Updates 2023 (job hunt etc)

[JustEm]

In the future, I wouldn't recommend making the decision based off of salary estimates.  I just checked what they estimate dh's salary would be, for reference he's in his first year of the position, and it is about half what he actually makes.

 

[Frances]

24 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

Indeed salary estimate on the library job was 20-26k. I cannot put a roof over my head on that (I make more than that now and my rent will go up when I move) and doing side/gig work is very hard with my availability. Most employers will not cater to my sporadic weekend availability. It’s not even consistent. Holidays, spring break, summer etc throw it off. 

I probably need to land a job like the admin asst one. It’s Mon-Fri and pays more than I currently make. 

For a public school job, the salary information is likely publicly available online somewhere, especially if you can find out the name of someone who holds or previously held the position. It’s very common for the names and salaries of government employees to be published regularly.

[heartlikealion]

Just now, Frances said:

For a public school job, the salary information is likely publicly available online somewhere, especially if you can find out the name of someone who holds or previously held the position. It’s very common for the names and salaries of government employees to be published regularly.

Yes I looked at a chart once but I couldn’t find that particular job. I messaged a gf that used to work for the district to see if she had any idea on salary (before I realized the job closed). She used to be a teacher asst and it did not pay much. 

[heartlikealion]

I found it. The step column does not necessarily reflect years of experience according to the chart notes but looks to me like you’d start out at 00 and it would take time to move up. Yup, it pays peanuts. 

Looks like front office makes more. 

[Idalou]

On 5/13/2023 at 10:48 PM, heartlikealion said:

I will follow up again this coming week with the admin. assist. job at metal place. 

’ll brainstorm small items I could make. Long term big picture pipe dream would be selling catios lol (enclosure for cats to safely enjoy outdoors). But the cost of wood/screening etc I know would possibly make it not profitable. However, supply and demand! Cat mamas might be willing to pay. Another idea — custom-made cat bowls that are long & wide so cats don’t bend their whiskers (that’s why they don’t like eating the remaining food at bottom!

Now idea about cat mamas, but dog parents spend ridiculous amounts for their pups. You could sew bandanas, adorn collars, get that thing that presses out personalized dog tags, home-made treats, picture frames, or maybe those wooden raised frames that hold dog bowls. Sell on Marketplace or other online or town festivals. It's stuff that's small enough to for you to transport and store at your house.

Edited May 15, 2023 by Idalou

[thatfirstsip]

Oh yep, library clerk is going to be a lot closer to minimum wage than librarian. You might consider these types of jobs in the future, though; $26k plus benefits, and you can work full-time somewhere else in the summer, might be decent.

Have you considered going back to school, maybe community college, for some type of applied degree? At least here, there are a lot of two-year programs that lead right into stable employment, especially healthcare adjacent or tech adjacent. If I recall correctly you already have a BA, do you might consider a professional licensure grad program. 

Jobs that pay more than $30k without some sort of licensure or applied degree are just often hard to find in low COL states. I know you're averse to debt, do community college might be the way to go, but $25k for a grad degree (a licensed one, not just a master's of whatever) might mean you could make $50-$60k going forward. 

There are also community programs here that offer free career counseling. I think piecemeal work is just hard to sustain when you have a kid to support.

[heartlikealion]

Just now, Idalou said:

Now idea about cat mamas, but dog parents spend ridiculous amounts for their pups. You could sew bandanas, adorn collars, get that thing that presses out personalized dog tags, home-made treats, picture frames, etc. Sell on Marketplace or other online or town festivals. It's stuff that's small enough to for you to transport and store at your house.

Yes I’ve tried festivals but I can’t justify the vendor booth fee. I only did it at my kids’ school fest because it was $25 for the booth. I might have broken even but not really because of money I spent on supplies. Barely anyone spent money at the booths. I sold like one cloth Christmas bag, a few cookies and cupcakes. It was largely a waste of time. You need a cottage license to legitimately sell baked goods. I think that would apply to dog treats as well. So I gave up on selling food. Plus landlords don’t always authorize use of their property. My current one says you can’t run a business here. He knew about the annual fall fest and didn’t care. 

