A Missing Unemployment Check

We have not received our unemployment checks that should have been in our mailbox last Thursday. Luckily I had s pet sitting job that bought our food last week. A reworking of our car insurance resulted in a lower premium, which resulted in a refund that paid the due bills. John had given a referral to a roofer and had received a bonus. This money bought food for this week, as well as lunch out.

We have become dependent upon the government money, but we find ways to make a few bucks elsewhere.

The good news is that the government may extend the COBRA assistance from the stimulus act earlier this year. I should have affordable healthcare insurance for another six months if that happens. Otherwise?

While I am a government dependent now, I am building my small business in pet sitting. And I try to sell promotional products on a contract basis. What’s next?

Stimulus feeds green projects

Great news.

By Clay Carey • THE TENNESSEAN • June 15, 2009

New solar panels on Wilson County’s 41-year-old courthouse. Financial incentives for developers in Hendersonville who go green. A city employee to monitor energy efficiency in Franklin.

These projects and more are on wish lists being put together across Middle Tennessee. All could become reality, thanks to Uncle Sam’s money.

Communities around Nashville are looking to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund millions of dollars’ worth of improvements that will save governments electricity and, in turn, money.

Those retrofits and the benefits that come with them sound good to folks like John Adams.

Adams, a homebuilder in Lebanon, hopes Wilson County’s plan makes government there more efficient and believes it will help the environment.

Source: tennessean.com

NowPublic

Tags: Environment | Energy | Stimulus | Geonomics

Unemployment is Exhausting

Both my husband and I are very down about our unemployment. While money is a concern, our mental and emotional selves are exhausted and down and out. Neither of us has been unemployed this long during our careers. It is very demeaning.

While the big guys are getting assistance, individuals and small businesses are being given crumbs to fend for ourselves. I spoke with a small business owner yesterday whose work is down 50% over last year. He told me about a children’s dentist friend of his who has closed his office two days a week for lack of patients. A general practitioner friend of his is seeing less patients each day than usual. The average person cannot afford to go to a doctor or dentist.

My husband is very upset with Obama and the GM rescue plan. While we have received some scraps from the stimulus bill passed earlier this year, it does not give us what we really need – a security about the future.

I have found myself unable to take care of the simple things, like a checkbook. For the past few years, I never worried about balancing my checkbook because there was always enough money to take care of my needs. Although there is only a few hundred dollars now in the checkbook, I cannot balance it or remember to pay the bills.

I’m out every day looking for clients. I have an appointment this afternoon with a potential client. So far, I have made about $65 a week this year in contract work. It just is not there, but I keep looking.

Let’s hope persistence pays.