Huge problem, scared, don't know what to do...

We are in some real trouble. My partner is unable to get unemployment money...so we have NOTHING. We've been applying for jobs, of course, but haven't heard a thing yet. To make a long and sad story short, we have no money at all.

This means that I don't have the means to feed my snakes! I currently only have enough frozen rats left for one more week...
Not to mention the payment on the storage room for all our stuff, and the credit card bills, and food and utilities help. I have never been closer to a nervous breakdown in my life than I am now. :tears:

Sorry to have depressed anyone...I guess I just needed to get that out. And of course, any suggestions on what the heck we can do are most appriciated, as are words of comfort. I need them. I need something...

Wow I am so sorry, and very sorry that I do not have any solutions. The best I can say is save every penny you get. I really hope you can get a job soon, this is pretty darn serious.

You can try to get a loan, but then again you would have to pay back however much you were loaned.

Thanks. :) Just the condolences are a help, really.

Paying back isn't really the problem, since we already have several thousands in college loans to pay back. I would get another loan if I could... but you have to have an income or major collateral (house or car) to get one. Thanks for the suggestion, tho.

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Originally Posted by Argentra

We are in some real trouble. My partner is unable to get unemployment money...so we have NOTHING. We've been applying for jobs, of course, but haven't heard a thing yet. To make a long and sad story short, we have no money at all.

This means that I don't have the means to feed my snakes! I currently only have enough frozen rats left for one more week...
Not to mention the payment on the storage room for all our stuff, and the credit card bills, and food and utilities help. I have never been closer to a nervous breakdown in my life than I am now. :tears:

Sorry to have depressed anyone...I guess I just needed to get that out. And of course, any suggestions on what the heck we can do are most appriciated, as are words of comfort. I need them. I need something...

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Ouch that bites :(.Is it possible the snakes could skip a week until something might come up? Keep positive thoughts things will come around :gj:

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Originally Posted by Argentra

Thanks. :) Just the condolences are a help, really.

Paying back isn't really the problem, since we already have several thousands in college loans to pay back. I would get another loan if I could... but you have to have an income or major collateral (house or car) to get one. Thanks for the suggestion, tho.

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Well, you'll pull through this somehow. Just keep yourself in a positive mood. Keeping yourself in a positive mood almost always helps you get through something. Having down thoughts doesn't really help out all that much, so normally when something tragic happens to me I try to stay in a good mood and be positive. It seems to really work out:D

Sorry that you're going through that, I would just say to apply to every possible place available, even if it's sort of a drive. I've learned that If you apply to a place online (I don't know where you've been applying to...but even a grocery store or restaurant in this situation would help income for now) like I did for the grocery store near me, you need to go to the store the next day and ask to talk to the store's ESR (Employee Service Representative) and tell them you just wanted to confirm that they recieved your application. Usually at this point they'll check and see that they did and set up an interview if anything is available, but when you don't come to see them, chances of them calling you are very low.

Hope you get through this well. Best wishes.

A question to honestly ask yourself, are you applying everywhere?

Sometimes pride has to be put aside. Even if it's fast food an minimum wage.

I am beyond sorry to hear that and I truely do wish you the best. I know when I was almost homeless I donated. You could donate various bodilly fluids..... It isn't the best pay but it is money. I will keep you in my thoughts.


Tom

I know in some places it is harder to get a job, this is true. I agree with an earlier poster and say that you should really apply everywhere, even if its not what you want to do. Going out and getting a job isn't that hard as long as you show the employer you mean business and don't mess around. At least that way you can have some income coming in with in a few weeks.

Stephen.

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Originally Posted by Argentra

We are in some real trouble. My partner is unable to get unemployment money...so we have NOTHING. We've been applying for jobs, of course, but haven't heard a thing yet. To make a long and sad story short, we have no money at all.

