Anyone else broke?

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Specializes in CV Surgery Step-down.

Just venting here... I'm so tired of being broke. When I decided I wanted to be a nurse (5 years ago) it was a personal decision--I finally realized what I wanted to be "when I grew up". My husband and I have never been well off by any means, but that was before kids, one income and a failed business venture. Now that I've finished my pre-reqs and am in the program full-time. I sense financial obligations to succeed. The future of my family depends on it. I feel horrible because it's virtually impossible for me to work. My husband is home with the boys (4 & 2) during the day while I'm at school. He then goes off to work at night. Since he works nights and weekends, there's no time for me to work at anything to supplement what little he makes. If I hired a sitter, that would cancel out any money I'd make anyway! Like I said, just venting.

Anyone out there make any money on the side at home (besides phone sex and dealing drugs... just kidding!). Any helpful hints for budgeting?

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you might consider moving with with family. my husband, son & I moved in with my dad so I could finish school. it was a HUGE struggle selling our home and making that decision, but we didn't have to worry as much. I just concentrated on school and my husband worked. And we do have 2 carpayments, and $85 a week in childcare. good luck!

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Hi Kellyo,

I read your post with interest and kindred. I don't have any magic answers for you, I have been working for years and still stay so close to broke I can't ever see myself retiring. Unless you can do some weekend babysitting, or bake and sell cakes, pies, cookies and such it may be too difficult to do anything to bring extra income into the home right now. Remember, school will end and you will be working soon enough. Good luck. Just remembered, can you do wrapping of presents for a few hours a day, especially on weekends. This may be an answer.

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Specializes in CV Surgery Step-down.

LOVE THE GIFTWRAPPING IDEA! My brothers used to pay me to wrap their Christmas gifts when we were kids. Hee hee. Seriously, I could check in at the mall and see if their staffed up for the weekends during the holiday season. My husband actually bakes cakes for a local restaurant (we used to have our own, hence our financial problems!). We're going to see about getting a few more clients.. Thanks!

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Specializes in CV Surgery Step-down.
you might consider moving with with family. my husband, son & I moved in with my dad so I could finish school. it was a HUGE struggle selling our home and making that decision, but we didn't have to worry as much. I just concentrated on school and my husband worked. And we do have 2 carpayments, and $85 a week in childcare. good luck!

Thought about that--we could have lost it once before when we closed our business, but fought so hard to keep it. I think right now, if we left our home, emotionally we wouldn't recover. We're going to have to think about downsizing even more--no cable, no cell phone. I'd love to sell our minivan and just get a put put car to get around in, but we owe too much on the loan and wouldn't make enough on the sale. Thanks!

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Specializes in LDRP.

omg kellyo, you are my alter ego! seriously. you sound jsut like me, down to the ages of our kids. i have a 4 year old boy and a 2 year old girl.

i can't work in school. we can't afford daycare, he stays at home during day when i am in school. he works at nights, 5 days a week. so i come home and he goes to work. so i can't afford a babysitter, either! we are so poor, too. its sooo frustrating, but i just think it'll be over soon, i'll graduate in may, and it will get better. just ignore the bill collectors and hope they can wait. lol. we can't move in with family-not practical. we just deal with the hand we were given and hold out til may!

i completely understand. as for money making ideas...can you sell anything on ebay?

love, rose

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When I was in nursing school, I sold stuff on Ebay. You might consider it. I started out with my jewelry and graduated to selling things I bought at garage sales (I still sell off and on; money isn't as tight as it used to be). It is something you can do at home and your out of pocket cost isn't much if your things don't sell.

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I know exactly how you feel. I have adopted a saying, "I'm a healthcare major, aren't healthcare majors supposed to be broke." It certainly seems like it. Between the cost of everything from books to kids it's just very overwhelming. My husband works so hard. A lot of my friends are in the same boat as well. With the holidays appraoching the pressure is awful. we have three children ages 9, 5, and 8. They are so great tho. They know that someday I will be done and we will be better off. Hang in there honey. There is light at the end of the tunnel, tho the tunnel may seem never ending.

Crystal

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Specializes in Gynecology/Oncology.
When I was in nursing school, I sold stuff on Ebay. You might consider it. I started out with my jewelry and graduated to selling things I bought at garage sales (I still sell off and on; money isn't as tight as it used to be). It is something you can do at home and your out of pocket cost isn't much if your things don't sell.

I agree...I do that. I've also bought things off the internet really cheap, and sold them for more on Ebay than I paid for them. Children's clothing sells well, especially the brand names. You could also sell a bunch of one size in a "lot" for a certain price.

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Did someone say phone sex??? Give me a call 555-555-5555...:rotfl:

Ok, Ok so I am an insensitive boob...

All the suggestions seem to be good ones. Stay focused, as I said to my wife years ago when I first sterted my business and finances were tight, "we'll laugh at all this one day"...

You'll do the same.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.
When I was in nursing school, I sold stuff on Ebay. You might consider it. I started out with my jewelry and graduated to selling things I bought at garage sales (I still sell off and on; money isn't as tight as it used to be). It is something you can do at home and your out of pocket cost isn't much if your things don't sell.

I've done this quite a bit also. I buy brand new stuff on the clearance rack at TJ Maxx (like jeans for $5) and sell them for 3 times that if they are new with tags. Since I have 4 kids, but only one girl, I sell all of the BEAUTIFUL dresses her grandmother buys her for megabucks, once she's outgrown them (although at 14, she's not much of a "dress" girl anymore *sigh*). I also sold alot of my nice quilting fabric, because I knew it would be many, many moons before I got to quilt again! LOL

What about making dinners to be frozen, and selling them to working families? I had a friend who did that. She makes a kick-butt lasagna (something working families almost NEVER make, unless from a box) and froze it. She'd sell pansful of them for like $12 a pan, making a tidy profit. They were meatless, 4-cheese, so pretty inexpensive to make.

Maybe you can trade babysitting with a classmate or friend? That way you could work parttime as an LNA or something, or some other job, and not have to pay child care (maybe like every other weekend).

I also lived and died by the Tightwad Gazette books (all 3 of them) when I was broke as a joke. Lots and lots of tips for saving money and re-using items and how to cut grocery bills (the biggie!). I'm sure your local library would have them, or maybe on eBay. They are just great!

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