When it rains, it pours...all over my basement

It's been difficult to think about blogging lately because there comes that moment when you just can't put down in concrete form how bad things are.  Someone is always there to tell you how to fix it, in spite of the fact their suggestions won't work.  And of course, if you don't take their advise, you're being contrary and don't want to fix your situation.

The ax fell again at Tom's work.  Four day work weeks and all salaried employees (Tom is salaried) take a 15% pay cut.  When your budget is stretched as thin as it will go and you're aware that you have to stretch it even further...well, sleepless nights ensue, believe me.

Fortunately the tax return will help a bit.  It's a small cushion but a cushion nonetheless.  It's still hard for me to get a job working around Zach's schedule, but I'll have to try harder, I guess.  Tom is going to spend some of his long weekends up north at his brother's place.  To be honest, even though the extra gas will cost us, I think it's the best solution.  He can hunt and fish there and maybe supplement the food budget.  Because the food bill is the only thing we've got that is variable.  I think we can manage the pay all the bills if we make the minimum payment on the credit cards, which we're really not using anymore anyway.  But I will if I have to for my prescriptions.  It won't do us any good if I die because I can't afford the meds.

Still, I'm not feeling as dire as I was since one of the options was even more financially devastating for us.  I feel like we got Door Number One on Let's Make a Deal.  If you knew what the other two doors offered, you'd think that, too.

My biggest concern is that this isn't the last step.  I don't know how many other cost-cutting strategies they've got up their sleeves.

Zach is pretty much okay for school since he's got his student loan if he can't get another grant, but with his grades, I can't imagine him not getting at least something.  They don't pay for transportation though and that's another cost that might hurt a bit but his paycheck from McSnacky's can pay for that if needs must.

I'll admit that I'm calmer now.  I didn't dare blog before this because I was a wreck:  not sleeping, eating way too much and playing Animal Crossing with a vengence (the snow is gone on AC now...the lovely green grass does help the mood.)

I'm wracking my brain trying to come up with money-making ideas I can do from home without getting into those schemes that have cost us so much in the past and haven't paid off.

We missed church tonight because it's raining quite heavily and will turn to an icy/snowy mess later on.  I didn't want to get stuck in Beaver Dam tonight.  A couple from church is going to do Stations of the Cross on Thursdays throughout Lent and I'm anxious to do that, never having done it before.  So I'm sorry to have missed it tonight.  But there is next week, thankfully.

I do have to say that the only reason I am sane right now is because I strongly feel God's presence in all of this.  After all this time feeling bereft, it's a good feeling.

I'm off to burn off some stress by actually cleaning the house.  And squeegeeing the basement.

TTFN