Sinking Ship....

I feel like a sinking ship!
Kelly & I went to H & R Block yesterday, We got a gal who this is her first year doing taxes - Yikes! I have to say they were worse then Jackson Hewitt was, they just punch in numbers with out advising you one way or another on which would be best for you..... I was really afraid to do the taxes myself because of my business schedule C but seeing the way they did it they didn't do any better then I would have using Turbo Tax! It cost me $220.00 to have them, prepair the taxes. The huge kicker is that we usually get about $3000. back this year since my husband has been working for a company instead of running his own business we are only getting $1400.00! That is a HUGE disappointment for us - I needed that money to get us caught up on all our bills. I left there feeling sooooo low. My daughter the optimist says to me "Mom, At least we are getting something back", I guess I should look at it that way. To top it off Kelly & I have to go all the way back there today with my husband driver's license so they can print it out and I can sign it (he will be stopping by after work to sign it).

When I got home my head was splitting but I wanted to check to see how much we owe for our 2007 property tax that we wanted to pay with the tax return, $1008.00! I went and sat outside for awhile, the day was beautiful and I tried to just settle myself down and think positive. I burned dinner because I just could not concentrate, my stomach was in knots.

Then my husband came home, I was really not looking forward to telling him the amount of the tax return before I could start about that he says his boss told all the workers they are taking a 20% pay cut or find another job AND that he can't tell them how many hours a week they will be getting! My husband looked at his wits end, I hated to have to add in about the refund amount but I needed to. He said that his boss told them that he is looking into a possible large job up in St. Augustine but if they don't take his bid then they have no work for next week.

Soooo you can see why I have that sinking ship feeling..... I really can't seem to find the "pull up the boots" and tackle this problem feeling I usually get for situations like this. He said to call around today and see what the lowest prices are that we can get for phone service & internet. He says we should let the cable go for now. We have Bright House right now so I will call them and see if I can get a bare bones price. As I mentioned in a previous post I can take my husband's van off the road that will save some on the Geico bill (we pay $145.00 a month now for it). Then we have the electric, we should be having low bills from now on till it get's hot out (unless we have a terrible cold snap like last week). As for the food bill - I guess I will have to wait till next week when he get's his first lower pay check and then apply for food stamps. I am sure it will be hard to explain to them how we have no idea how many hours he will be working each week. If anyone has any ideas for living on possibly $200.00 a week or less for me, Please send them over... Our area has a huge unemployent rate so there really is no jobs to be had out there at this time (I thought about trying to get a night job stocking shelves or somthing but they are all taken). I just pray that this all works out!