To Raise Or Not To Raise, Or....

Why The Fuck Doesn't The University Give Straight Answers?

I've probably mentioned it before, but my husband is a grad student at a University here in Chicago.  He gets a stipend to live on.  It isn't much, but with the help of the in-laws and my family, I can make it stretch (even though we have medical bills to pay every month that kills about a quarter of his check.....but that's another story).

Last month, we were floored by an unexpected bill from said University.  $240.  What the what?  Turns out it was for insurance for the summer or some bullshit excuse/reason.  Being that we're pretty much on the Death March when it comes to fundage, we asked the in-laws for help.  They helped, as usual, and all should be okay.  Then this month....

My husband's check went in at midnight last night.  I was surprised and pleased to see a $150 increase in the amount.  I started figuring out things, thinking how awesome this is, how much faster we could pay off stuff, how it won't hurt as much this month since the electricity bill was $94....you know, little things that made me happy.  Then I became cynical.

I remembered last September, and how the cost of living increase was applied.....and how it was eaten up (plus a little bit extra) by the increase in insurance.  I remembered all the times the University has fucked up checks and not explained things and sprung crap on us.  And I got depressed.  I badgered my husband to write emails to check this out, because something didn't feel right.  He wrote it yesterday and got a response today, which answered abso-fucking-lutely nothing and only raised more questions.  So I had him write another email to see if everything could be clarified.

Right now, I'm just sitting, waiting for answers again.  Honestly, these are not hard questions that were asked.  I essentially just want to make sure that we're not going to be fucked over by some bill that they neglect to mention.  I want to make sure that this increase is here to stay.  I want to make sure that everything will be fine, and we won't be hit with another decrease in the stipend.  Because, honestly, if it decreases and I'm unable to find work, we are royally fucked.

I love freaking out about money every day.