Oh D-D-Dear Dear!

I did another budget today. Usually when Karl complains about money, I assure him everything is fine and dandy, and oh by the way, he worries too much. But today I did a budget. Usually, I do a budget based on how low can we go, which doesn't make sense come to think about it.

Anyway, here is what we are looking at:
I bring home (after retirement, insurance taxes, etc) $1840 (yeah, I picked the wrong career field).
Karl is currently bringing home about $$1550. However, his could become lower due to the winter, and by next fall, it should drop about $730 or so, with an increase in medical bills.
Needless to say, if this drop does happen, we will be screwed. He would be making about 850-1000 take home, but over 300 of that would have to be paid out for medicine. That wouldn't include his doctor visits, or god forbid, hospitalization. Hopefully, he would still get some kind of help with insurance, but I don't count on anything.
Anyway, the budget.

Here is what I figured:
My expenses:
750  rent
220 utilities (on average)
240 gas (I drive 20+ miles one way to work)
130 cable
135 phones
55 hospital bills (this does not include the thousands I hope to pay off with income tax refund)
175 braces (a necessity for middle class america)
 80 Taryn's voice lessons
 77 Taryns tumbling/etc. classes
 50 clothes
 20 shoes
 25 crap for my classroom
 15 netflix
 80 babysitting (if I finish school this spring-karl works on the day I would have class)
500 food
160 Liam's health insurance (the older kids just can't get sick)
 75 savings
 50 Tierney's car insurance
100 misc.
----
2937 (remember I bring home about 1840) This includes NO recreational shopping, no ebay, no books, no eating out.

Karls:
150 paying off old credit cards
160 He pays all the car insurance, except Tierney's
125 necessities (this is a high estimate, probably)
100 gas
100 soda/misc.
-----
635
Karl also gives me about 600 a month.
This puts Karls expenses to 1235 a month. He is okay unless he loses his other income.

I am at 2937 -1830= 1107-600 (from Karl)=507   So I regularly fall 507 short, and that is IF I don't do extra shopping. No wonder I am so dependent on student loans.
I usually get about 300 in child support, but this doesn't always happen. Assuming it did, that would leave me with a deficit of 207.
This will obviously not work. I need a better plan. Of course, I am looking for better paying work, but in the meantime?
With my income tax refund, I plan to pay off as much of the hospital bills as possible. This would save at least 55 a month up to 250 if they are all put on timed payments.
I could cut out the cable. We would still need internet, and I would keep netflix (with the wii, it's great). This would save about 60.
I need to find cheaper insurance for Liam. If I could find something for 100, that would save 50.
After May, Taryn has to decide between voice and gymastics. Savings 70.

Save on energy. Turn off lights, control thermostat better, each person allowed only one LONG shower/bath a week (this might kill me). Others should be timed for 10 minutes or less.
I will hang my clothes to dry, and maybe the kids, eventually.  Savings 20.
Food. If I could shave 50 off the food budget, by making cheaper meals, that'd be great.
Total possible savings: $300
After May, I would not need extra babysitting for Liam, saving me 80 a month.

I would still fall short. I need a better paying job. I may also have to look for a kid or two to babysit this summer to play catch-up.
Selling on ebay?
Extra tutoring?
I would benefit from a car which uses less gas and/or a job closer to home.

Sigh.