Make sure you have copies of all important papers, addresses for mortgage, insurance, etc.

Whatever sale item is most important to you [2008-11-21]
start there...early. Sale ads from Wednesday night's or Thursday morning's newspapers should tell you the store hours and sale hours. Many end at 11am. My dd and I like to go about an hour after stores open, though it's still dark outside. The crowds that were waiting in line overnight for the big ticket items are gone by then, and most everyone else avoids the stores until the afternoon hours, thinking they will be less crowded. Wrong they are though. There are more employees on duty early rather than later, so things move more quickly in the morning hours. We've also found the earlier crowds to be friendlier. DD starts singing Christmas carols while standing in line and soon lots of others join in. She's a blast to shop with. Then we go to a late breakfast and go home before the unfriendly crowds show up. Hope your experience is an enjoyable one.

make a call [2008-11-20]
Look in the phone book under Alcoholics Anonymous and call the central office. Tell them you need someone to make a 12-step call. Someone from your local area who is in AA will come over to your house and talk to your husband and you can leave with the kids during this time. By the time you get back, your husband will have decided whether or not he will sober up. Usually the person he talked to will assume responsibility for taking him to the meetings or finding someone who will sponsor him. So you are off the hook at this point. On the other hand, he may decide no thanks and then you will have your real answer. AA is free and pretty crowded with new people around the holidays, so the timing is good. The average age of a person coming into AA is 25 to 45, so there should be plenty of people for him to talk to. At the same meeting place there should be meetings for you called Al-Anon and for your son called Alateen. Good Luck!

He does make you smile. He looks like he..sm [2008-11-14]
is smiling. He looks like a big love.

No he is full blooded pit bull with papers...sm [2008-11-13]
But everyone thinks he has boxer in him. He has always looked like a boxer because of his color. Everybody thinks he is a boxer or boxer mix.

I always get asked to make my hashbrown [2008-11-11]
x

Pet Insurance [2008-11-09]
I have some pet insurance. It is $17 a month for each dog. I figure, for $200 a year, if the dog lives to be 15 that would be a total of $3000 over the life of the dog. Which can be less than the cost of a single operation. So I got the insurance. Andy had a minor surgery (removal of keratocanthoma) that came to $600, including $200 to have his teeth cleaned (not covered). After the deductible I got a check from the company for $300. I was pretty happy with that.

Off subject - Many insurance companie won't insure - sm [2008-11-09]
your home for certain breeds, Pitbulls and Rotweilers are two of them, also Siberian Huskies and German shepards in others. I have had huskys for years and they are the friendliest dogs in the world though they look fierce since they closely resemble wolves and are probably the closest domesticated dog to a wolf. It is unfair to the breed to mark it as dangerous because of its looks. My dog does get aggressive around other dogs but he is the Alpha male here, but with people he is just fine. I have the only husky in the world that does not bark or howl, he talks on rare occasion. The breed doesn't usually don't bark much as it is, but they love to howl. We have another dog but a female lab and the two of them are fine together. While I like pitbulls and I have known a few to be very good dogs, I will always be on my guard around them as you never know what might trigger it to become aggressive. Dogs can feel threatened over the such little things and cause such heartbreak in the process.

we must make judgments, [2008-11-08]
and hopefully good ones. I love animals; have been around them and owned many all my life; but do not trust pit bulls. I have a good friend who now has a pit bull and it changed my comfort level on going to visit. On one of the tv court shows, even the judge uses a chart to show the number of pit bull attacks and deaths vs other breeds. That ought to cause one to make a sound judgment.

Yesterday was National Men Make Dinner Day [2008-11-07]
Too bad I just found about it. Did any of you know about this?

Why do they still make those boxes [2008-11-03]
where it says, To open, press thumb here and they only have fake perforated lines so that you break your thumb or smash the box trying? And why do I still try? It hasn't worked once in the 40 some odd years I've been trying. Do I really think it's going to work now?

Stores are trying to make 'em get their [2008-11-03]

Boy scout son used to make pepperoni and marshmallow fluff roll-ups for the trail. [2008-10-30]
nm

or may be mac and cheese. I make my own [2008-10-28]
using elbow macaroni, velveeta cheese, stewed tomatoes and bread crumbs on top with a dot of butter. Cook the mac first, melt the cheese in macaroni, add tomatoes, put bread crumbs on top and then bake. Usually have biscuits or rolls with that and a salad.

