[c0rr0sive]

So, we live in a house hold, four people, bringing in around $2000 a month, can't get friggen food stamps... We can't make over 1700 in order to get them, yet I know people that make nearly $5,000 a for a single person family and can get food stamps... I swear this government is nothing but friggen ********.

So my question is, what should I do now? Our average electrical bill is around $400, and our water bill is around $80, **** we don't even use electricity out here, it's just where they have all these stupids little fees added on that wasn't on our bill ten years ago...

Electric Bill: avg $400
Rent: $500
Water: avg $90
Food, only god knows >_<
and atop of that, gas, insurance, and all the other crap we HAVE to have to get around and live... Grr I am sick and tired of it, the one time we ask for help we are denied, ****es me off to no ****ing end...

[superdave1984]

I am guessing that the breadwinners are married?

[c0rr0sive]

You have confused me :-\

[hercules_upw]

find out where your electricity usage comes from. $400/month seems really high. I live in Phoenix and in the heat of summer I only pay about $200.

a few tips:
-Raise or lower your thermostat depending on season. In the summer, 2 degree increase can save almost 10%
-take a look at insulation in the attic. govt will give you a tax credit(that's dollar for dollar) up to $400 for this.
- turn your water heater down to 120, and wrap it in an insulating blanket (if it's electric)

also, you might want to re apply for the stamps. perhaps a promotion at work is over due...

[DoubleHelix]

If a single person is earning $5,000 a month in reported income, they're not receiving public assistance. The more likely explanation is that they're lying to you or lying to the government.

Ultimately, you have to make more money and/or spend less. There's no magic in the equation. If you want food stamps, you already know what you need to do: earn less money. Only you can decide if that's the best decision for you and your family.

[Nagasama]

i had the same problem trying to get pell grants in school. i couldnt get them because i worked. simple as that. it didnt matter that i only made like...150 dollars a week or some crap. i could have stopped working and milked the gov't t*t, but instead i said, "eff you" and paid for it myself.
p.s. i agree, 400 dollars is way high electric bill. i have a 1700+ sq ft house and my bill is nowhere near that...maybe half, if that. even in the middle of summer. and i live in south texas, where it is HOT and my AC runs at 72-75* all day every day.

[taintedplay]

off topic: naga where in texas do you live? im around dallas, and we have a few other guys in texas on the forums

[Nagasama]

i live in new braunfels. if you dont know where that is, think schlitterbahn (and wurstfest...beer and sausage yay-yer!...coming up), lol.
about 20 minutes north of san antonio and 45 minutes south of austin.
BTW tainted your "lolwhut" cracks me up i use it in COD4 noob servers when i go in and kill everyone. i spam it in chat. you suck"lolwhut?" youre a hacker"lolwhut?" will you stop that?"lolwhut?" (after killing 12 guys with an airstrike)"lolwhut?""lolwhut?""lolwhut?"
it drives people crazy. i got it from your avatar, dude.

[c0rr0sive]

Well we use roughly 2300KWH a month, and we have cut down to about 1500KWH, all that is on anymore is a fridge, and a freezer... Honestly, we can't do anything about the electric, 10 miles down the road, in town, our usage would only cost us about $100, in the country it shoots way up...

[Baez]

^ I know exactly what you mean. My parents home is 2km outside the "town" boundaries. They pay about 35% more.