This means that I don't have the means to feed my snakes! I currently only have enough frozen rats left for one more week...
Not to mention the payment on the storage room for all our stuff, and the credit card bills, and food and utilities help. I have never been closer to a nervous breakdown in my life than I am now. :tears:

Sorry to have depressed anyone...I guess I just needed to get that out. And of course, any suggestions on what the heck we can do are most appriciated, as are words of comfort. I need them. I need something...

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About 6 years ago, when I was struggling, I had to determine what my needs vs. wants were; when things are good the line between the two gets blurred because excess funds allows for such latitude. I also went to work at Pizza Hut, and while it was a hard pill to swallow at 33 years old (at the time) I had money every night from tips and it felt good to have money on a daily basis. What I am getting at is, snakes are a luxury item and in the hierarchy of needs, they are very low, so I would say, sell the snakes and take care of yourselves first. When things get better, and they should, these things can be gotten again.

Sorry to hear that things are at such an "all-time low" for you!!! It's too late to check into things, but I may be able to help with some prey...as long as U don't care it's FT.

However, something to keep in mind, that should help ease your worries a wee bit, is that if you don't feed your pets every single week it won't "kill 'em". In the wild, they don't eat every five, seven or ten days, and even with disease and parasites, the species have still managed to survive. I'm NOT suggesting that you starve them, but to space out the feedings a bit would ease the pinch.

I have classes literally all day tomorrow (won't be home until almost 1700), but when I get back I'll look into whether I might be able to spare and can send some mice/rats to WA. What sizes are your balls and corns eating?

Hang in there! :hug:



RuLyn

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Originally Posted by Soterios

A question to honestly ask yourself, are you applying everywhere?

Sometimes pride has to be put aside. Even if it's fast food an minimum wage.

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This is a good point. If you can't get hired at McDonalds...nobody is gonna hire you. Even Big Gunns once busted suds at a restaurant. If he can do that, you can make some happy meals.:D Good luck to you.

I'm so sorry for you, Argentra. I hope something comes up for you both, and you start to see some better times.

Keep in mind, you need to help urself first. There are options around out there with food and maybe even utility help. (Food banks and utility services.) Put your pride aside and look into these options. As a few others have said, don't feed the snakes every week.

Best of luck, if i think of something maybe i can help.

You may be able to file for bankruptcy. That's a tough pill to swallow but it prevents you from having your house and other property taken away.

Why is unemployment unavailable?

Sorry to hear about your situation.

I hate to hear that. When everything comes down to it, if worse comes to worse, it wouldn't hurt the snakes to skip a few meals. In the wild they often go weeks or months without food. At one point when I was unemployed we couldn't afford to feed all of the snakes as usual so we fed them every other week instead. The only ones we kept up the regular weekly feedings on were the FRESH less than a month old babies and that was mostly because they were so small I was worried about them skipping a meal.

Also while your credit is important and you should try and preserve it if you can. When it all boils down though, rent, utilities, and food are more important than credit card payments. I wish you the best of luck and you'll be in our prayers.

Military?...

Sorry to hear all this!!! I hope things work out for you and your partner!!! You two will be in my thoughts and prayers!!!

i have to agree with brandon on this one ... right now your well being is at stake ... i would sell the snakes and take care of yourself first

Can you sub lease or rent out wherever you're staying? If it's a 2 bedroom apartment (or even better, a house) you can rent a room (the one you're not staying in) out to college students (2 students per room) for a cheaper price than what the dorms and surrounding neighborhoods are charging. It should give you at least an extra 500 in your pocket every month.

Like everyone said, try everything you can. Check to see if your county laws allow you or your partner to baby sit, tutor for the SATS, ACTs or any other topic you're very confident in etc. These are all quick cash options but you should still be looking for a more long term and stable job.

I don't recommend bankruptcy--I don't even believe it should be an option because it will follow you for at least a decade and comes with all sorts of issues. Bankruptcy doesn't solve your immediate problem, which is to earn money, even if you do get it, without a job, you'll fall back into debt again and you can only file for it once. -shrug- that's my personal opinion though, so take it with a grain of salt.

