Last night Eric got hired on as a regular employee, instead of just a "seasonal temp," which is what he's been since April. What that means for us is that here in a few months he'll be eligible to start receiving benefits at work, provided he's working at least 30 hours a week.
That's a great step for our family, because his work has an insurance policy they offer with Blue Cross Blue Shield that's only $200 a month for the family. So we've got a viable option for health insurance on the horizon! Hooray!
Sorry for the bubbly excitement--this feels like a huge break for us in meeting our goal of getting off welfare in six months. Where before we were facing some pretty expensive options for coverage, now we're looking at a very reasonable amount that shouldn't break the bank. Add to that the happy fact that we only need to hold that coverage for a little over a year before Eric commissions and we get on Tricare, and you've got a recipe for some very doable budgeting!
While we're on the subject, I just wanted to say that the U.S. military has some great career options for broke people. Eric is going the officer route in the Air Force, because for him that's the branch that best fits his personality. His brother, however, has spent six years enlisted in the Army as a combat medic, and is equally satisfied with his job. I think both boys are planning to make a twenty-year career out of it.
In case you've never heard the military pitch, it's a pretty great way to get started, especially now when the recession makes finding a job right after graduation difficult. You get help paying for school and, in exchange, you have four years of guaranteed work after you graduate. While serving, you receive a decent amount of pay, plus you get perks like awesome health insurance, housing (or a housing allowance), and bonuses for things like being away from your family. In the Air Force at least, you can also get a generous bonus just for speaking another language, around $600 a month. If you speak two foreign languages you can be eligible to receive $1200.
Sure, the outright pay isn't amazing compared to the civilian world, but if you use the military to graduate without student loans and then gain valuable work experience before entering the regular work force, that can be a good deal. Or, if you find that you love it, the retirement plan is nothing short of awesome.
Of course, there are also a bunch of depressing drawbacks, but I don't want to get into those. My point isn't that the military is the absolute best choice for every person on the planet; rather, that it's a solid option for people looking to get themselves out of the hole.
But we've got plenty of time to delve into that further; after all, right now our biggest concern is getting off of welfare.
One thing at a time.
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