In a bigger city I might have luck with marketplace but here it’s awful. The gas isn’t worth the drop off. No one will come to me on the boonies, either. I want to make yard signs but I’m worried the cost of the wood (even cheap stuff like plywood) would make it not profitable. If you don’t pay yourself for your labor then you aren’t making any profit. And I’m not willing to charge $3.50 for a baked good. I bought a cookie that expensive recently to support a new local business but that’s a rip off to me. 

[heartlikealion]

4 minutes ago, thatfirstsip said:

Oh yep, library clerk is going to be a lot closer to minimum wage than librarian. You might consider these types of jobs in the future, though; $26k plus benefits, and you can work full-time somewhere else in the summer, might be decent.

Have you considered going back to school, maybe community college, for some type of applied degree? At least here, there are a lot of two-year programs that lead right into stable employment, especially healthcare adjacent or tech adjacent. If I recall correctly you already have a BA, do you might consider a professional licensure grad program. 

Jobs that pay more than $30k without some sort of licensure or applied degree are just often hard to find in low COL states. I know you're averse to debt, do community college might be the way to go, but $25k for a grad degree (a licensed one, not just a master's of whatever) might mean you could make $50-$60k going forward. 

There are also community programs here that offer free career counseling. I think piecemeal work is just hard to sustain when you have a kid to support.

I have an AA and a BA. I have no desire to go back to school. I thought about going to a short-term program to become a hygienist but they are exposed to lots of chemicals in the building (it’s a whole thing I’d have to send you down the rabbit hole. Not just chemicals from new jobs. Off gassing from mouths with fillings etc) and recently my hygienist told me she had chronic pain from leaning over her patients all day and she’s slowly trying to leave the field. 

I can live off less than 50k if I get a smaller place (I’m in a 3BD and will need to pay $200 more a month to get a 2BD by the kids). I currently make under 40k. So I’d be willing to settle for something closer to 40k but that would mean less money to go toward building retirement, savings, college funds etc. I don’t know if I’d be responsible for college stuff for the kids… but surely I’d want to contribute somehow. Depending where I worked my monthly fuel consumption may or may not be better than now (now I stay home most days but when I do go out I usually easily spend 1/4-half a tank of gas). 

I’m just hoping to get a desk job paying ~32-45k and drop down to PT at the magazine. I don’t even know if that’s realistic. 

I really can’t handle the idea of school right now. If I’m in class when am I working and will I burn out and go into debt. it’s a whole new worse level of stress imo. 

[thatfirstsip]

Virtually the only way to make money at this is to sell online. Baked goods, indeed, are almost impossible even online bc you need the health department approval, so you'd need access to a commercial kitchen. 

But woodworking things, maybe. You could do personalized catio signs, for example, if there's a community access laser printer at a makerspace or library in your area. But to make decent money you'd pretty much have to sell online.

[heartlikealion]

50 minutes ago, thatfirstsip said:

Virtually the only way to make money at this is to sell online. Baked goods, indeed, are almost impossible even online bc you need the health department approval, so you'd need access to a commercial kitchen. 

But woodworking things, maybe. You could do personalized catio signs, for example, if there's a community access laser printer at a makerspace or library in your area. But to make decent money you'd pretty much have to sell online.

Here you do not need access to a commercial kitchen for the cottage license. But you would need someone to come into your kitchen to approve it. As a renter, this would be a problem I would think. 

I would probably try to start local (selling via Facebook groups rather than generic marketplace listings). That way I wouldn't have to deal with postage. Because I feel like once you add shipping costs you're really not profiting.

I can double check, but at least at the maker space at the college campus by my home, you would not allowed to use the things for commercial purposes. It was really for personal use type stuff. Make a shirt? Use the laser printer? Use the 3D printer? It's for your own shirt, your own custom coaster, your own custom cookie cutter etc. I think the public library facility is like that as well. 