First off, thanks to everyone who's written so far. Having support in any form is very welcome and appriciated. :)

Now for some more info/clarification. :) Unemployment was denied because of how my partner lost his job. We were relying on that money, and were quite upset when they told us it was disqualified AFTER sending a letter telling how much he was going to be getting. :mad:
As for job applying, don't worry - I have no pride. :) I'm applying EVERYWHERE I can, from McDonalds to grocery stores. My partner is doing the same, though since he has two bachelors degrees he's hesitant about the really simple places. :)

Since we were taken in by my father and his girlfriend, we aren't TOO bad off for food and such. They don't ask for rent, just for help with utilities and food (when we can) and cleaning around the house. They won't let us be in the cold or starve, but they aren't that well off themselves financially so help will be needed soon in that regard.

As for feeding, I wouldn't feed them every single week during winter unless I had a constant ready supply of food for them. I'm already doing every other week, sometimes every third week to stretch what I did have. But now, I only have enough for one more feeding. If I must, I'll only feed the 4 females and put the males on an emergancy fast for the winter. Since my albino BP boy already seems to be going that route, and the other males are all nicely weighted, it shouldn't be too terrible. As it stands, though, I go through two small/medium adult rats, three weaned rats, and three rat pups a feeding - all FT. The females (two BP and two corns) take the 2 sm/md, 1 weaned and 1 pup. My youngest corn girl will be moving up to weaned rat soon. :)

Right now, my biggest money concerns are for the snakes food and the storage room payments since that's where all our stuff is. If we have to lose our cell phones so be it. It'll be tight while job searching, but they aren't a full need. Helping out with utilities and paying for storage are more important.

Oh, and to sweety314 - a PM will be forthcoming. :D Thank you!

It's hard to think those good thoughts, given certain mental issues, but we'll try. The kind words from all of you are a big help. :)

Oh, and as far as selling the snakes goes...that would be a VERY last resort. They aren't only my pets, they're my therapy source. I might be able to part with two or three...but not all of them. I understand the thinking behind the suggestion, and would normally agree, but I can't part with them all.
And my sanity is rather important right now, since it's hanging by a thread as it is. :D

Thanks for the comments, though. I do appriciate it.

My suggestion is to setup a small colony of rats when some money comes along and in the long run it can cut the cost of food in half. For shortterm mind at ease taper your snakes off their regular feedings.

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Originally Posted by sweety314

I have classes literally all day tomorrow (won't be home until almost 1700), but when I get back I'll look into whether I might be able to spare and can send some mice/rats to WA. What sizes are your balls and corns eating?

Hang in there! :hug:



RuLyn

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Just to take this idea one step further, if someone can identify a rat/aspen supplier in the WA area, perhaps volunteers in the BP community could donate a bit of cash to an account, and that would help with supplies for awhile? Just throwing it out there....

well usually when someone is in need in the community i live in, churches usually help out but their taking a bad hit now also.... its sad, i really reccomend the national guard or something like that, and also blood and plasma donation is always good!

So sorry to hear about your situation. Will keep you and your snakeys in my prayers. Lots of shoulders here for you to lean on.

Big Gunns doesn't know who the genius was that opened the first storage facility was, but Big Gunns has got to give him(had to be a man:D) his props.:gj:

This is BG's suggestion. Sell that crap in storage. You have no need for it now since you have a place to stay..... you'll save that money.....and you'll have money from the sale. Once you get back on your feet you can buy all new/used stuff.

Also, as BG sees it you don't have many snakes. You could feed them for $60 bucks for the next 6 months, so stop worrying about that money. It looks like peanuts to BG...... unless he's missing something.

Now BG gives his tough love....which is exactly what BG thinks you need. Sorry, but BG "tells it like it is...or he just doesn't tell it". Go to BG's buddy(the mirror) take a long look at yourself and say. "I'm going out today and finding a job....any job". BG believes if you're persistent, and show possible employers you really want the job, you'll have a much better chance.

