Life is one of those things that constantly changes and we have to adapt accordingly. My job was cut in September from a full time 40 hr/week position to a part time 30 hr/week position. I've been trying to find another position, part time or another full time position. I've been able to survive due to having very few bills, being frugal, using coupons as much as possible, and rarely going out. If I'd had to support myself fully it would have been impossible to have survived in our area on my pay. Life caught up with me recently with a financial crisis causing me to accept a second job that I wouldn't have chosen before. My youngest daughter who I would have described as the must responsible and trust worthy of my kids has chosen to walk away from a vehicle loan that I allowed her to put in my name but not before blowing the engine in it. My ex refused to help her repair it but instead offered her assistance in getting another vehicle if she walked away from it and let me deal with it. (Is it any wonder I'm no longer married to him?) I am now on the line financially for the unpaid payments, unpaid insurance, and future vehicle and insurance payments but also for a $2600 engine repair so the vehicle will even run. I needed another vehicle but this vehicle was not one I would have chosen and I would never have bought something with such high monthly payments. Fates apparently had other plans. Word of warning - don't ever allow anybody to put anything in your name - it rarely works. Many people warned me but I insisted my daughter would NEVER do anything like that. How wrong I was.
My manager at the new job assured me that my only wanting 18 to 24 hours a week was acceptable yet has put me on a 40 hr/week schedule. Putting the two jobs together that makes roughly a 70+ hr/week. It's been suggested that I quit and find something else but that's not an option at the moment. The fact that it is a full time position, even if it is minimum wage, may end up being a life saver if I find myself unemployed at my first job when our contract ends the end of April. We are currently on the second extension of our last contract and this extension was only for two months. I don't think it bodes well at the moment. I had enrolled at a massage school to start classes in May hoping to be able to move into another field either full or part time but that's no longer an option. Fate can be cruel but having a pity party won't help with the issues so there's no point in dwelling on it. It is what it is and I have to deal with it. The new job eases the huge stress I've been under financially but creates it's own stresses obviously.
Working so many hours leaves very few hours to do anything else during the week to say the least. As my life is now changing, I have the option to either stop blogging, put the blog on hiatus, or to share my attempts to organize and survive until I find another position that better suits my life better. I have chosen the latter. For those of us that take our debts seriously and in the lousy economy we are currently living in I'm sure I'm not the only person that has had to take a second or possibly a third job to make ends meet. If my sharing my struggles with learning to manage my household and other responsibilities helps somebody else then it will be worth it.
I hope to be able to share my struggles with having to pack all my meals before I leave the house without breaking the bank. I'm hoping there's a way to organize and keep our house clean since hiring somebody to clean isn't an option. I refuse to believe that I won't be able to have a garden so I need to figure out how to manage that also. Caring for the dogs is a huge concern. I've been working this schedule for a week and already the dogs are showing they have too much energy and need to do something to wear them out before they start getting destructive. Excessive energy is a huge problem for those of us with high energy breeds like the Border Collie. Of course there's also concerns of how to keep a relationship going between Matt and I along with maintaining a relationship with my adult children. My son is due back from Afghanistan in two weeks and it tears me apart that I can't go out to Texas to see him when he gets back stateside. Hopefully he'll take mercy on me and come back for a visit.
I don't want anybody to think I'm having a pity party for myself. I've accepted it and have learned from the experience. I'm a fighter and although I may have an occasional pity party for myself it doesn't last long. I know that this too shall pass. Hopefully what I learn along the way will help somebody else out who may be in a similar situation.
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