Help. I have made my own prison. Please make suggestions sm [2008-10-24]
I will try to make this brief. I have marital problems, husband is gone all the time. I came to work at home again because I have no help with our children. I need to be here if they are sick and be here when they get home from school. But I have become once again socially isolated (I did this type of work for years and had a job outside of the home and enjoyed it, except for the fact that my children did not get enough attention, so I quit). I do have friends but I don I used to walk several miles a day but never do that anymore, have gained weight, eat junk food, stay on the computer too long. I am constantly busy. I still do volunteer work with my children - Scouts, church, etc., but I am so overwhelmed. My husband is almost never here. It almost feels more like he comes to visit us sometimes than actually lives here, but I need his help financially and my son is very afraid for me to get a divorce (long story, but he is afraid he would have to live part-time with his dad, and they are not close). I have debt that my husband doesn But he won When I tell him I need more money he tells me things like, turn off the cable TV or don The thing is he spends lots and lots of money on entertaining himself. He makes 3 x as much as I do (or maybe 4 by now). I have not been allowed to open his mail for years and we pretty much never talk. I have started to allow things to pile up, mail around my desk, weight around my middle, clutter here and there. I just feel like a big slug. I am tired much of the time. In reading this I sound depressed but I am already taking an antidepressant which I started a few years ago because of my marriage.I love my children so dearly but I am afraid of leaving and disrupting their lives. If I left I would at least get my part of the equity in ourhome, etc., and maybe have a chance at having a life again. Anyway, I know this is long and rambling and jumbled, but I just woke up, from another night of poor sleep. Please suggest what you would do. Thanks

It can, but make sure it is thoroughly [2008-10-24]
thawed out before drinking. Parially thawed is nasty!!!!

make your own laundry detergent [2008-10-22]
Lots of different recipes out there for liquid and powdered. I like the liquid but have a terrible time finding the Arm & Hammer wash SODA.

Increase your insurance deductibles [2008-10-21]
Build up an emergency fund and increase your auto and homeowner insurance premiums to $1,000. You’ll save hundreds per year in premium.

Does anyone make beaded jewelry? [2008-10-19]
I am interested in making beaded jewelry but not sure where to start. Do any of you make beaded jewelry? If so, where do you find the best prices for beads? Do you make jewelry to sell or just for fun? Thanks for the info.

make sure they are legit... [2008-10-15]
I agree with the poster who said to be careful about the one you choose, because they are not all reputable, which is what I said in my previous post. I have heard good things about CCCS and they were listed on the Suze Orman website. They charge a minimal fee of $30 per month for their service and will help you with nonsecured debt. They will put you on a budget and make arrangements with your creditors for a reasonable payback schedule that you can afford, based on your income. They have me paying $300 a month for all of my credit card bills---on my own I was paying close to $500 a month and could not afford to. They will also attempt to lower your interest rates with your creditors. It is a good last resort, as long as you research and pick a reputable company. I always Google research before I sign on with anything.

You can make one yourself at Walmart with their machine (sm) [2008-10-14]
they have them here in North Carolina beside the photo drop-off area. I had someone help with my mother and father in-laws though because I wanted music added. If you are very computer savvy though, you may be able to do it yourself if adding music matters to you.

slide show - did you make this yourself? [2008-10-13]
Would love to do this for my kids.

slide show - did you make this yourself? [2008-10-13]
Would love to do this for my kids.

slide show - did you make this yourself? [2008-10-13]
Would love to do this for my kids.

Insurance and pitbulls [2008-10-06]
Yea insurance companies have a black breed list that usually include Pitbulls, German Shepherds, Boxers & Chow Chows. Some pitbulls have that aggressive nature in them that can be brought out, but you have to trace back to the breeder & get the history of that dog's mom/dad's temperment.

yeah, why don't you just snap your fingers and magically make another job appear? [2008-09-24]
x

Need help with opposite problem sm [2008-11-22]
I have chestnut brown hair with blonde highlights which is getting too expensive to keep up. Stylist was charging over $100 and I told her thanks but I would have to start going to Super Cuts or someplace cheaper although I did appreciate her beautiful work. Well, she came down, then went back up again to $85 and that's too much. I have never ever colored myself and she said she had to start coloring my whole head with the brown, used to just highlight with both colors. I hate to lose the highlights as they make me look and feel better than just the drab brown. I see products that say highlight but if I have a brown base, how do you get both colors to come out??? Kinda lacking in knowledge of hair, perhaps someone else does this. TIA