Having said all this, BG doesn't know your history, or have any clue what you look like(he doesn't want to know...just saying:D). While you're looking in that mirror....ask yourself. Would I hire me? You understand what BG is saying. If your nose is pierced, and there's a big tattoo on you cheek, it's gonna be harder to get a job.


Times are rough for everyone right now, but there are jobs out there if you want them. They may not be what you want right now, but they can help ends meet until you find a better job. To be perfectly honest Argentra, you may want to hear all our sympathy, but what you really need is a kick in the glutes to go out and "make things happen". Get mad(at BG if you want) and "just do it". You seem to be feeling sorry for yourself. You need to get rid of that attitude right here and now.

If everyone wants to get mad at BG...so be it. In Big Gunns opinion though, Argentra doesn't need our sympathy, he needs us to motivate him/her.

Good luck. BG hopes you're mad enough to listen. There's really only one person that can change your situation....and that's you.

you'll be preyed for every night,,, thats the best i can do, due to i was in the i same place as you not to long ago ,, just dont give up,,, and call the places you have applied at every day ,,, think positive every min, you doubt your self just once it will set you back mentally,, just remember we all here at BP.net are here for you all the way ...

im really sorry.

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Originally Posted by Big Gunns

Big Gunns

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i dont think that was bad at all. =]. it seemed more like a motivational monologue than tough love :gj:

to argentra, follow BG advice! push it! WANT the job, don't NEED it! give THAT attitude to employers! :D

persistence DEFINITELY pays off! no pun intended ;)


GL :salute:

If it comes down to it I bet there are some people on this site that are relatively close to your geographical area. If it gets tough enough they might be able to just hold on to your snakes until you get back on your feet.

:) Thanks for the pep talk, BG. That's the attitude I'm attempting to go out there with every day.

We found quite a few more possible jobs yesterday, and I got an interview today that went pretty well, so things are moving along. Also, I remembered that I have a fair amount available on a credit card I had locked away...so if need be we will use that to cover the real needs until that job is secured.

So now, I'm just worried about the snakes food for the next few weeks and about getting a job in time. Thanks for all the support and suggestions, they're really helping.

Hey Argentra!
I'm just giving you my support. I can't top BG's speech, and he's totally right! Try, try, try again, they say. The snakes will be fine as long as they have water and heat sources; remember, they're made to fast for months during breeding season. I wouldn't worry too much about spacing out their meals as long as they aren't dropping weight too fast.

I'm happy to hear you got an interview, though! Also, think about any skills you might have. Can you wash dogs? Groom them, trim their nails, walk them? Then you have a marketable service to offer, even if it's only for ten bucks on Craigslist. Maybe an elderly lady near you needs help painting her house or redecorating, and maybe she'd be willing to pay you for some help! Anything, really, can help.

I hope you and your partner get a job soon! Keep us updated, huh? Good luck!

Argentra... I will talk as practically as I can, having been to hell and back in the last six months, most of which revolved around how would I care for my animals and how would I salvage what I had... and importantly COULD I salvage this?!

When our place burned down, we were sleeping on our friends' couch, I had 50 snakes stacked in bins in her spare room, 4 - 6 snakes per tub, and only a space heater to keep them warm.

It was the worst thing I have ever gone through. My snakes did not even have water as it was physically impossible to do so.

My freezer full of 500.00 worth of frozen feeders that I had traded two of that seasons' snakes for was rotting in a burned out shell.

When my snakes went into foster care I told those fostering that feeding them was NOT a concern. It was a triage. Keeping them warm, and access to water was.

When I got them back, I had had to replace every piece of equipment, every piece of tape, thermostats, wood, you name. Even with a huge community of support we had to make very hard decisions. We recieved immense support, but when you build up from scratch it goes very quickly, as I am sure most people can understand.

One sunday I sat with each snake, Jerome had a pad and pen in hand and I prioritized who got to eat that week. I colour coded my tubs and had a calender that I put colored stickers on... meaning that when that date came up that snake got to eat.

It felt grosteque and macabre.

