Can't afford food | Imamother

amother

↑ Honeydew ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 6:11 am

amother OP wrote:

Wic does not give much more. My baby is one, but had a lot of doctors appointments so I've been home with her this school year. I hope to start working now that kids go back to school, but then if I get a job I lose medicaid.

Last I heard, you go on the next level Marketplace plan from Medicaid, which is still subsidized. When we were on it a few years ago we paid $20/person per month.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 6:28 am

amother Honeydew wrote:

Last I heard, you go on the next level Marketplace plan from Medicaid, which is still subsidized. When we were on it a few years ago we paid $20/person per month.

Yes I need to look into it. But also, anything I would make would go to childcare.

amother

Outerspace

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 6:34 am

You need to temporarily ask for a reduction in income. Making 1k too much is ridiculous. You’re losing way more money in food
Until you can iyh have a huge raise in income, just get rid of that ridiculous 1k in income

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 6:34 am

amother Outerspace wrote:

It's complicated but he can't. He just asked for a raise.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 6:38 am

amother Outerspace wrote:

Also, I do a little work (I work for myself), I work just atiny bit now. If he asks for less it means I can't work. And when I start up again it's only gonna be a little bit. And if I get a job, it's just gonna cover childcare. So it's complicated.

amother

Cornsilk

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 6:57 am

Wow this is really rough.

I don’t know where you live but I know in Lakewood there’s a food bank you can go to with kosher food. I’ll get the info for it if it’s applicable to you or anyone else on this thread.

Please get help from any organizations in your area. This credit card debt spiral is going to be horrible in the future, it is not a solution at all. Speaking as someone who’s been in cc debt.

If you’re continuing to put things on the credit card that you can’t pay off, get a card with the lowest interest rate you can find. Cards with perks are near 30% interest annually, a no frills card will be lower. Also try doing balance transfers to cards with 0% interest as long as you’re being approved for cards.

Your situation is so upsetting. It feels like there has to be a better solution.

amother

↑ Ruby ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 6:57 am

amother OP wrote:

Why would your job just cover childcare?
Also in NY you qualify for vouchers if you qualify for wic.
In Lakewood, if you work full time you can get CHS for your kid.
Even if you private pay for childcare, it shouldn’t be more than $700-$800 a month.
You can work in an office and make a very decent salary. Some offices even give you money towards childcare and health insurance.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:00 am

amother Ruby wrote:

Not in Lakewood.

amother

Mimosa ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:02 am

amother Ruby wrote:

Who told you this? Lol, no. She would not qualify for CHS.

amother

DarkViolet ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:02 am

OP in the same boat as you. I go to all the food pantries available in my area and the only things I buy in the supermarket now is protein like chicken, eggs, meat etc. everything else is from food pantries they give out a lot of items;

Please reach out to the following organizations for food assistance they will and can assist you;

COJO
Flatbush Community Fund
JCC of marine Park
RSK
Tomchei Shabbos
Masbia

For health insurance you will get the essential plan which is really good I have it no co pays and the doctors I use are on the plan and if not I find a different doctor. The only thing I don't use is the dental specialists as they will mess up your teeth I use it for regular dental but not if it's something that needs a specialist.

If you need help applying reach out to COJO they can assist.

There are so many ways to get assistance with food that nobody in New York or New Jersey should be hungry or have a lack of food. It may not be the most convenient way to get food but it works.

amother

↑ Ruby ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:03 am

amother Mimosa wrote:

Who told you this? Lol, no. She would not qualify for CHS.

If her income is so low that she’s only over $1k for snap… why not . Assuming herself and her husband work full time.
Either way she’s not in Lakewood

amother

↑ Mimosa

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:07 am

amother Ruby wrote:

If her income is so low that she’s only over $1k for snap… why not . Assuming herself and her husband work full time.
Either way she’s not in Lakewood

CHS is extremely low income. Almost impossible to qualify if both parents are working full time.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:12 am

amother DarkViolet wrote:

I'm not in NY or NJ. And yes we have a local kosher food pantry with once a month shopping. It definitely helps but doesn't nearly cover everything

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:14 am

[quote="amother Mimosa"]CHS is extremely low income. Almost impossible to qualify if both parents are working full time.[/quote
We have similar voucher system here and we would never qualify. We need to make about 40k between the two of us or something like that. Now DH makes 49k and I make about 4k a year in my own business. If I stopped working AND dh asked for less (I think 1500 less) then we'd qualify for snap. But not even for vouchers.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:14 am

amother Cornsilk wrote:

I go to the local food bank. I used the balance transfer and 0 percent.

I'm still stuck

lamplighter

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:16 am

Please accept Tomchei Shabbos. Your husband doesn't have to feel comfortable but your family needs to eat.
I'm so sorry you are going through this right now.
Do you have a grocery store account that people can send some money directly to?

amother

↑ Ruby ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:17 am

[quote="amother OP"]

amother Mimosa wrote:

CHS is extremely low income. Almost impossible to qualify if both parents are working full time.[/quote
We have similar voucher system here and we would never qualify. We need to make about 40k between the two of us or something like that. Now DH makes 49k and I make about 4k a year in my own business. If I stopped working AND dh asked for less (I think 1500 less) then we'd qualify for snap. But not even for vouchers.

https://www.childcarenj.gov/Ch.....e.pdf

In Lakewood it’s pretty generous compared to what you are saying.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:22 am

amother Ruby wrote:

https://www.childcarenj.gov/ChildCareNJ/media/media_library/Income_Eligibility_Schedule.pdf

In Lakewood it’s pretty generous compared to what you are saying.

So it's different in my state

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:23 am

lamplighter wrote:

DH will not have tomchei shabbos. It's one thing the food pantry, but he doesn't want people come to our house to give food.

I don't really shop at the Jewish store (maybe once a month for just a few things). Mostly Costco, Walmart, Aldi

amother

Wheat

Tue, Aug 29 2023, 7:39 am

amother Aconite wrote:

Find a way to increase your income asap.
Don't spend on anything that you can find without spending money.(go to gemach for clothes, call tomchei shabbos for food,get uniforms from school gemach...)
Hopefully this is a temporary situation.
Reach out to your kids school to explain what's going on.

People who write this, and Ive seen it often, to my mind, have never been where the OP is at.
Weve been there. And we both work. There was no possibilities of increasing our income as we both have jobs and bring in money. How would one increase income anyway? To find a new job? Thats also easier said than done.
Its not just so easy to do that.