- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Oregon Babies
Hand-outs
My husband and I work HARD. We always have. Despite having no student loan debt, no credit card debt, I am not able to be a SAHM. We rent the cheapest little apartment we could find, and try to save money by using coupons. I'm okay working; I love my job and I only work 20 hours a week. My husband works full time. But I'm very discouraged by those around me who have had babies...
We bring in JUST enough to cover our bills. But of course, the amount we make makes us non-eligible for WIC, non-eligible for OHP, and any other service we could REALLY use. We're stuck in this bad position - we don't have an excess of money, and because we're responsible people who work for a living, we can't get any help. A private health insurance policy for our daughter is $119 a month because my husband's work and my work charge over $400 PER CHILD to be covered. How is this possible?!?!?!
The cost of insurance, doctor bills, diapers and formula, of course we calculated all of this out, so it isn't like we had this baby completely unaware of how much she would cost. And the sacrifices we make now, it's fine. It's all about living life, and I get that. We are surviving and that's the goal. But it just sucks when people we know get all of this free food and formula, and we work our asses off for everything we have and get absolutely NOTHING. And then they brag about it and it makes me cringe because just once, I would like to be rewarded for being responsible with my choices in life.
Sorry for the rant. It just irks me.
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Hand-outs
Have you tried to qualify for childcare through the Department of Human Services?
No offense, but I have a hard time believing this. If you both work and make enough money to not even qualify for WIC, but have no debt and live in a cheap place and on a budget, then your lifestyle may need adjustment. Maybe your child care costs aren't covering the fact that you work?
I am a SAHM, we have massive amounts of debt and we get WIC and state health care based on our moderately low income (I used to get OHP but now get Washington State health care since we moved to Battle Ground). We don't even have to live in ghetto apartments.
So, this just doesn't make sense to me. Do you do the family book keeping? Maybe there's something that you're missing. I used to be an accountant before I quit to stay at home. It's so easy to get OHP also. You hardly even have to have a super low income. Almost every kid under 18 qualifies.
I think it's fair in our situation and I'll tell ya why (cause we probably can't lump everyone together into a stereotype).
My husband is a disabled veteran and we live off of veteran compensation which he totally deserves. Meanwhile, we get WIC and state health care. He was finally- after several years- approved for social security disability which he totally deserves. When we get the payment for that, which should start this month, we will no longer get WIC and state health care. I'm glad that I gotten it while I have. I was able to stay at home with my daughter.
I sound like an ass.. but I didn't mean "everyone".
I would be reallllly interested in OHP, maybe I'm just not doing it right? I just don't think we qualify. At least, it looks that way to me.
I am the one who does our budget. We have two car payments, that's really the only thing I can see that we're spending a lot of money on, besides childcare. I just think either I haven't been looking in the right places for assistance or we just don't qualify.
Our lifestyle... we don't do *anything* to splurge. I'm not even joking. Now that I'm working PT hours we literally don't have the option to splurge or waste money on anything.
And I'm not saying those who have assistance, like the example you gave, aren't deserving of it. It is awesome to have help when you need it. I'm coming from the angle where I am seeing people I know make a big deal about it and all their "free stuff" and it hurts when we are struggling so.
Yeah, I understand. Some people get hand outs for the wrong reasons. That's for sure.
There's a website that you can go to. You can apply for OHP online with this link:
https://apps.state.or.us/mbs/
Sometimes, you might be surprised that you can qualify for things like OHP when you thought you couldn't. After jumping through a lot of hoops, the government can be quite helpful!
Good luck!