Guvmint money

So, trying to be proactive in the event I can't get a high enough paying job to make my house payment someday, I looked into Making Home Affordable. It's the highly touted government program to help struggling homeowners in this crappy economy.

After speaking to someone at the first number I called, I was transferred to a counselor with Money Management International, thinking that I would get some advice on which program I might qualify for. But alas, after this kid asking me many questions about my income and my assets and my monthly expenses, here's the advice I got:

1) The program for people having trouble making their house payments because they're on unemployment is a forbearance deal, wherein your mortgage holder can, at their discretion, lower your house payments for 3-12 months. But the amount that was delayed is due at the end of the deal.

2) The refinance-at-a-lower-rate option offered is only available to homeowners with jobs (albeit lower paying than what you might have been used to) and good credit. I'm thinking, if you are already in trouble, your credit score is probably too low to qualify. Plus, the mortgages are through various mortgage lenders that do not include my bank AND all the fees and extra costs of financing apply, including that you might pay to fill out a loan app and then be denied.

3) I should look into various websites such as LivingSocial in case they might have some coupons for my dining out needs, CouponMom in case I need to cut my grocery expenses and MakingHomeAffordable, the very website where I started all this rigamarole.

4) I should know that Walmart matches any other stores price on items. What is up with this advice?? Is Walmart a proud sponsor of a government program??

5) My current house value on zillow.com is $67,600, although that site also shows my extra half lot with a value of $58,000. Apparently the value is so low due to foreclosures in my neighborhood.

So overall, no help is available to me. Or probably to anyone else either. The kid did complement me on my frugal amount of monthly expenses, although when I pointed out that buying health insurance was a costly part of my expenses, he told me he didn't have anywhere on his worksheet to enter that as an expense. What??? Is this not one of the major factors? My monthly expenses on hair and beauty care had its own line on the form. Sheesh.
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Meat and taters and beans

Gobble gobble

Yesterday, I called my mom. She had an agenda item: Thanksgiving. My mom's sister Midge became widowed this year and has moved into an assisted living place. Which will not be serving Thanksgiving dinner. So could I come down like the last few years and bring all the food and cook dinner for mom and Karen and Midge. Of course, I said. Then she went on to point out that the last two years, the stuffing I made had not been good, either the homemade or the Stovetop. And that last year, I cooked the ham too long and it was all dried out.

Now ponder this: I came down the night before with all the food-- deviled eggs and pickles and sweet potato casserole and poppin' fresh croissants and ham and coleslaw and Stovetop stuffing AND prepared all this stuff in a kitchen where the ambient temp is around 86 degrees AND cleaned it all up AND did the dishes and put them away. Without drinking. And then drove home.

But this apparently still entitles her to complain about a meal, the likes of which she couldn't have prepared and had it all come out at the same time when she was in her 40s.

Also recall that while I am doing all this kitchen prep-- with, let us be reminded, pans and knives that I had brought because all hers are bad --she is bumbling around preparing what she referred to as peach cobbler. If you can call a Jiffy yellow cake mix with canned peaches dumped on top cobbler. Which I can't.

And that when everything was on the table, they needed ice water, which they got in my way preparing.

Mainly I write this to remind myself that when I'm old, you don't need to be making me a Thanksgiving dinner. Kids take note.

Another fabulous cheap meal

Last night, I made this macaroni and cheese, roasted broccoli and parmesan-encrusted pork chops.

OMG, delish all. Now, let me say there was enough mac n cheese and broccoli for 4 already so if I had had one more chop, it woulda been dinner for 4. Cost? About $20. $5 per person. Less than fast food.

Even with the $6 worth of cheese in the mac, it's still cheap eats.

Granted, this was not a particularly quick meal as you have to stir up a cream sauce that you add the cheese to but if pushed, I could have had it on the table in an hour.

Another bargain I've been meaning to post about is Meijer razors. No more $13 for 4 new Venus blades. The Meijer brand cost me $6.50 for a new razor that came with 2 blades. Refills are about $6 for 4. They work great.
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Let's get serious

I am struck that I only have 6 weeks of unemployment money left and then I'm eligible for 20 more weeks. And then I'm on my own. So I need to step up this job search. Frankly, lately I have only been applying to my two required jobs a week, even though it's not as if there are a ton of jobs out there. Now, I need to start considering what I might be willing to do for money. Like be a manager at McDonald's. Or work two part-time jobs, for example. Now, I'm not willing to do just anything because almost everything pays the same as being on unemployment. Still not panicking. But, just sayin'.

I'm surprised at how little I miss the Big. I got so used to him being nearly invisible, just sleeping and staggering around occasionally.

It was a big weekend. Friday, Chip and I made a scallops on squash with a sauce that was odd but pretty good. Doug came out and we drank too much wine.

Saturday, Chip and I went to a party in Fremont with people he had known in high school. His friend Jude Bischoff was there from California. There was a wild drum circle of various percussion that was outstanding.

Sunday was Chip's birthday and we went to brunch with his parents and his kids at SamB's. Where they do a good brunch, no matter what I think about the rest of their food.

Later I had Snaps practice and then went back to Chip's for some wine and birthday over-chocolate-indulgence desserts.

Tonight I had a miraculously short radio meeting. Thus the blogging.

Weds. and Fri., more Snaps practice, Thursday book club, Saturday, the big party.

A job would put such a crimp in all this.

Scallops

Barbie has made an apple galette.

Ginger jalapeno (thanks cheryl) garlic for scallops with garam marsala sauce over baked squash

Harvest party crockpots

Boys playing shoes