[heartlikealion]

I mean yes, you can charge the shipping fee to the customer, but then you have to figure out if that would deter the sale, would you need to do flat rate, estimate shipping, or charge shipping once the exact fee is known. For me those are all just more headaches to deal with. But maybe I just get discouraged easily. 

[thatfirstsip]

35 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

I mean yes, you can charge the shipping fee to the customer, but then you have to figure out if that would deter the sale, would you need to do flat rate, estimate shipping, or charge shipping once the exact fee is known. For me those are all just more headaches to deal with. But maybe I just get discouraged easily. 

If you make smallish things this is easier; for bigger things I agree it's a headache. Most online selling places have integrated shipping and when you tell them the weight and size of the item, they calculate the shipping for you and charge the exact shipping amount to the customer. It's a lot easier than meeting up with people locally, although it does take some time to set up at first.

[heartlikealion]

My dad's a/c has been broken a while and he's back in town and has the new unit arriving this week. Supposedly it will be installed on Tuesday. I'm driving there tonight (I will just suck it up one night) so I can see ds on his birthday and go to the amusement park tomorrow for a few hours. I set aside money for our day passes (that's the most bang for your buck and if it's not crowded we can ride some rides a few times). I missed Mother's Day weekend & another because of the a/c issue but I'll get makeup weekends. Staying at my gf's house was not a practical solution at the time. Long story. My attorney is aware of the a/c situation and everything is documented. 

I am still waiting to hear back from apartment complexes (both income restricted and not) for availability. I really should move soon because the kids get out for summer any day now and what a mess doing week on/week off visitation without my own place. I'm not going to petition for a half a summer back to back weeks to myself either because then that's half a summer dd doesn't see her stepbro and I won't hear the end of it. 

The tax place sent me back my service fee so I will deposit that and send to the IRS. I paid down my cc balance this week and have two babysitting jobs lined up (Wed night in a church nursery and then Sun morning in a different church nursery). These particular jobs are done through the other nanny app that takes out taxes so I don't have to fool with that. And the hourly rate is good. 

A crazy thing happened at ds' school (safety concern) and I tried to add myself to the school email list. They said my email was not on file and it was too late in the school year to add it so just have dad add it when he registers ds for next school year. I reached out to xh and he said that he did give both our emails and he doesn't know why they are saying neither are on file. He did in fact receive an email from the school about the incident. I, however, found out via social media. We will try to get this all sorted out for next school year. Regardless, my take away was "really? This thing happened at school and while we were talking about the next visit with the kids you didn't think to say, 'hey, did you get that school email about the thing?'" Ugh. 

I have one job lead that says apply in person. I'll do that tomorrow. The metal company would only tell me, "we will keep your application on file for 30 days." 

[Kanin]

40 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

They said my email was not on file and it was too late in the school year to add it

That's ridiculous. How hard is it to add an email? Our secretary could to it in two seconds.

[heartlikealion]

6 minutes ago, Kanin said:

That's ridiculous. How hard is it to add an email? Our secretary could to it in two seconds.

The exact response was something along the lines of, "you need to come in person and show ID for us to add your email." I'm not in town so I said I could come the next time I was in town, but then she said nevermind it's too late in the year to edit it. 

Their literal last day of school is this week, depending on who has what exams to take I guess. Last time I spoke to ds he said he thought his birthday was his final day.

Then she said it could be added at registration for next year and I thought but what if xh already registered him and I was left off? 

The secretary said that the info was on their facebook but I went to the facebook and saw NOTHING about this incident. I read about it elsewhere on social media. She also said it was on their website... but from what I can tell, if it's there, it's behind a parent portal so I'd need to get a log in. 

Edit: I just looked online and last official school day is Wed. That's great because the amusement park probably won't fill up til AFTER we go. 

