Is it OK to do that?

[Thrifty Ray]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

IMO, structuring your work hours so that you can receive something that you do not qualify for has nothing to do with pride...but has much to do with selfishness.

If you think about it...WIC was created to help folks afford essentials who could not make it otherwise.

In your case, you can make it and you are to be applauded for stretching the dollar as well as you do.....but just up to the point where you are structuring to take something that you do not qualify for.

You have asked for opinions...and in mine, you should be happy with how well you are providing for your family and leave the WIC for the next person who needs/qualifies for the assistance to make it month to month.

[getforfree]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

You're obviously a tough, hard worker, so whatever you do for now, you should have a fine future. Perhaps, if you do find it too disturbing to follow through on your proposal, you could work out something else with your employer where you get some other benefit which wouldn't disqualify you for WIC right now??
After all, I think WIC only lasts until a child is 5??

Thats why I chose a giftcard instead of extra 15 bonus added to my paycheck.
My kids are 1yr and3yr old, so its long time to go before they will turn 5. Plus, by that time my youngest won't be in diapers any more, thats for sure. It costs like $25/month even though I usually buy store brand when its on sale.

[TBH]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

For me, choosing not to apply for benefits to which I was eligible was a choice I made because I had enough for not only my needs but some wants. If I need assitance it is not necessarily my pride that will stop me; it will be the question of whether I have a need I can not meet myself.

Well said, lrjohnson. I think our views are pretty similar. While I wouldn't take public aid if I really didn't need it, I would probably take it if I could just barely squeak by without it. I might take it before you did in similar circumstances, but I think we'd go through similar thought processes in making the decision.

[stngymama]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

Thats why I chose a giftcard instead of extra 15 bonus added to my paycheck.
My kids are 1yr and3yr old, so its long time to go before they will turn 5..........

Well done with the gift certificate! People ask for in kind pay all the time because of the ripple effect of marginal increases in salary. You have 4 years (actually in 2 years, it may not be worth the bother): I'd plan a 4 year strategy then! If you continue to do well at your job, you will get more pay raises, which with your proposed strategy will create an even greater issue. Absences are a big no no when it comes to promotions!
I'd try negotiate and come up with an alternative plan with your employer until you would reach that magic cut-off where you're making enough to not worry about WIC, maybe pass on the salary raise for the in kind bonuses for another year and then ask for a bigger pay raise??? Also reexamine your other goals within a 4 year plan; maybe you don't want to move until it's time for both kids to be in school ('course it may take that long to save up ), It'll give you time to check out school districts. AGAIN, advice anyone should think about: refi to interest only if you're going to be in your home for less than 5 years or so. It won't cost you anything up front, you still have the interest write off and you can use that $ better by socking it away in a tax exempt investment vehicle.
It all depends on how flexible your employer is; maybe, just maybe, they'll be shamed into giving you a decent salary?????

[TBH]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

I would argue against foregoing the raise, and I would argue againts refinancing to interest only. Seems like you'd be shooting yourself in the foot either way. What if you can't move after all and get stuck with horrible rate hikes on your loan? What if your boss says s/he'll give you a bigger raise next year, but then business is bad next year or you fall out of the limelight a little and the boss says "oh, did I say that?"

Maybe you should tell your boss that the raise, while much appreciated, puts you out of the WIC range, so you're actually losing money. Ask if you you could have another percentage point increase to help you through this transitional time.

I would, if anything, ask for more money, not turn down the raise. And gift cards instead of a raise sound risky to me too. What if the gift cards stop coming? A raise can't be retracted as easily as in-kind payments, or a mere promise of future raises.

[stngymama]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

....Maybe you should tell your boss that the raise, while much appreciated, puts you out of the WIC range, so you're actually losing money. Ask if you you could have another percentage point increase to help you through this transitional time.......

Probably the best single strategy!
The rest I suggest would obviously depend on job stability, your health, risk tolerance, predictability of the future, etc. Each family should decide what works for them.
Ultimately my advice would be simply think "outside the box", think long term (in this case WIC is totally gone in 4 years, the job hopfully won't be), look at all options, and be OK with the plan you and your dh decide upon.

[getforfree]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

Thanks for all your suggestions.
I already accepted the raise, I never thought of refusing it.

The giftcard thing is not a raise, its just an appresiation that one person gets every month (whoever scores the best performance). I won it this time, I might not win it next time, it is just one-time thing. I asked my coworker who won it the last time and she chose it to go to her paycheck, if she had to pay tax on it, she said yes, but she was not planning to buy something with those extra few dollars, she will add it to her cc payment, to pay it off faster. That bonus is just to motivate people to work harder.

I took this job because thats what was available for the night time, and I chose the one where I make more per hour. The more I make per hour, the less hours I would have to work to make the same amount of money. I don't plan to keep this job forever. Maybe untill my kids will go to school, I will get a ft job that pays more. When both kids will be in school, I won't need a babysitter, and me and dh can both have ft jobs. Then we'll deffinately won't qualify for anything. I think when I will get enough experience and will be confident that I can sell anything to anybody for the highest price possible, I might open my own business.

It's easier to be either poor or rich, but not in the middle, and untill you are ready to jump from one to the other, don't get in the middle, where you have to pay for everything yourself, and don't have enough money to pay it.

