local hospitals or clinics. They usually have PRN shifts available that have variety of shifts. you could even look for EVS positions (patient transport etc) For groceries.... we have been doing a lot of meatless meals b/c it just is not in our budget. Oatmeal is also a good breakfast and goes a long way. 

 

 

HTH

 

 

 

 

[Cinder]

The caffeine tablets I buy are 100 for about $4. Each tablet is 2 cups of coffee. I don't understand how that could turn out more expensive than buying coffee.

 

Maybe not but for some of us the actual drinking of the beverage is part of the experience; we actually *like* the flavor of coffee. :D

[Guest inoubliable]

 

[Guest inoubliable]

Maybe not but for some of us the actual drinking of the beverage is part of the experience; we actually *like* the flavor of coffee. :D

 

I have a feeling this is what it's going to be for DH. He's been drinking coffee for over 20 years and he hasn't even hit mid-30. Part of the addiction, for him I think, is the act of drinking the coffee. 

[jennynd]

As for your DH job situation. The only suggestion is to have him writing down all the conversation/ conflict that he had with his boss. .. In detail with dates. If the worst ever happen, he can bring it up to the boss's boss and HR. I don't think it is a good idea to go over his boss at this stage, it just leave bad reputation/record.

[Guest inoubliable]

Good idea. I'll ask him to start writing it down, or I can write it down for him when he calls to tell me what happened. 

[Reefgazer]

It sounds to me like the company (or parts of it, or this branch) are poorly run, which is why DH can't get on the road on time.  That probably has translated into potentially lost accounts or threats from clients.  It also sounds like it is not your D's fault.

 

I do think paying down debt and working at finding a new position would be the safest course of action.  I would not use the cigarettes/coffee as the cash cow, however.  I understand the logic behind that: they are completely a luxury and unnecessary.  However, they are also addictive, and when you consider physical addiction, it's not as simple as saying "we need to cut this out".  Can your DH consider the nicotine patch to quit the ciggies over time?  It is often covered by insurance, and then you could reduce/save the cost of the cigarettes.  But you would probably get a better reception if you didn't require him to go cold-turkey. 

 

Can you switch to a cheaper brand of coffee? 

 

Can either one of you take in additional work for pay?

 

I'd be careful about going over the boss's head.  Whether or not that works depends on the dynamics of the company, which your husband knows about.  Not saying it's not a good idea; I would just not jump at it and tread carefully.

 

 

[Mrs Mungo]

No medical experience. I'm starting to think maybe I should!

 

 

I have a friend who is a nurse, but she started with a short phlebotomy class, which helped her work her way through nursing school.

[Reefgazer]

Maybe not, but I bet he'd feel better:
 




 

I would get him a nice big metal thermos and start brewing coffee at home.
 
I would try and not get too hard on him about the smoking while he is stressed out. Would rolling his own be cheaper?

[Twilight Woods]

Oh no! That is awful!  :grouphug: 

I might mention an Ecig to DH. I'm not sure how expensive that is upfront, though. Travel mugs are a definite help; he's been using one (or two) for years now. He can get a refill for anywhere from $.59 to $.99 each time. 

No medical experience. I'm starting to think maybe I should! 

We're definitely going to be doing a lot more meatless meals for a while. Oatmeal will probably go over well once it gets cooler again. 

 

I'm so sorry you're going through this. :(

 

 

depending on which job you may not need any experience. PM for some good sites for ecigs and liquid if you want. Thanks :) It's been different and stressful and could be a good thing IF I look at it the right way. LOL. 

[Guest inoubliable]

 

 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

My mom does billing for psychologists (I work for her), and it's a fairly easy job to do from home. The hardest part would be devoting time to the phone work you would need to do, and there might be some startup costs for database software. But really, if you're billing for psychologists/LCSWs, you're generally billing the same codes over and over, as opposed to medical billing, where there are a million codes. Matryoshka also does transcription from home (at least, I believe it's her, I could be wrong) and that might be an easy thing to get into too. Your per-hour might not be that high, but at least you're home--saves you transportation/clothing costs. 