Edited May 22, 2023 by heartlikealion

[vonfirmath]

If there is a parent portal, you probably want to get yourself a login for it.

 

Then you can go in and check on grades, attendance, etc. Plus know who the teachers are and even see who the emergency contacts in the system are.

 

It also might be good to print out next year's school calendar and keep it on hand. Then you will know the school holidays/early release days/etc ahead of time.

 

[heartlikealion]

2 hours ago, vonfirmath said:

If there is a parent portal, you probably want to get yourself a login for it.

 

Then you can go in and check on grades, attendance, etc. Plus know who the teachers are and even see who the emergency contacts in the system are.

 

It also might be good to print out next year's school calendar and keep it on hand. Then you will know the school holidays/early release days/etc ahead of time.

 

Initially I deliberately avoided the parent portal. That was mostly for xh to log in and add money to the cafeteria lunches. I said to myself you wanna be custodial parent? You deal with that mess. 

I’ll find out more for upcoming year. 

I wasn’t on private school portal at end but still got automated emails with grades. I need to find out more about how it functions. I get emails routinely from the elementary teacher (updates, photos of the kids). She’s good with communication. 

[heartlikealion]

One job posting said apply in person. I did that on Tuesday morning. They ran a preliminary background check on me, but said they do that with everyone. They asked for my DL and SS card and I only happened to have the SS card on me because one housing option will need it if I get a call. There are peacocks all over the property. That was interesting. It's an admin. assistant position at a nursing home. I don't know how many applicants they are getting. 

I saw a rental property in my size/budget on Zillow and jumped on applying... Zillow made me pay a $35 fee for some sort of credit check. Then I found out from some friends that it's not a good area... sigh. Crime/drugs concerns. So no progress on the house hunt. There's one apartment complex that had a few units around $800/mo for a 2BD (which in that area is good despite being way above my initial price range) but when you click to see details you find out that's apparently the "base pay" and none of them are that price! They're all closer to $900/mo. I even called the office to confirm. They were not particularly friendly/helpful (if it says we have some available, we do. That's the price." 

I was hoping for a much more fun amusement park experience, but the rides were more "ugh, get me off this thing" than "wee this is fun." I assured ds it's not always like that and we'll eventually go somewhere else. One ride pushed down on his pelvis. He didn't feel so great/had a headache at one point. We enjoyed our food. We sat around and relaxed by a fountain feature. He got a good grade on his math exam and was exempt from others so does not have to go to school today. The quality time together was nice. We went inside and tried to play a game, but it would not accept my wristband or credit card so I said I think you have to go to the counter and purchase a gaming card of some sort. By then xh was on his way and I said I can take both he and his sister to the arcade section some other time. So strange, the bathroom stalls don't lock. A child opened the door on me just before I walked to the toilet (which was like 20 feet from the door, I kid you not LOL. Very long stalls). 

My landlord shot me a text again this week asking how my job/house hunt is going. Clearly they are ready for me to get OUT. On the bright side, I bet they won't even be strict about a 30-day notice. I really want to secure something soon with summer visitation around the corner... but we might have to have the kids come to this house a week at a time. It's not convenient to stay a whole week with 2 kids in my dad's home. Too crowded. Speaking of my dad's, the A/C was supposed to be fixed Tues. They needed something else to be done today so I am glad I left town last night. I slept one night there (Mon). 

I have 2 babysitting jobs this week (tonight and Sun). 

https://youtu.be/FoxXUVmzGF8 (one of the few rides we went on)

The ride I really wanted to go on was down for repairs (along with two others). We can go back and just ride that one another day. 

[heartlikealion]

I went ahead and applied to one school job and one casino job. The casino job didn’t specify hours so there’s a chance we can negotiate that (mostly I avoid casino jobs as they often require nights/weekends/holidays). It sounds like it’s at least a partially seated role though I’d need to find out how much time in my feet. 

