This Unrealistic Advice is Driving Me Crazy

Anyone else out there doing what they can to make it on a one income home with children? Do people offer you advice on what you can do to make things work? That ARE NOT single parents? That seem to be oblivious to the amount of income it takes financially to raise a family? I'm typically a happy camper..but this is my rant.

TIP #1   PUT MONEY BACK NO MATTER WHAT ELSE HAS TO WAIT

Will the cellphone company understand if I tell them I'm not going to pay my bill? I'm glad that you can still get free television and radio, because that's entertainment we can enjoy. Should we live without electric and gas...and why pay for garbage pickup? Rent? Which one off these will you cut back on? How about my life insurance policy? Or my car payment? You realize that these things add up to most people's salaries before buying groceries or putting gas in your car to get to work.

TIP #2   YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE PUT YOURSELF IN THIS SITUATION

You don't always get what you want. Sometimes people in your life let you down, and you have to make difficult decisions that sometimes don't have a perfect outcome. You have to keep on going even when you feel like you can't.

TIP #3 CUT OUT THE EXTRAS

What do you consider "extras"? Extras for me might be after school activities for my kids. Coffee. Playing piano. Playing with the dog and cat. There is no assistance for a low middle classer.  The suggestions I get are: Stop drinking coffee.  You shouln't have pets, because they cost too much. Gosh....  What the hell CAN we do?

FRUSTRATIONS

I'm fine with my life as long as no one else is rubbing it in. It's when people start pointing it out that I start to get a little angry.  I've not yet heard any other solution that works for my situation. If you don't have a true solution, don't tell me how it HAS to be. You might have extra money to put back for a rainy day...but not everyone does, and if you see someone working to make it, just let them be.

REALITY

Reality is...No matter how tired you are, if you want to provide a home for your children without living with your parents or friends, then unless you are in the upper class, you're going to struggle. It's just the way it is. So if you want a little more than survival...You'll have to work for it.

That means...until your children are on their own, you may have to work two jobs..three jobs. You will get very little sleep, and you better do it with a smile on your face, or the stress of trying to make everything come together will bring you down. Look at their faces. Are they worth it? You bet they are. Be thankful you can get up each day...take a breath of fresh air....and stay busy busy busy.

The reality is....You need to find happiness in the small things. A pet...a cup of coffee. The smile on your kids face.   Take a visit to the library, or other free events in the community. Pull together with your kids over dinner. Find hobbies that can be done at home. Watch a DVD together.

REALISTIC SOLUTIONS WELCOME

Before you give out suggestions..add it up for someone. If they are bringing home $2000 a month, and basic bills add up to $2100, then the advice you can give is either move back home, go homeless...or get another job...and yet another. Which might sound like a difficult thing to do...But it's what you do.  You have to make more income. Open a business? Join a network marketing company? Go to work? Whatever works for you. But remember it has to work today...not tomorrow. You're family is counting on you.

YOU CAN DO IT...AND YOU'RE NOT ALONE

Enjoy each day wherever you are. If you can, find work, or create a business that you LIKE to be involved with, so even if you're working 14 hours a day, you enjoy those hours, learning new things, talking and visiting with people, making money. There's nothing wrong with enjoying being busy. Those extra jobs give us opportunities to go out to eat...go to the movies...buy birthday presents, clothing and food. AND...You should be proud of yourself for doing what you can to give your family a comfortable life; Maybe not extravagant, but wonderful all the same. There is no time to feel sorry for yourself. Look at what you DO have; and fight for it; for them; for your family.