But I also have enough experience, and have enough awareness to know what a snake can do, what it can go through, and what the practical ramifications are.

Do I feed a new hatchling before I feed an established adult?

Yes.

Do I feed a female if I want to salvage the next seasons' breeding (as I lost this one almost in its entirety - double whammy as I needed a good season to pay for the snakes for the next year) before I feed a male?

Yes.

Do I *sacrifice* one to save the others? Meaning... do I trade an established adult to my rodent supplier for market value of frozen feeders?

Yes. (THIS MAY BE YOUR MOST AVAILABLE OPTION)

And yes, you can find a new supplier, one that just wants to do a trade even if you are not an existing client. I ate a lot of crap from a lot of people in that time in order to cold call and sell myself and find out my options. I linked to sites I frequent in order to prove that I was not trading a sick snake, that I had an online footstep and that I was not just some flake who could not pay his bills, but I was prepared to told to *screw off* (putting it really nicely :)). And I was told that on several occasions.

I put ads on Kijiji for trades for feeders... I had a friend donate non drug tested rats from her lab as feeders.

And when it came down to it, the males that did not eat as much... are a bit slimmer, but not much. My animals were not neglected but my approach was very practical.

We still have to juggle to pay the feeder bills and to make the collection work. But we also understand that our animals are a luxury. One we have worked very hard at, and something I was DETERMINED to not give up (it would have been a harsh blow in light of what we had gone through) to lose our animals as well.

But if it comes down to it... we have to eat. We have to pay our rent... and we know what snakes we will keep if we do need to liquidate at some point.

We also know that we CAN rebuild, and that loss is temporary... well not really, but you know what I mean?

I guess what I am saying is that nothing pains me more than seeing a person that has to "leave the hobby" when they hit the point they can no longer maintain a collection.

Do not let it get to that point, make some very practical decisions before you have to sell your collection for dirt cheap. The grave-robbers will swoop in if you have no other options, you will not see market value for any snake you sell and you will feel ugly and you will feel regret.

I have fed off my last rat, knowing I had nothing left to feed, and not knowing if I could find more feeders after having pushed feeding day back to its most remote location... so trust me I am empathetic to the n'th degree.

But I was able to do that as I knew my situation, I knew my supports, I knew its limitations, and I had a good idea as to when that next cheque was coming in.

We are in a space now that we can manage, and it is still stressful for us, so I can only imagine the immense and paralyzing dread you must feel.

I agree that you may need to lose some of your *stuff* (as BG noted), but do it. You can and will rebuild. We lost it all not by choice, and you know what... it is not that bad. Everything I own is a second hand donation, from my clothes to my towels and my sheets, but my animals are safe and my situation is managable.

I wish you nothing but success my friend, I really do. I do not for one second diminish any decisions you have made, and I do not question how you have managed yourself, but if it is as pressing as you say, then you are in a triage and you need to make concrete and effective decisions right now.

Hopefully whatever your plan materializes as, will allow you to maintain yourself and your collection long-term, but ultimately you need to focus on the immediate. The closer it gets to the breaking point the less agency you will have to plan for anything beyond the immediate.

We send our support to you and your partner.

Sincerely,
Bruce

Ah, Bruce...support means the most coming from you my friend. Thank you so very much for the great words.

I do fully inend to evaluate each snake (weight and condition) and determine who 'needs' food more. Most likely, I will be offering food to the females only, youngest first, to attempt to keep next season as my first for breeding (the BP girls are probably both around 1000g now) and feeding would not be every week even then. I'll also be looking into my feeder supplier options and seeing what deals I might be able to make. Having only 8 snakes, each chosen carefully for breeding potential as well as attachment value after the 'purge' of my collection before we moved, trading any would be tough...but ultimately doable if it came to that. I hope it won't, of course.