The school job hourly rate is OK but yearly salary is low as it’s not including summers but the intention there would be to keep the magazine role part time and still be free to spend school holidays & summers not totally pinned down. 

I have an appt with a new podiatrist next week to consider custom made orthotics. Ins says if they bill it as “other services” they should cover 80%. I’m sick of my feet affecting my mobility.

I have a realtor now but neither of us can find anything in my budget that fits my needs. I don’t think I’m asking too much to be in a safe area (crime map showed very dangerous for some) and have appliances (one didn’t come with a fridge). I also want a washer/dryer hookup since I own a W/D and don’t want to lug my clothes outside the unit. 

I don’t think those things are that unreasonable but obviously others may disagree. 

People I know keep sending me links to things that are $200+ more than what I pay now. I told them paying $150 more is pretty much my cap. They’re acting like I just need to budget. Ummm aside from the couple concerts this year, I really don’t splurge much. I don’t even have Netflix lol my gym membership is my big splurge ($10/month) and that’s for my mental & physical health. 

Early June I might get a call for an opening in the affordable housing complex but no telling.  Their 2 bedroom would only be $50 more a month than what I pay now for my 3BD. 

If I got a significantly higher paying job then I could entertain some other housing options but so far no. I don’t want to live beyond my means. I’ll stay here all summer if I have to as I wait. 

[heartlikealion]

I was afraid of this. All this wear & tear on the car is taking a toll. My car was in the auto shop in May (my dad dropped me off and let me borrow his car) for one issue  (which may or may not be related to the traveling. Car didn't want to start after putting gas in. It would take a couple attempts and I was scared I was gonna get stranded). Now it's in the shop by my house (and I'm in the lobby with my laptop waiting on it). They are replacing a wheel bearing then doing an oil change and tire rotation. He commented that it has a lot of miles on it and asked if I drive it a lot. I said yes, often 4 hours one way. 

I was supposed to get the kids this morning (at the halfway point) but had to delay it. I might be able to do the pick up tomorrow at the half way point after my podiatrist appt if my car is ready. 

I proposed to xh to do a 2 week on/2 week off visitation over summer to save us from meeting up every single weekend at the halfway point. No dice. Claims he wants to stick as close to the decree as possible (says the guy that royally screwed up the visitation). 

I've applied to more jobs including one where you sew covers for boat seats. I just need something. 

[heartlikealion]

At the transmission place now to see if they will change the trans fluid or not (one of my error messages). Sometimes it’s worse to change it with a high mileage vehicle apparently. It’s got 215,000 miles. 

[maize]

You are doing a fantastic job with budgeting heart, I remember how stressful it was for you before you separated that your ex wouldn't ever stick to a budget.

I've got my fingers crossed for you that both new housing and a new job will come through soon.

Edited May 30, 2023 by maize

[heartlikealion]

The transmission place said no need to change the fluid. 👏

I’ll plan to meet kids halfway tomorrow. And I can finally use my restaurant gift card with them this summer (only works at one location). And I can use my movie passes with them (only work at theaters by me). 

[heartlikealion]

I saw the new podiatrist. We got casts made of my feet. I’ll have my custom orthotics in a few weeks. I hope they help! He said ins typically covers 1 set a year (well, a portion of one set) but the second pair is cheaper if ordered within 2 years of the cast since they just reuse the same mold. If I want a second set specifically for dress shoes, they can make those (they are thinner & he showed me some samples). I was so excited to learn I might be able to wear dress shoes again without agony. 

Picked up kids last night at halfway point. I never thought I’d see the day they came back to this house. It’s nice. Xh had no idea (seriously?) I couldn’t afford to move on my current salary and thought my boss just wouldn’t let me. He had access to all my finances in court at one point so figured he knew. Anyway, he said that the one city I was avoiding due to this paper mill odor no longer has that odor (he works in that city). He said he’d let me know if he saw something in my desired price range. I told him where I move will largely depend on where I secure a job because I don’t want to commute (gas $ and time). 