 

I do surveys from home when I have time, and while it's not big money, it's an extra $25 Amazon GC every couple of months or so. It would be more if I stayed on top of it. 

[Guest inoubliable]

Good ideas! I do some online surveys but I only make about $100/year out of it. 

Do you need to take a class to do the billing? Is there a company I should look at?

 

I was thinking of getting back into real estate, but I haven't even looked up real estate licenses in MN yet. I should do that tonight. 

[dtsmamtj]

Do you have survey sites that are reputable?

 

I am interested in billing information also.

 

Thank you.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

We eat a whole lot of beans, rice, and inexpensive veggies right now.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I take surveys through this site:

 

http://www.valuedopinions.com

 

It's been awhile since I've done it regularly though, so I don't know how it is now. I'm sure it's still legit, but even when I was doing it regularly, you had to be fast to get into the survey and get a spot. If you wait too long, the spaces will fill up. You need to keep an eye on your email so when the notifications come in, you can jump on them. Generally, the compensation is 10 cents per minute--so a 20 minute survey would pay $2.00. It's not a lot, but it's easy to do from home for a couple of extra dollars in your pocket.

 

The billing software we use is called Office Therapy by Docutrac (I think). They have more options now than they did when my mom started, so I'm not sure which option would be best. Each client needs to be entered into the database individually, with their diagnosis, insurance information, personal info, etc. This is probably the most complicated part, because all the parts of the database are connected and need to be entered correctly for all the functionality to work. Each therapist submits a final visit list at the end of their week with the dates for each client and the billing code for the visit (e.g., couples therapy has a unique code, single 45-minute visits have a code, single 60-minute visits have a code, first-visit appointments have a code, etc.--it's generally the same 4-5 codes though, and almost always is the single 45-minute code) and we enter each client's visit in the database, charge their copay or payment on their credit card, and generate and upload claims when all clients are in. The claims are uploaded via Internet through the software. 

 

Now, that said, it's not easy breezy, especially at first and especially because working with the insurance companies can be utterly crazy-making. But it's a good option for a work-from-home job for someone who's willing to put in the time and effort to learn the software, sort through the BS of the insurance companies, and doesn't mind talking to clients and insurance CS reps on the phone. My mom charges a percentage of all the income processed through the practice (which is really all the income, because even cash clients need to be entered into the database for tracking and income management purposes). 

[MomatHWTK]

If you are reliable, can answer a phone and will show up well dressed and ready to work on short notice, you might do well with a temp agency.  I was very popular with mine in the way back days because I had dress clothes and would say yes to a 10 a.m. assignment if they called me at 8 and asked.  Even if it wasn't the best pay and I didn't really want the assignment, I would say "Call me if you can't get anyone else."  It made me a reliable go to employee so I got good assigments later. 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Good ideas! I do some online surveys but I only make about $100/year out of it. 

 

Do you need to take a class to do the billing? Is there a company I should look at?

 

I was thinking of getting back into real estate, but I haven't even looked up real estate licenses in MN yet. I should do that tonight. 

 

No, my mom started it by convincing her own therapist, who would sometimes complain about her own billing mess (she did her own billing--they ended up becoming friends outside of therapy, it's weird!) to let my mom try to sort it out. My mom pretty much went in and just hard-nosed her way into understanding the system and the database, and jumping into dealing with clients feet-first. Now her clients consider her indispensable. 

[HSmomof2]

I don't think pushing him to quit cigarettes and coffee when in the midst of a stressful situation is going to turn out well.

 

I'm sorry things are not working out well, there is such a big difference between a good boss and a bad one.

I agree......It's such a shame a bad boss can otherwise ruin a good job.

[Jenny in Florida]

Matryoshka also does transcription from home (at least, I believe it's her, I could be wrong) and that might be an easy thing to get into too. Your per-hour might not be that high, but at least you're home--saves you transportation/clothing costs. 

 

Matryoshka does a specialized kind of educational transcription, and I believe she has explained that she had to be willing to train and work on campus for a couple of years before transitioning to working at home.