Help is a safety net you have paid for sm [2008-11-21]
Food stamps are a safety net we all pay for, all forms of public assistance are things we have been paying for all along. TAKE the help you need! Do move closer to family if you possibly can. I have been in your shoes myself. I lost my home to foreclosure 4 years ago because of having a near-fatal drug interaction and losing my job of nearly 7 years. I made a couple of moves and finally ended up in a small town out of state from where I had lived for 30 years. I lived with a close friend for about 9 months and had the opportunity to buy a mobile home for $3000. The people I bought it from said I could make payments and I was able to pay it off in 5 months. It needed a lot of work and it has gotten it, most of which I have done myself. This project really helped me to regain parts of myself I had lost. It gave me a reason to get up and get going on my days off. I turned this ugly old thing into a lovely, comfortable home I cherish. I have lost about 50-60 lbs since living here and I have brought the idea of vastly cutting expenses in line with making more money. The end result is that I am very well off financially, better than in my entire life. DO get medication to help you if you can. I didn't have medication to help because I am allergic to every psychotropic in existence. I did this by pulling myself up by the boot straps, but if I could have had help, I would have. There IS a brighter future out there. You CAN have that brighter future because you DESERVE IT. That said, no one expects you to get there alone!!! Don't be embarrassed to ask and receive help. You will be able to help others later. Years ago, when my kids were young, I was a single parent, no support and it was Christmas time. My kids didn't even have adequate clothing or food. A neighbor I hardly knew handed me a Christmas card. Inside was a $100 gift card to K-Mart. She said that many years before that, she had been in my shoes and someone had given her $100 one Christmas, she was now paying this forward to me. The only provision was that I return this favor when I could, and that I bought something for myself too because I deserve nice things for my hard work. It was a turning point for me. I have been more of a giver since. Although I could have paid this back last year, I didn't know anyone who would appropriately benefit. This year, I do and I had to tell her that I was going to do this and why. She cried and felt embarrassed because, she said, she was usually in the position to give and it hurt a little to receive. I reminded her that she was GIVING me the gift of giving with pleasure. Others are going to give to you with pleasure, love, friendship and concern for your well being. TAKE IT. One day you'll post back here about how good things are and I'll want to hear it.

I usually do a lot of handmade gifts. This year each kid gets $100 they are all grown sm [2008-11-21]
I make my oldest son boxer shorts, he only likes the ones I make. My other son wanted a robe and matching PJ pants. Daughter wanted a couple of outfits and a denim jacket. My mom wanted something I had knitted up for her. Stepdad just wants to be remembered. My brother won't take anything from me, so no problem there. I will do some small things for my friends, but I won't spend $500 total, even with giving the 3 kids $100 each. I have NEVER spent that much on Christmas! I have worked like a dog all year, but I have had no time to do these things they think they want.

moving out of state [2008-11-21]
Check your divorce laws in your states. Many states will not let you or your (ex) spouse move out of state without permission of the other. Some even have a mileage radius. I think it's to keep both parents close to the kids and not having one parent run far away so the other can't ever see the kids again. My kids were 5 and 1 when I was in the process of getting divorced, and I moved out of state before I realized this. Fortunately my ex realized and understood the need for me and the kids to be close to my family for support, so it was written in the papers that it was okay for me to move out of state and he signed it.

I agree with all of the above. sm [2008-11-21]
You are younger than you think. Also, I do not agree with the 2nd BOS but I do read their foolish rules, and especially learn the dosages, etc. That is the only worthwhile change that is important. I think you would do great working on your own with your own accounts as you have a lot of years ahead to work, but either way, you will do well. Some of these tests are ridiculous,so don't feel bad about them as they are looking for low-rate compensation and I found SOME of those in supervisory positions, only some, don't know what they're doing. Some of them are not true transcriptionists. So don't be discouraged, there is something out there for you. Don't settle for less, it's not you - it's the way the industry is right now and many are being taken advantage of. Be choosy, don't work for less than you're worth. You can do it! Watch out for those who may try to take advantage of you though - there are some money-grabbing numb nuts out there running these companies. Be choosy who you trust. Trust yourself! Good luck! {{ }}

Editor versus Transcriptionist [2008-11-21]
Just curious... does an Editor make more than a Transcriptionist or about the same?

Divorce [2008-11-21]
I divorced my first husband when my children were 1 and 3. He was a crack addict. It wasn't easy but it was the right decision for me. I would definitely suggest going to Al-Anon. I didn't make it there until quite a few after my divorce, but it helped me a great deal. Best of luck with your decision. Shelly

I'm a virgin, help a first timer out .. [2008-11-21]
BLACK FRIDAY Shopper's!!!! Ive NEVER in my life shopped on Black Friday, it used to be of no interest, then it got interesting for awhile, but DH hated the idea and I dont shop without him unless I absolutely have to and/or dying to get out, and now the interest is back with DH on my side! So I am excited, or should I be frightened, is it a true mad house? I need some tips and info. Do you have any tips for a 1st Timer?? What time do you get at the store? Do you have to get a coupon or something to be allowed IN? If so, where do you get these coupons? What time do stores typically open? What times do they take the sale prices down, is it usually an all day thing, or an end at lunch type of thing? And most important of all. I am a fan of the old fashioned way..... newspaper ads to see who has what deal. Where do you get this? Does it come out THIS Weekend or on Thanksgiving Day?? Thanks so much!!!!

From your end you could do a disk [2008-11-21]
clean-up and defragment it. Also, make sure you have all your updates and get a spyware/antivirus program to run. Many are free out there. I have Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (you can Google it) and it seems to catch things my McAfee does not. I also run Spybot. A lot of times freezing up and running slow is caused by spyware, cookies, etc. Don't know if this will help any, but it is a suggestion. Also, I run AVG everyday.

Sounds very much like to do with RAM or HDD [2008-11-21]
These two components are ones that make the computer freeze......the life of RAM and HDD depends on the usage, so 3 years can be quite some time...sorry, if this does not help you! Just another suggestion

How exciting for you -- sm [2008-11-21]
I My mom always drug me out an hour before the stores opened. The ads usually come out in Thursday In the past, I Get the paper and makea game plan. Some stores open an hour or 2 later than others, so you may be able to get to both in time for the specials you Wal-Mart generally has a lot of specials, especially in the toys dept. Our Wal-Mart gives you a map when you enter to tell you where each BF special is located in the store. They put some stuff in strange places -- like TVs in the meat dept, computers in dairy, etc. It Ask the Wal-Mart greeter when you enter. Our Wal-Mart is also open 24 hours, as are most, which means no waiting outside. We usually arrive an hour before the sales start so we can be in position for the item. Obviously, the most-sought after items are electronics, so be there early if you Target is 1 of my favorite places because their specials run all weekend, not just until 11 a.m. (I hope it They usually open an hour after Wal-Mart. I usually head there second because even though the specials run all weekend, they do run out of stock. Kohl The cash can be redeemed usually starting the Sunday after Black Friday. Don If there General advise: Wear comfortable shoes. Be polite to others, but don If you got there first, it Make sure you and DH have cell phones so you can communicate if you get separated. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!! Let us know how you make out afterwards.

Here's my problem....sm [2008-11-21]
My dad is irresponsible and is in financial debt and doom. There is no way he can make the money to pay the bills he has accumulated. He has borrowed money he shouldnt have. Well the situation is... He has been knowing if he didn He refused to pay it. Every time he would get acheck he wouldn Well he kept not paying it for 2 months. Well yesterday they turned them out. It is freezing here. It is going to be in the 20s tonight. He said I don Well he was told and told to pay it and wouldn So now what does he do? As soon as he gets off work he comes to my house cause he don I can So I can He also said he had no money for food because he had to use it all for diesal for his dump truck. So I offered him food too. He also rumages through my cabinets for snacks. I feel like I am the parent and he is the child. My husband drives a big truck and he has been gone. When I tell him what is going on he gets aggravated because he is sitting at our house and all. He said he is a grown man and needs to step up and take care of himself but he is my dad and I can My husband will be home either late tonight or first thing in the morning and this is not going to go over too well with him. I am at a loss.

we're s'posed to believe this new guy is her husband? [2008-11-21]
i set the DVR, won is the season ending, getting all these new players? i hope they make it believable...

He is 60 years old...sm [2008-11-21]
And acts like he is 2. He doesnI am not his babysitter. He is a grown man and he needs to act like it. Social service doesn't need to help him. The man makes decent money. He just won't take responsibity to pay his bills and has too many at that. He needs to thin them out. For instance, he has 2 new model trucks. He does not need 2 trucks but he WANTS both of them. But a light bill is one of your most important bills. And I for a fact know he had the money to pay it and didn't. I even told him you better go pay that electric bill. He wouldn't. I have never seen anyone who was quite like him. I love my dad and don't want to hurt him but he is making things very hard for me right now. I can't babysit him anymore. He is more than welcome to come visit me as often as he wants. He can come by everyday if he wants. But then there is a time to leave and go home. I have a family and I know I wouldnt like it if my husbands dad did this. I would not be happy at all. I am not happy about my father doing it but what do you do? Tell him get out?

So you do regular maintenance on the computer..sm [2008-11-21]
Such as check for Windows updates, deleting your cookies and browsing history, scanning for errors, and defragmenting? If you need help with any of this let me know. I can give you instructions on it. I have Windows XP so that is the version I know about. I don't know about other versions. These things really make a difference.

Hot chocolate mix [2008-11-20]
My sister-in-law to their homebound friends at church. They used powdered hot chocolate mix but added creamer and milk chocolate chips to it. They put it in a Mason jar covered with fabric and tied a ribbon around it. It was really cute and it really does taste wonderful!! I don't know if you would want to give that to your boss, but I might make some for neighbors and keep some on hand for unexpected gifts we receive.

We did something similar [2008-11-20]
but it was a local theater gift card instead of the netflix. I didn't know netflix did such a thing. That's a great idea. A smore's kit is nice to make or homemade marshmellows (they are not that difficult to make as most people think) with homemade hot chocolate mix and some cute mugs. Also made fleece throws for everyone for xmas one year. YOu can get the no-sew fleece and just cut a fringe around the edge to finish it. Offer up a free baby sitting night to the parents, all you need is a card. Tuck it in the tree with their name on it. If there is something special that you make that someone likes you can make up a basket with many of the ingredients and include the recipe card. If it is cookies or something nonperishable you can include a finished version in the basket.

There is a recipe [2008-11-20]
on the side of the Hershey's Cocoa container. It is simple and a great recipe! I'm sure you could add your own chocolate chips, chunks, or shavings to make it extra special. Maybe even some Andees mint shavings to make it peppermint, yum!

My husband is oblivious to our finances [2008-11-20]
Sometimes that It sounds like maybe your husband is too proud to tell his family that he can I I would suggest talking to the leader of his family, the person who hosts the get-togethers, and let them know that you do the finances and you just don It doesn I would certainly let your husband know that you are going to say something beforehand, but he doesn I For birthdays, we take the time to call and wish that person a happy birthday. We don My brother lives about 2 hours away, so we don Unless his family is loaded, I'm sure they'll understand. As for the glasses, I just took my son for new glasses yesterday. The eye doctor said he needs a new prescription, but I asked if just the lenses could be replaced and the frames reused. He said absolutely. Our insurance covers new frames, lenses and the exam, but my son has a tendency to break things at the most inopportune time. We just bought him these glasses in June because he broke them and according to the insurance, it wasn Now that he is eligible for everything new, we asked for just the lenses. If he breaks his frames later in the year, we can just get new frames (covered by insurance) and pop the lenses in. The only problem there would be is they discontinue his frames because the new lenses probably wouldn So, something to consider here is, if your stepchild needs a new prescription and already has glasses, then I would check with your lawyer to see if you can just buy new lenses for the current frames. The frames are what normally cost the most anyway.

I don't think I understand [2008-11-20]
so just let him do whatever, support his decisions, and hope for the best? He has a good job it is just that so much of it is eaten by the attorneys, support, transportation, and crazy things the ex dreams up that the child must have and we are told we just have to pay it. It costs more than what I make to cover the mandatory expenses of my step-child. I gave up our finances about a year ago to give him a taste of what it was like. Stupidly thinking this would help. Obviously it hasn't but has made things worse. I always reassure him and tell him we will get through it, etc. but when he asks me to make a decision I tell him honestly. Recently asking if I mind if his teenage nephews come stay for the weekend I ask where is the extra money going to come from to feed them and get them to/from work as its an hour round trip. I offer maybe just one night instead of the entire weekend. Automatically thatthey asked for the weekend. He says he doesn't know where the money will come from and he won't ask the his brother either and asks me to call and tell them no. Of course when I refuse I can tell he gets upset although he won't say it. We don't argue about stuff its just more of one of us getting pi$$ed off until it blows over and then starting again the following week when another circumstance comes up. Honestly, I'm just getting tired of putting up. It has been nearly 10 years now but only 4 since our finances went together. We are also expecting a child, which we could afford before the last 6 months came crashing down on us. Of course this is part of my anxiety over finances but being a man and his usual self he wants to live in la-la land until we don't have money to buy diapers. I'm just so frustrated. Thanks for listening and letting me know that there is hope things will change. Atleast I know when the step-child becomes an adult it will be like winning the lottery!

Anyone go through a divorce w/younger kids? sm [2008-11-20]
Iit just isn while I have always felt you don't throw around the word divorce unless you mean it. Well, I mean it now. I gave him an ultimatum - straighten himself out or I leave with the kids. I am not going to go through 5 years of this again. It is affecting the kids, and my son is acting out to the point of saying he wishes he had never been born. I am giving my husband until after Christmas to decide what he is going to do, and if he does not value our marriage more than his alcohol, I am moving out of state. This is not to keep him away from the kids but because my parents (divorced also) are in a different state than I am and I have no family at all here. Has anyone had to make a decision like this? I donno other options. He refuses to go to counseling or to see a doctor about what I am positive is depression. Any tips or suggestions? Sorry to dump on everyone like this, thanks for reading.

I need some help here -- [2008-11-20]
I am so depressed... I don I just filed bankruptcy 2 years ago because of this job. My income changed so drastically that I lost everything. My car, my home, all of it.I just got things back on track earlier this year and now this crap has to start all over again. I do not foresee being able to make my rent payments on my new house that I just moved into, my cable will be turned off tonight at midnight for nonpayment, I have an old car now and everything keeps tearing up on it and I cannot afford to fix it, I just looked in my closet and I have no clothes to wear anymore, I have gained 50 pounds, I cry all the time, I am by myself all the time in this house, my family all live about 50 miles from me, so it is not affordable to drive there all the time, I have no friends, and as you can tell, I am seriously DEPRESSED!!! I don I have done everything. I have no life outside of my home anymore. I never go out, I never take trips, my 5 year old grandson just this weekend asked me why I did not buy him a birthday present for his birthday last month (no money) and Christmas is coming up, which of course will be more of the same since there is no money... Sorry to unload, just needed somewhere to go for a minute...

Sorry you are feeling so down (sm) [2008-11-20]
First of all, relax. You need to go to a doctor and get on an antidepressant? No insurance? If you can get the money to go to the doc for one visit, you can get them to prescribe an antidepressant that is on Walmart's $4 list and get it for $4 a month. Call United Way and see if they can direct you where to get help with your rent. Don't worry about whether or not you have cable, you'll be okay without that unless you need it for your job? Don't worry about not being able to give Christmas gifts...just explain that you don't have the money. People will understand and your grandson can have it explained to him. I have the same isolation issues that you do because of the job. Can you go to a temp agency and see about getting a job outside of your house so you can be around people more? There is a website called Exercisefriends.com where you can meet people in your area who want exercise buddies, maybe just someone who is starting out trying to walk every day or something like that (not sure what your fitness level is). Or advertise on Craigslist for a walking buddy (but be careful of course when first meeting the person). I met one of my best friends this way and have known her for 4 years now. If you want an email buddy feel free to email me. I think everyone is struggling right now and it is hard. I would be happy to have you vent to me via email all you want. :-)

make a call [2008-11-20]
Look in the phone book under Alcoholics Anonymous and call the central office. Tell them you need someone to make a 12-step call. Someone from your local area who is in AA will come over to your house and talk to your husband and you can leave with the kids during this time. By the time you get back, your husband will have decided whether or not he will sober up. Usually the person he talked to will assume responsibility for taking him to the meetings or finding someone who will sponsor him. So you are off the hook at this point. On the other hand, he may decide no thanks and then you will have your real answer. AA is free and pretty crowded with new people around the holidays, so the timing is good. The average age of a person coming into AA is 25 to 45, so there should be plenty of people for him to talk to. At the same meeting place there should be meetings for you called Al-Anon and for your son called Alateen. Good Luck!

Please know you are definitely NOT alone! [2008-11-20]
Lots of us are struggling these days. Times are touch all over. Can you look into getting a second job to help with expenses? That's what I do, just to make ends meet. I'm alone too but don't mind that - I have pets to keep me company. The best thing you can do is not sit around doing nothing. Make a plan, set yourself some goals and KNOW you can get through this. Just take it one day at a time and/or knock off one goal at a time and you'll persevere.