I’m working with a real estate agent, but most things in my budget are in high crime areas. I will keep applying to jobs. 

Edited June 1, 2023 by heartlikealion

[Heartstrings]

Don’t just dismiss the high crime areas out of hand.  I technically live in a high crime area but I live in a cute, safe neighborhood and rarely have issues and I’m rarely aware of issues in the surrounding neighborhoods.   You might be surprised what you can find.   My whole town is high crime if you look at the maps but there are really nice neighborhoods everywhere.  

[heartlikealion]

Just now, Heartstrings said:

Don’t just dismiss the high crime areas out of hand.  I technically live in a high crime area but I live in a cute, safe neighborhood and rarely have issues and I’m rarely aware of issues in the surrounding neighborhoods.   You might be surprised what you can find.   My whole town is high crime if you look at the maps but there are really nice neighborhoods everywhere.  

Most people I know have said that city is pretty bad in general. So I’m very hesitant. 

There’s an apartment complex there in my budget I may need to drive by to see if it seems secure. I don’t know the next time I’ll be there so may ask my dad to drive by. My online application never went through they said so I’d have to start all over and it was very long. 

[WendyLady]

2 hours ago, Heartstrings said:

Don’t just dismiss the high crime areas out of hand.  I technically live in a high crime area but I live in a cute, safe neighborhood and rarely have issues and I’m rarely aware of issues in the surrounding neighborhoods.   You might be surprised what you can find.   My whole town is high crime if you look at the maps but there are really nice neighborhoods everywhere.  

I agree with this. We live in one of the highest crime/capita cities in the country and we heard terrible things about it before we moved here. Others who had been stationed here told us that the that the whole city is unsafe, but we feel safe in our neighborhood. There are places I have felt unsafe, and there are areas I avoid, especially at night, but I think we are safer here than where we lived in (a walled community with a manned gate) in N. Las Vegas. So go see the areas for yourself before you decide it's an automatic no.

Edited June 1, 2023 by WendyLady

[Heartstrings]

5 minutes ago, WendyLady said:

I agree with this. We live in one of the highest crime/capita cities in the country and we heard terrible things about it before we moved here. Others who had been stationed here told us that the that the whole city is unsafe, but we feel safe in our neighborhood. There are places I have felt unsafe, and there are areas I avoid, especially at night, but I think we are safer here than where we lived in (a walled community with a guard) in N. Las Vegas. 

I think Im safer in my current neighborhood  in my high crime town too, more so than when I lived in a nice suburb.  Most people were unaware of the drug busts, high speed chases, drugs and weapons in the school, etc. that  go on in those nice suburbs, not to mention drug related property crimes and so much drunk driving.  I was friends with people police- adjacent  so I heard about a lot of it.  There’s a lot of bias against cities that isn’t fully deserved.  

Edited June 1, 2023 by Heartstrings

[heartlikealion]

I am struggling with decisions because I don't know how to know what areas are safe or not. I literally called the local PD and they said "go to our website and click on city maps." I could not find this thing they referenced and googled crime maps. It just showed most of the city was in dark blue which was "most dangerous." 

Most leases are 12 months. And I go back to court in July. So there's this sinking feeling of signing a lease over the summer and then going to court and having to justify where I chose to live, knowing the kids will be spending time there. 

Yes, I can drive by a neighborhood but that doesn't always tell you much. And now that we've agreed to meet halfway for summer visits, I have no plans to drive to the area anytime soon. I will if I need to go to a job interview or my realtor finds something promising. But otherwise, it's a huge time/money suck. 

This is stressful and frustrating. Most of the jobs I've applied to will not be enough to live on. I will have to work 2 jobs. One FT and then PT for the magazine. 

[heartlikealion]

I just called one of the affordable housing places to ask if anyone has given notice of moving out this month. They said not yet and as of today they were informed that the rates will be going up starting July 1. So this one I'm waiting on will cost $65 more per month than when I submitted my application. 

