I'm in a pickle
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| Mon, 01-25-2010 - 4:32pm |
I didn't get my child support. Child support generally pays for a share of food, etc, and this month it was specifically supposed to pay for outdoor soccer for my 2 older DSs (8yo&3yo). Fees are $140 for 8yo & $40 for 3 yo.
I'm having a heck of a time getting my budget & cash flow to balance for Feb as some of my income is uncertain, as far as I can see we can barely make it ....and if we do, it will be with cutting out hair, clothes, & rental sinking fund & gifts for the month...not cool..especially since my boys birthdays are in April, May & june, and skids party is always the last weekend of June.
BUT my kids have been so deprived...DS was in swimming lessons last spring for 6 weeks but thats it. (Prior to that he was in indoor&outdoor soccer)...we couldn't swing the fees for indoor last August.
So now I have no idea what to do. Online registration starts @ 8 pm tonight and the U4 fills up within an hour. Granted, I don't have to actually pay until mid-Feb...but now I don't know what to do?
Logic, responsible accountant says well soccer is out, we can't swing it & obviously I have no idea when (if?) I'll be getting the child support.
But guilty Mom says I should enroll them anyway...this was to be the first sports my 3 yo has ever been in, and 8 yo keeps asking over & over when he can play soccer again.
And no, I can't call and ask WTH my child support is. We absolutely do not communicate (that includes no contact with my DS) and that's the way we like it.
Thoughts?
~ Mom to 5 ~

Is there any way you could get some extra support/funding from any kind of a group?
Better yet, are there any local community/school/whatever teams that don't charge for sports?
A three year old isn't going to miss not doing something ... for the 8yo it is more important.
For whatever it may help you, I didn't ever get to do any of that stuff, and I never felt deprived. We always got to play and do stuff, it didn't have to be organized teams.
Personally I would not sign up my children unless I knew for certain that I would be able to cover the cost come mid-Feb.
Your 3 year old won't know the difference, he would most likely be just as happy to go to the park with the rest of you and kick around a ball. The 8 year old is big enough to understand that you can't always do everything.
Don't let "guilty Mom" guide you, Guilty mom gets us Moms into trouble on a regular basis. Just remember that you are doing the best that you can for your children right now.
JMO ....but I would absolutely enroll 8 yr. old in Soccer tonight!
I agree with the prior post. Sign 8 yr old up and pay mid Feb by cutting other things out. Birthday gifts for April, May and June are not important right now. In the mean time, I would recommend starting a savings account and try to build up the amount of 1 month child support as a back up. I can not imagine having to wait and not be able to ask "WTH is my kids support?".
Good luck. I hope all goes well. I know it's easy for us to say "cut corners on things and you'll have enough money", but see what you can come up with. Worst case is that you cannot pay mid Feb and you have to drop out. If you don't sign up tonight and it fills up and you get the money tomorrow, it will be for nothing.
I agree with PP : you should enroll them tonight and figure out how to cut back in the coming weeks.
Of course, it's now 8:00 p.m., so you've likely already made your decision.
Kate
There are a lot of options:
1.
is there anyway you can get the court to garnish his wages or is he self-employed ?
I would try to get wage garnishment if possible - they split his CS support into weekly payments (he gets paid weekly)
I went without for a long time - I have finally gotten the job I needed and everything in order, but it took 5 years. I know how it feels to have to go without.
Good Luck - as a mom I know you will make it happen somehow
XoXo Shannon
YTD Flake $171.20
I would skip soccer for the three year old and make a point of bringing him once a week to play with you/siblings. And, if possible I would try and make it work for the 8 year old if you think he is really into it. He might also just enjoy playing
Liz
student loan paid off 2010
Bathroom remodel loan paid off 2013
Pending Car loan to be paid by the end of 2014!!!!!
Bio Dad is registered with MEP ~ he has a payment arrangment & has been on time for over a year just bad timing this month!
It's only 7:30 here; I have decided to enroll both of them (the 3 yo is only $40 so really that's not the big deal) because we've figured out the money thing for now (see my latest thread, good $ news).
Thanks everyone for your thoughts :)
~ Mom to 5 ~