What is your annual salary?

[Anonymous]

$85K gross, one child in daycare. doesn't seem like enough because until this past year, I made $100K+ and had no child-related expenses so i saved plenty and had plenty to spend. i also hang with a pretty high-earning crowd so it never feels like i make enough by comparison. (i.e. the majority of my friends are married and living in $200K+ income households)

this area is tough for single moms and tough for lower-earners. that said, i suspect child care expenses would be pretty similar anywhere you'd go, and at least most salaries in the area are higher than they would be elsewhere. I know if I had moved back home to live near my parents, I'd be spending almost as much on daycare and would probably make $25K less, so the finances would be tougher.

[Anonymous]

I receive food assistance thats it at the time
I tried for housing and was told the waiting list was closed and back listed for atleast 2 years so we are stuck and I really dont know much about housing help to know if theres other help I just know what SS told me

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Im the 18k mom

well it sucks and I dont have enough to pay everything so I "rob peter and pay paul so to speak" and make it work

we have the absolute minimum of everything and no extras

what else can I do ?

More power to you. I do hope that you get some sort of breaks, though. Free preschool, subsidized housing, etc.

[Anonymous]

"I receive food assistance thats it at the time
I tried for housing and was told the waiting list was closed and back listed for atleast 2 years so we are stuck and I really dont know much about housing help to know if theres other help I just know what SS told me?"

Have you checked out coabode.com? Perhaps teaming up with another single mom could help.

[Anonymous]

I have one child, live in DC and made about $60K last year, and get about $2K month in child support. Pay about $1,500/month in child care... glad to have consistant child support but things are still very tight... looking forward to free public school for K!!

[Anonymous]

$120K gross, one child in Montessori School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have one child, live in DC and made about $60K last year, and get about $2K month in child support. Pay about $1,500/month in child care... glad to have consistant child support but things are still very tight... looking forward to free public school for K!!

You know, I was looking forward to that too. Until I realized how many breaks the schools take! Holidays, teacher work days, snow days, winter break, spring break, never mind summer. I am begining to realize that public school is a sorry substitute for child care.