As far as buying, I'd need to find a home under 90k. Those are typically fixer uppers/less than 3 bedrooms. This is pretty bleak. 

As a backup plan, I did go ahead and submit the application to get into the 9-week trades course which begins in Sept. If the orthotics help enough, that could work out. They only take applications for a short time, so I went ahead and applied. 

I'm trying to secure some more church nursery jobs this summer. 

[heartlikealion]

The overwhelming consensus from locals to that area is just give up on that city that’s covered in mostly high crime colors. The thing is, safe areas in that city exist… but they are likely out of my budget. 

I inquired about a listing on Craigslist and it appeared to be a phishing scam when they responded. Then I applied for a home in an area near where I used to live and work years ago even though it’s above my original cap. $800 was my cap. It’s $850. Located relatively close to both the kids & where most jobs are, shopping centers, restaurants, and entertainment. I don’t know if I’m being foolish. And as far as buying, the market and my lack of down payment makes that essentially impossible (USDA is zero down but I wasted a year looking for those). I’m wondering if this is the best I’ll find. 

[Starr]

I admire you for working so hard on so many things at once! Are the utilities on the house manageable?

[heartlikealion]

Just now, Starr said:

I admire you for working so hard on so many things at once! Are the utilities on the house manageable?

For some reason some of the utilities might be lower than where I live now (at least in the town xh is in). But I hadn’t even fully factored that into my math 🤦🏻‍♀️

I pay a flat rate now of rent + utilities and that total is a bit under $900. If I pay $850 for rent alone I’m going up even higher than I wanted. I emailed the agent to ask if it has central air. The listing was vague. If it’s window units I’m out!! BTDT. Awful! 

I cannot go into perpetual debt over this move. But I must move somewhere by end of Sept when my lease ends. My landlords are eager to move their son in. I’ll have no choice. And I can’t temporarily live with my dad… it’s too complicated with the cat (he has no pet policy) all my belongings, etc. 

I need to sit down and figure out water/gas/sewer/trash/elec for that area. 

[heartlikealion]

My dad is touring the unit on my behalf today. I will go ahead and get it unless there's something major wrong. I spoke to the realtor (not mine, the one over the property) and she confirmed it has central air/heat. Phew. 

The crime map shows it to be in a neutral area. It's FIVE MIN from my gym which is super exciting. I might be able to swing it on my current salary if I am saving enough on gas (since it's so close to grocery shopping etc). But I will have to crunch all the numbers again once I know utilities. 

[maize]

That sounds promising heart.

[heartlikealion]

Even if I need to work 2 jobs, I don’t think I’m going to find something better really. You see, the places with the wait lists aren’t better in proximity to the kids. 

I should know more in a couple hours.

[Harriet Vane]

1 minute ago, heartlikealion said:

Even if I need to work 2 jobs, I don’t think I’m going to find something better really. You see, the places with the wait lists aren’t better in proximity to the kids. 

I should know more in a couple hours.

You'll also have the savings in gas and time and a lot less stress when you're not scrambling to stay with your dad or your friend.

[heartlikealion]

11 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

You'll also have the savings in gas and time and a lot less stress when you're not scrambling to stay with your dad or your friend.

Yeah. They are close enough to get to the kids but not nearly as close and not smack in the middle of things to do. Depending on how well the orthotics help, I could maybe work a PT job at one of the nearby shopping centers. I used to work at that Best Buy. 

[freesia]

I love how careful you are being with money. My dh always figures the cost of driving at 65 cents a gallon. That’s his reimbursement. It covers gas plus the extra wear and tear on the car. So make sure you fully realize that cost. Also, if you’ve been spending more in the kid’s activities bc you haven’t had a home base, that’s another thing to consider. 

[freesia]

Oh, and I meant to add that I’ve often lived in high cost of living places where housing was more than 30%. It is doable if you are careful. And it’s not forever as the kids are growing up. 