I don't want to switch fo interest-only payment on the house. Refinancing woul cost money, not out of pocket right away, but will be added to my loan, so it still costs money. Thats same like havin cc debt and paying minimum payment only every month. Plus interest-only plan is usually with flexible rate, and rates are going up now. My mortgage is about $190,000 that I have to pay off, plus pay lots of interest on it.

[stngymama]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

...It's easier to be either poor or rich, but not in the middle, and untill you are ready to jump from one to the other, don't get in the middle, where you have to pay for everything yourself, and don't have enough money to pay it........

Well scrap most my suggestions ! You've obviously covered all those bases!
What you say above is soooo true! I remember many similar conundrums when my kids were younger, including not qualifying for state supported childcare, yet by the time I paid for childcare, I had less take home than those who had qualified!
Whatever happened to the idea of support services on a sliding scale, so that those on the way up financially still have some support?

Congratulations on your raise!

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

Just an odd thought..what if you sold some of those toys you are storing, might cover some food (or more)

Nother odd thought, try pting your kid, then you can be done with the diapers..

[getforfree]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

I don't realy want to sell any toys, because we need them all. When my kids will get tired of the ones that are in the house, I will take those to the shed, and bring the ones from there. And I always switch it around, (like once a moth or so). That way they always have new toys and I don't have to buy the new ones. The only exceptions, I just bought a few books for my 3yr old, for like 10c each, they normally would cost at least $2, or some maybe $1 if they would be in the dollar store; and a ball so we could play in the backyard. But I would go thru the toys and maybe sell some that they don't really like. Maybe I would make like $10 or so. I thought about selling their baby stuff, but why knows I might have more kids, I am still young.

I am trying pottytraing my dd. She just turned 1. She knows where the bathroom is and what people are suppose to do in there, but whenever she decides to go there, most of the times is too late. And whenever I put her there, she doesn't want to do it that time, and she doesn't want to sit there more than 5 min. Whenever we are outside, she runs without diaper, and if she would wet her pants, I just change the pants. Its much cheaper to wash the pants than change a diaper.

We tried clothes diapers before, didin't work for us. They would leak, and I would have to change her like every 30-40 min, and if she would wet it while taking nap, she would wake up right away. So all I was doing is changing her, then we would run out of clothes diapers and use disposable. When I was using clothes diapers, I not only had to do my laundry every day, but had twice more laundry to do then normally. That was a pain.

Now, whenever I ask her if she wants to go potty, she says yes, and when I take her there, she doesn't do it, sits there a couple minutes, and when we go back to play, a few minutes later she would wet her pants. I think she is not old enough to understand when is the time to go.

[Snoopy2645]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

Well it sounds like you are questioning the choice so IMO that means you do know its not really right. If I were you I would hold my head up high & know that you are making it without the help of the gov. something most people dont care to do anymore. And since your youngest is 1 you dont need the formula anymore you wont be spending as much on groceries cause of that. And look around for coupons or go online & trade for them. You are doing something that hopefully will rub off. I am not saying you are taking advantage of a system cause thier are so many people who get everything paid for & wont work & get free college degrees to bad most dont use them. I in no way think just taking wic is a bad thing but if you can make it without try & be proud you dont need it you can do this on your own.

[getforfree]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

Well, I could be proud of what I have with such a low income, some people are making a few times more and are loaded with cc debt.

How can I be proud of not taking something to save $$?

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

On pting your 1 year old...Actually she is a bit old... or young, depending on how you look at it.

My youngest is 6 months, he pees on demand, but has no way of asking, and very little ability to hold it. so we just take him when the older ones go, since he likes the self pride of being able to pee when we go, he tries to hold it, and occassionally succeds (yesterday he used 3 diapers, and a potty 6 times)

For a one year old, they are so used to ignoring the pee they have to unlearn what they learned. but it can work, patience of course is easier to recomend than to have! (I used to find excuses to stay in the bathroom, like brushing teeth, or clipping nails, then at least I saw him pee, and could point it out-my oldest, my DD and youngest got to learn as infants while I ECed)

On toys, do you have buliding blocks? I have never met a kid who bored of them! (duplos, or legos)

[frugalfarmwife]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

Well, I could be proud of what I have with such a low income, some people are making a few times more and are loaded with cc debt.

How can I be proud of not taking something to save $$?

You could be proud of making it on your own, not taking that which is meant for those that would go without if they didn't have it. You obviously have a great handle on your finances and a good job with a good future, but you could maybe use a bit of humility to realize that there are those that need it more.

I see programs such as WIC as a temporary stepping stone for those trying to better themselves, not as a right because someone has a child.

And yep, I'm a bit of a disgruntled taxpayer thats seen way to many suck off the system, yes, people that I know personally that make a living out of having kids and figuring out just how much they can get out of the Gov't for it.

Nothing personal, just my view, if you can do for yourself be proud of it and continue to better yourself and be proud of it.
kj

[poundwise]

Re: Is it OK to do that?

No, it's not ethical to take a day off and not work so as to qualify for government assistance. Choosing not to work so that you can get aid is taking advantage off the system.

Stop sending extra to your mortgage, take your raise and adjust your budget accordingly.

In my view, this is the best, most concise answer to the initial question.