 

I work occasionally for a company called Rev.com doing general transcription. It requires no experience or training, just the ability to pass their test and the willingness to work for not a lot of money. In theory, they accept about 10% of the people who apply and take the exam. You need to be a decent typist and have a good grasp of grammar and punctuation.

 

I think they estimate that you can make only about $30 in your first month, but I've averaged $100-ish in months when I make an effort. It definitely won't pay the rent, but in a month in which you are scraping together $14 for groceries, it could make things a tiny bit more comfortable.

 

Edited to add: I meant to say that Rev.com pays weekly, which is nice. It may be just a teeny bit of money, but you're never very far from getting it.

[happi duck]

A public school might have positions for lunch/recess monitors that work just a couple hours a day. They might also need substitute monitors.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Matryoshka does a specialized kind of educational transcription, and I believe she has explained that she had to be willing to train and work on campus for a couple of years before transitioning to working at home.

 

I work occasionally for a company called Rev.com doing general transcription. It requires no experience or training, just the ability to pass their test and the willingness to work for not a lot of money. In theory, they accept about 10% of the people who apply and take the exam. You need to be a decent typist and have a good grasp of grammar and punctuation.

 

I think they estimate that you can make only about $30 in your first month, but I've averaged $100-ish in months when I make an effort. It definitely won't pay the rent, but in a month in which you are scraping together $14 for groceries, it could make things a tiny bit more comfortable.

 

Edited to add: I meant to say that Rev.com pays weekly, which is nice. It may be just a teeny bit of money, but you're never very far from getting it.

 

Oh, I think it must have been you I was thinking of, not Matryoshka! I remember you telling that story before. Thank you for clarifying and providing the info again.

[unsinkable]

Matryoshka does a specialized kind of educational transcription, and I believe she has explained that she had to be willing to train and work on campus for a couple of years before transitioning to working at home.

 

I work occasionally for a company called Rev.com doing general transcription. It requires no experience or training, just the ability to pass their test and the willingness to work for not a lot of money. In theory, they accept about 10% of the people who apply and take the exam. You need to be a decent typist and have a good grasp of grammar and punctuation.

 

I think they estimate that you can make only about $30 in your first month, but I've averaged $100-ish in months when I make an effort. It definitely won't pay the rent, but in a month in which you are scraping together $14 for groceries, it could make things a tiny bit more comfortable.

 

Edited to add: I meant to say that Rev.com pays weekly, which is nice. It may be just a teeny bit of money, but you're never very far from getting it.

Oh, I think it must have been you I was thinking of, not Matryoshka! I remember you telling that story before. Thank you for clarifying and providing the info again.

Milovany is a speech-to-text transcriber. She's got a thread here about it and finding work in educational settings.

[SKL]

He'll probably need to buy one of the convenience store's thermos to get their refill price.

 

In my experience, as long as you use your own cup, they will generally give the discount.  It's worth an ask.  :)

 

[LucyStoner]

Not a lot to add but to say I hope it all works out in the end. I am sorry you have this stress layered on top of everything else with your health and the debt from the move. I hope you are able to get a job that works for you and that things settle down for him at work.

[TGHEALTHYMOM]

Lentils are great - you don't have to pre-soak (though it can help with digestion if you do), and they cook faster, especially red lentils.

I remember seeing a show with a recipe for Lentil soup several years ago:  I cooked a bag of lentils ( pre-soaked overnight)

                                                                                                                                          Added tomatoes and some garlic for a yummy meal.  

 

I also tried a salmon recipe from Taste of Home that was yummy!

 

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/salmon-quesadillas

 

 

 

I hope things get better for you soon!

[Miss Mousie]

I think your plan is good:

 

1.  Leave the job decisions up to DH.

2.  Leave the cigarettes alone; see if a chip here and there on the coffee works out OK.

3.  Look for ways you can add income - lots of good ideas in this thread.

4.  Frugal eating.

 

I sure hope this is a short season, for you and all the others in similar tough spots.  I wish you well.  Trucking is a tough business.   :grouphug: