What price range should we be going for?

amother

Seafoam

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:41 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

Aren't wic and food stamps the same thing?

No, two different programs-

Programs to look into-
Food stamps now called SNAP
Call the BPJCC they are extremely helpful. You can ask them if there are other programs that they offer assistance with.
718-972-6600 extension 0
https://www.bpjcc.org/snap
No charge

Food stamps is like a preloaded debit card, you get a certain amount monthly and then can spend on any food items in the store, even items that you usually would not splurge on can become available if you budget wisely.

WIC is for the mother and children under 5. The pregnancy is counted as another family member which makes the maximum income amount higher. Many people who earn too much for foodstamps can still qualify for WIC
If you will be nursing you will get more for the mother, if not you will get checks for formula. WIC is pre-approved for certain food items from the list. You will get the list and also start to notice that many groceries have WIC items labeled by the shelves, such as cereals.

Yeled Vyalda is a great WIC center and they can guide you. Their WIC program includes lactation consultation, nutritionist, some mommy and me group occasionally, some coloring books/crayons/placemats/puppet rotation that they give by each appointment. They have good hours for appointments. No charge
7186863799
Fax 7186862199

Vouchers for childcare will be a huge help for daycare and tuition.
I do not have info for vouchers but I am sure someone here can guide you.

You have insurance-
You can access free arches and shoes for yourself, husband and child.
The majority of people in the world can get approved for arches.
Here is the number for a podiatrist that does the visit over zoom/ watsap or you email her a video and she does a phone consult after. HUGE TIME SAVER! She then emails you the prescription for you to fill for arches and you get free shoes. Like shoes that typically would cost $80 in a shoe store!
Zoom Podiatrist Dr. Beanonstock
5169966018

If you prefer in person then Perfect Health 7188540001

Arches and shoe store Medical Aid on 18th ave
17186823606
You call to make an appointment, you put your foot into the arches mold box, then go downstairs to pick out shoes. You leave with the shoes and they call you for when the arches are ready for pickup.

Last edited by amother on Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:47 pm; edited 2 times in total

yidishmamma

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:43 pm

Ujo in Williamsburg can help apply for food stamps and wic for free. You need to make an appointment. You can find their number in the telephone book or maybe someone here knows it .

Last edited by yidishmamma on Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:43 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Ivory

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:43 pm

amother [ Aquamarine ] wrote:

So how are so many people in certain expensive communities on food stamps? They pay rent and spend no more?

Making money off the books or parents paying rent for them.

ROFL

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:43 pm

https://www.health.ny.gov/publ.....4.pdf
Here is a list of what kind of paperwork you need. Please read carefully. A lot of times on the list it says you only need one item. So it looks overwhelming but you only need one item not the whole list.

amother

Silver

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:43 pm

You can apply for fs online by yourself. Or go to nachas

amother

Emerald

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:44 pm

yidishmamma wrote:

Ujo in Williamsburg can help apply for food stamps and wic for free. You need to make an appointment. You can find their number in the telephone book or maybe someone here knows it .

I knew there had to be other options!! Why would anyone pay for help when it should be free? What am I missing?

Einikel

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:46 pm

I got wic through Yeled vyalda 2 years ago and was not charged any fees. I just bought my medicaid card, ID proof of address and a letter from my doctor and maybe also bloodwork.

Last edited by Einikel on Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:46 pm; edited 1 time in total

PeanutMama

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:46 pm

True, I would need someone to come by and organize stuff for me because I get easily easily overwhelmed with anything money and numbers and papers. Basic application at a job or doctors office is all I can fill out since I know the stuff but when it comes to money stuff like how much we earn a year that’s when I am absolutely stuck.

My mother did not teach me these things and neither did our schools. Sad

My husband can deal with these type of things way better than I can. Maybe he can come with me to some organization to help me apply but he would have to ask time off in advance. You can apply at any time of the year?

amother

Silver

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:50 pm

amother [ Emerald ] wrote:

I knew there had to be other options!! Why would anyone pay for help when it should be free? What am I missing?

You are paying for their time and effort
They do all the paperwork, go to appointments, call fs office for you.
There are free options too.
Cojo, nachas, by yourself

amother

Silver

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:51 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

Yes you can apply anytime.
There is an organization that helps with budgeting and any money related issues. They teach you and guide you. Anyone here remember their name or have their number?

amother

Seafoam

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:52 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

The places that charge you still make you bring or send in the documents- same as the places that do not charge. In fact I have found that the places that charge tend to give over a rushed and overwhelming feeling.

The best way to do it is to call, ask what is required for each place appointment, write down each thing required into a checklist form. Once you arrange all you need for one appointment , keep it all in a bag/folder and then you are prepared for the next appointment. You can do this!

WIC and Foodstamps are any time of year

Last edited by amother on Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:53 pm; edited 1 time in total

PeanutMama

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:53 pm

Great thanks everyone! I’ll see if my husband can get time off so we can go somewhere together to help us apply for food stamps and wic.
I’d love to start babysitting again, but again I will have my son with me, and in September I am due for this baby, so I’ll have to take at the most 5-6 weeks off after the birth.

amother

Silver

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:57 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

You don’t need your husband to go. You can go.
Take your w-2, rent letter from landlord, utility bills, birth certificates, social security numbers/ cards, your husbands green card
If you need anything else they’ll let you know.
And always make copies of everything

amother

Seafoam

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 9:58 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

I know it will be easier if he is there but if he cannot get off please still go.
We can hold your hands virtually!
The sooner you go the better, it will be a huge burden off of your shoulders.
For WIC they are actually doing majority over the phone, and I think for food stamps as well. Why not call and see what you can do via phone, email/fax?

PeanutMama

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 10:00 pm

I don’t have a w-2
It’s been more than 2 years since I worked in that group home for ppl special needs. Since then I’ve only been doing babysitting.

Should I take my husbands instead? They ask for a year no? How would we get that?

amother

Slateblue

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 10:01 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

Please be super clear and simple because I get overwhelmed lol.

As y’all know we are looking to move to a bigger 2 bedroom place. Somewhere comfortable for 2-3 children and 2 adults to walk around comfortably.

Most places we looked at are in the 2200+ range (my husband said we can afford up till 1800-2100 at the most) with no utilities included a month

I’m at home with my son and currently expecting BH my second child (please don’t attack, we wanted this baby mutually but I’ll be taking a 3-5 year break after this one before we try for more) so I’m not working at the moment.
My husband makes 700 a week working in a store so 7x4 would be 28 so he would be making 2800 a month I think. My math is terrible lol so please correct me if I’m wrong.

He’s planning on becoming a driver so he can spend more time with us and be a father to his children, but I’m not sure how much a frum male driver can earn a day or a week or a month.

Maybe after birth I’ll start working again at one of those special needs places since it’s the only “official” job I’ve had and am really well at. I am rusty so I may need to be trained again.

We spend around 150 ****im not sure tho. This is a guess. But we do go to the grocery every day to restock on milk and eggs and bread daily**** a week on the very basics (bread, milk, eggs, potatoes, onions, oil, aluminum pans, freezer food mostly pizza, pasta, tomato sauces, cheese, shabbos meat, shabbos beans, shabbos fish. Once a month I buy a pack of bones and chicken legs and soup veggies and make about a months worth of soup for shabbos and put that in the freezer.)

If I do shabbos shopping at KRM I spend around 50-80$ on shabbos stuff and household stuff (detergent, toilet cleaner, fabric softener, that kinda stuff.)

Gas and electric is on the cheaper side now (25-40 gas and electric idk about. My husband deals with both bills.) and we do have air conditioners in our windows, and as y’all know the air conditioning sucks out all our earnings in the summer. Once we paid 538 one month and we said never again!

My husband also got credit cards to build his credit and of course we have the monthly payment thing to do on that too. We hardly use them, only when we absolutely need it like when we’re out of $ to pay for groceries.
I think we should cancel these credit cards so we can save $ but again we hardly use them and we haven’t use the credit cards in a month or so.

I hardly buy clothing anymore these days since BH I have enough even tho it means wearing the same shirt and skirt every 2-3 days and my son BH has more than enough. Someone from our shul gave us pesach Yom tov money and insisted we spend it on clothing and food, so we brought stuff for the summer, but most went to pesach food and pesach house stuff. It was given to my husband so I’m not sure how much he got but based on the things we got for pesach (toaster oven, food processor, counter covers, random dishes, matzah, food etc) I assume he got a lot.

So basically I’m just wondering if we can afford to get a 2200 place without utilities. And if not what price should we be looking for. And also how much do frum drivers earn.

We don’t have wic and section 8 and all that stuff.
We currently pay 1600 a month for a tiny 2 bedroom apartment. Gas and electric and heat are separate

#1-sign up for food stamps and section 8
#2-can your husband get his cdl? (commercial driver's license?) Pays very well to drive for a school or even to sub for a driver and is a small investment-I only thought of it because u mentioned he might become a driver

PeanutMama

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 10:01 pm

Yes he wants to be a bus driver
His plan is
Be a car service driver serving heimish people, then work on getting a bus drivers license. I think he would have to train for that too. But first I would like him to get comfortable with driving around Brooklyn. His road test is this Friday iyH

amother

Lime

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 10:03 pm

I applied to WIC through yeled vyalda and there was no charge. Call up and ask what you should bring. They probably need your husband's last 3 pay stubs. They don't teach this stuff in school so you need to learn it asap, just ask a lot of questions and you'll catch on.

amother

Silver

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 10:06 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

Yes, You need proof of income. Pay stubs, or a letter from employer for whoever has an income

amother

Slateblue

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 10:09 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

didn't realize he doesn't yet have his regular license or experience driving. could take a while then