As for the stuff in the storage room, it's everything else we own. Not just 'stuff' but our furniture, dishes, appliances, computers, everything. (If you wonder how I'm typing this, we're using my father's computer while we're here)
Now, that is not to say that we are against selling things to get needed money. We're already looking into places that would buy our two gold rings for more than pawn shop price, and once we go over to storage to sort all the boxes we'll be keeping our eyes open for other sellable things as well. I already have 2-3 ads on CL for spare things we know we want to sell now.
But selling more gets tricky when you already sold 1/4-2/3 of all your belongings before moving and don't really know if you can part with (or find buyers for) any more. :)

At any rate, please keep the support coming. Checking this thread has become a sort of anti-depressant for me lately. Thanks to all!

Adrianna,

I just read this article today - you may want to check it out:

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article...ome1&gt1=23000

I became jobless last year, tried working at a pet store, the manager had other plans..
My husband's cousin asked me to babysit a few days a week, for 50 bucks a day.
I also worked the night shift at a local gas station. But when we moved I couldn't keep that job.
I am now a nanny 4 days a week and train horses 6 hours a week for a total weekly check of 260.00

I would HIGHLY suggest you take a look at your local university's web site for NON university jobs, there you can find a plethera of babysitting, tutoring, and other jobs that are advertised to the college students.
Also take a look in the phone book OR have your partner go to the unemployment office to get phone numbers and addresses for DAY LABOR places.
YOU go during the first day and sign up, then after that you show up early, bring a lunch, and wear work clothes..
You can be assigned a LTE or just day or week long job.
One place might be called Manpower.. You get paid daily or weekly from those places.
You can also donate Plasma, those are usually located near the university as well.
You can find out where local food pantries are, and churches usually hold one or two free dinners a week.
Swallow pride and go low. You will be surprised how much you can save and be able to get from charity.

Carol
{{{{hugs}}} keep your eyes on the prize at the end of this journey

I can order some frozen rodents online and have them sent to you! They won't get there next week, but they will the week after, if that's okay! Just need small/weaned rats and rat pups, yes?

I know I would be utterly devastated if I had to sell any of my snakes just to get by. They're my therapy too, as well as my children. So I will help in any way I can!

Eventide, you're an angel! That would be super! And yes, those are the sizes I use. Let's talk over PM. :D :bow:

And thanks to all for the continued support! I look forward to checking this thread now, and it lifts my mood every time.
Rabernet - thanks a lot for the article! We've already applied at three of those places and will now be making a point of calling them. The rest we'll apply for ASAP. :)

I'll keep you updated as things go out here! Thanks again.

I'm going to take a slightly different direction with my post if you don't mind.

Adriana, you have a roof over your head, you do have a partner that should be striving to be employed just as much as you are (no pickiness because he's got a couple of degrees), you've got family that did take you in when you needed a home, you've got a site here with a membership that's giving you some damned fine advice, you've got personal possessions even if they are in storage and in the end you've got your health and the ability to be employed and self-sufficient.

While today may feel like crap, please take a moment to read that paragraph I just wrote and think of all the things you are currently blessed with. Change your focus for a moment from the list of "what I don't have" to the list of "what I'm so very lucky to have that many others do not". Not only will it help you feel more positive but that kind of change of mindset does project out in a job interview. No one wants to hire someone who is desperate and feels they're losing it all. Employers want positive people who look forward.

I'll also suggest one thing from my own experience earlier this summer. I volunteered at a local homeless shelter that also did an open lunch to feed anyone hungry. Adriana, those are people really struggling, really finding it hard to get by, to feed their kids, to find a safe place just to lay down their head at night, warm water to wash with. Such basic things that we all forget to be thankful for and you have those things right now. While you and your partner should be spending most of your time looking for a paying job also consider volunteering in a situation like that once per week. Not only is it a good deed to do for your community, it's good for your soul and your mindset. Also volunteerism on a resume shows an employer you aren't the sit around the house unemployed type and often volunteer work can lead to paying jobs down the road.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

and often volunteer work can lead to paying jobs down the road.

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I'm living proof of that, as I'm now paid to do what I'd been doing for free for years at our elementary school. (And still volunteer when time permits.) :)

Adriana, you've been in my prayers each day since I first saw your post.

Believe you will find a job, and you will find a job.

I wish I could help you, as you're only a few hours away, but I'm in the same situation. Cash-poor college student :(

If I can get my picky eaters back over to rats (they're on mice now) I'll see if I can send my left overs your way. I think I've got like 14 frozen adult mice at the moment.

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present."

Keep your head up. Optimism always works for you.

Thanks, Jo. :) I really and truly am more grateful than anyone knows for the assistance of my dad and his partner right now, and I tell them so all the time. :D I'm glad and thankful for the things that we DO have that I know so many others do not at this time. Please don't think I'm in any way ignoring those boons.

But with the mental issues I have, I'm in a panic over the no money situation. I've lived most of my life with a low income, and had times when things were tight and rent and food were the priorities, so I'm not a stranger to hardship...but I've never had to deal with a time when I had 0 money and a lot of things that needed to be paid for. Never had to deal with the fear of losing everything I have, of losing my pets, directly.

I am very lucky right now, I know, but I'm barely keeping it together mentally. There's only so much one can do to get a job, and even though we're doing it (i.e. applying wherever we can, calling back, and doing our best at interviews) it's not getting us anywhere. I've had 2 interviews so far, and thought both went well, but didn't get either job and I had to call them to learn it. There are simply too many people out there searching...

So please continue to send your thoughts and wishes on this thread, since it's really helping to keep me going. I'm quite scared but trying not to think about it, and knowing I have friends here is the best!

I will keep you in my daily prayers. I pray that all goes well for you and yours.

All I can say after reading every last post in this thread is that good luck to you and your partner in finding jobs and getting the money to take care of everything you need, like your snakes. You will be in my prayers.

Adriana, the stress and mental issues can be helped partially by the volunteerism I suggested earlier. Getting out of your own head for a time, focusing on helping others, feeling a renewed sense of accomplishment because you are helping and achieving, - it really does help even for a few hours once a week. It gets you busy, gets you thinking about something besides your own troubles, gets you making contacts in the community you might not otherwise make on a normal type of job search. It's something to consider.

Are there temporary agencies in your area? I work at a large corporation and approximately half the workers now are from temp agencies.

We are currently looking into temp agencies, yes. Thanks. :) In fact, we hear from good sources that Microsoft gets their customer service folks through a temp agency.

And yes, Joanna, you're right about the volunteering. I used to volunteer at the zoo and humane soc. back in Texas and it did help quite a bit in the forgetting area. :) Only issue in doing that here would be the serious lack of transportation. Neither of us drive, and even though my dad does and has been taking us places we could not expect him to take us to volunteer locals regularly. I only wish the buses in this area were better, but since this is the boonies... sigh. I will look into some options though. :D

i dont know outside my country , but in my country we have a corporation called ETC, they simply make you a card , and once a weak you go to your local social security office and put the card in a machine which a slip comes out telling you at what time is your next week apointment.

this company is for finding a job to people and also gives free courses to the people so they can get a job easier, also those who don't live with their parents anymore will get a check every week with some financial help, for example my girlfriend lives with her sister and she gets like 65euros a week, its like 95$ per week. its not as much as having a job but its still can help.

again i dont know if companies like that exist in other countries other then the island i live on but if it does you should go register with , or if your unsure ask around. its the only idea that comes in my mind now since i live with my mother and me and my girlfriend are into alot of things wich we need money and we find that to help us alot.

i really wish you luck and hope you find some solution to solve your big problem. but believe in yourself and most of the times humans find soultions for every problem :D

I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles. I've been looking for a job for months, actually.

I know it sounds cruel, but BPs can go for quite some time without food. So when those rats disappear, they will be okay for a few more weeks, despite that we feel we are starving them. I know it doesn't make things better, but, just trying to ease your mind a little.

Maybe ask any local pet stores that sell feeders for a friendly small donation of rodents, or even a tab. Tell them your story, and you never know, people can have that spur-of-the-moment generosity.