[vonfirmath]

23 minutes ago, freesia said:

I love how careful you are being with money. My dh always figures the cost of driving at 65 cents a gallon. That’s his reimbursement. It covers gas plus the extra wear and tear on the car. So make sure you fully realize that cost. Also, if you’ve been spending more in the kid’s activities bc you haven’t had a home base, that’s another thing to consider. 

I presume you mean 65 cents a mile? Since a gallon of gas costs more than that.

[freesia]

10 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

I presume you mean 65 cents a mile? Since a gallon of gas costs more than that.

lol, yes I do! Thanks for catching that.

[heartlikealion]

I am scheduled to babysit on Father’s Day. That will help offset some of that recent auto shop bill. 

He saw the unit and felt like it was bait & switch. Part of the description was totally false. Old, stained carpet. No intention to paint. No move-in special. $300 pet fee, first & last month’s rent. Loose dishwasher they need to secure. Shared backyard not totally fenced in. Anyone off Street could walk behind house. Saw a couple empty beer bottles beside it. Trash goes to dumpster not a can. 

I just feel meh now. The one that said she was meeting him wasn’t even there  — they sent another employee. 

[Carol in Cal.]

Heart, remind me what is the trouble with your feet?  If it's PF, you tried those OTC orthotics with a snap in arch support?  They have three different arch pucks so you use the one that fits you the best.  They helped me avoid needing to buy expensive custom made orthotics.  I don't need them anymore and would be happy to give you mine if I can find them...I think they are still around.  They are hard plastic so they would be easy to fully sanitize.

[heartlikealion]

6 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Heart, remind me what is the trouble with your feet?  If it's PF, you tried those OTC orthotics with a snap in arch support?  They have three different arch pucks so you use the one that fits you the best.  They helped me avoid needing to buy expensive custom made orthotics.  I don't need them anymore and would be happy to give you mine if I can find them...I think they are still around.  They are hard plastic so they would be easy to fully sanitize.

Yes, it’s PF and I’ve tried OTC inserts that were rigid (SuperFeet) and the $60 set from one podiatrist’s office (special version of PowerStep) so decided to try custom ones. 

Sure I’ll try them if you don’t want them and find them. Thank you. 

[Carol in Cal.]

This is the brand (Walkfit) but the design seems to have been upgraded since I got mine.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Walkfit-Platinum-Customizable-Foot-Orthotics-Female-size-10-10-5-Male-size-9-9-5/838216111

 

[heartlikealion]

1 hour ago, Carol in Cal. said:

This is the brand (Walkfit) but the design seems to have been upgraded since I got mine.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Walkfit-Platinum-Customizable-Foot-Orthotics-Female-size-10-10-5-Male-size-9-9-5/838216111

 

I tried to send you a DM but it wouldn’t let me. My guess is your inbox is full? 

[Scarlett]

14 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Heart, remind me what is the trouble with your feet?  If it's PF, you tried those OTC orthotics with a snap in arch support?  They have three different arch pucks so you use the one that fits you the best.  They helped me avoid needing to buy expensive custom made orthotics.  I don't need them anymore and would be happy to give you mine if I can find them...I think they are still around.  They are hard plastic so they would be easy to fully sanitize.

I love our community. 

[Scarlett]

7 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

Yes, it’s PF and I’ve tried OTC inserts that were rigid (SuperFeet) and the $60 set from one podiatrist’s office (special version of PowerStep) so decided to try custom ones. 

Sure I’ll try them if you don’t want them and find them. Thank you. 

What is PF?

[heartlikealion]

35 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

What is PF?

I was just abbreviating because she knew what I was referencing — plantar fasciitis. In some people the issue is more in their heel. For me personally it’s mostly arch pain. The podiatrist said my foot flattens without the right support under it and stretches the fascia. He said (without an X-ray) I surely already have micro tears in my fascia. 

His opinion was that the OTC ones just flatten under the weight of a person because they are not as strong as the custom ones.