Girlfriend getting kicked out..kinda scared.

So i am kinda starting to get worried =/ Here is the story:
My girlfriend and her family have always had problems since her "stepdad" (the guy her mom has been dating since she was like 8..she is now 19) is a drug addict who apparently can't even get a job and therefor is nothing but trouble. Well he was in jail for 3 years and got released about 3 month ago (her mom visited him every weekend in jail) and it started trouble right away.

He couldnt stay away from drugs which effected the family and it only got worse while her mom was critically sick and almost died. While this happened it got so bad that she and her brother had to stay at my parents house for 2 nights and i almost swung at him since he now tried to get me (wouldn't have ended good for him if he would've followed me to the car since i got my handgun in there). Well her mom got better and kicked him out after this scary night which was a great relief to all of us.

For about a month everything was fine till today when her 14 year old scared brother talked to my girlfriend and told her that her mom is having him over while she is at work so she won't find out..also she has been making comments that look a lot like she is trying to kick her out of the house (has to buy own food..start looking for apartments etc.)

Well i can't put her through all of this again so she needs to leave that house meaning that me and her are going to look for a apartment =/ It's just a little scary since i don't have a fulltime job yet (i work around 28 hours a week) and we are both attending college right now.
I am just freaking out since the living cost are pretty high here and i don't know if we will be able to handle it with our budget..(the lowest rent that you can get here is $650 for a really shitty 1bed room no utilities)

 

That really sucks. Does your girlfriend work? If she does, you both should probably be able to make the rent. Good luck!

 

Yeah she just got promoted to manager which is now a full time position

 

yea thats a really tough situation and i think youre being very noble so yea i think you both need to work and i dont know look for the best place you can find

 

No matter what happens, I wish good luck to you guys!

 

Yeah well, you're both at that age where you get little sympathy for having to take care of yourself. Many have done it. Many continue to do it. Many will do it. It's far from impossible...

There are 2 of you. That equates to 325 a month for each of you on rent. I'm pretty sure you could do it even making minimal wage.

 

Before making any rash decisions you need to sit down with her and develop a plan.

Here a couple suggestions:

If she can manage to stay with her mom and save some money for at least a couple months it would really help. Yeah, her situation sucks, but so does jumping into a situation you are not prepared for.

She can talk to her mom and tell her that while she wants to move out she needs to save money to do so. Bring up knowing about the boyfriend coming over. Maybe she can tell her mom "look, I know he comes over. I am not asking you to stop seeing him, but will you at least give me 3 months to save enough to move." During that time she can be gone as much as possible, and both of you can check into full time jobs. While working full time and going to college may not sound appealing you and your girlfriend have to do whatever it takes to support yourselves.

Because she is 19 and mommy can legally toss her out on a moments notice, I would suggest diplomacy and tact on both your parts. If being nice to her mom will allow your girlfriend to keep a roof over her head until you have money, that is what you do. I understand the boyfriend (stepdad whatever he is) is a prick, but if she has put up with it since she was 8 a couple more months should be a breeze.

During the "saving" period look on Craigslist or other sites and find free and cheap furnishings for your home. You can even post a "just starting out please help" ad and maybe someone can help out. I know I have furnished several homes for friends and family. Speaking of which, ask if they have anything they want to get rid of. You would be amazed how many people will offload some great stuff to you. It's also a great place to find housing. Post an ad "nice couple looking for cheap studio or apartment" and see if you get any nibbles. You can ask one of your profs to be a reference to show you are responsible with your studies etc.

Do either of you qualify for financial aid? Next term you may want to check with the financial aid office at your college and see if they can help. Does your college offer housing?

Sit down together and plan a budget. Ask your parents what they pay for utilities and groceries. You know how you live, so you can adjust the amounts as needed.

A basic breakdown of your bills should look something like this:
Rent $650
Electric $100
Gas (if you have natural gas) $ 50
Phone $50
Food $200
--------
Total $ 1050

That figure does not include internet, cable tv, or any extras like credit cards car payment or insurance, and so forth.

If you figure out a budget you will know how much money you and your girlfriend will need to be bringing into your home. Remember weather affects electric and gas prices, so take that into account in your budget.

Another option is to move to a neighboring city or town if the rent prices are cheaper. You would need to save at least $100 a month to make a commute worth it, or be paying $650 for a decent place to live. Scan the local papers, and see what prices are.

Sorry things are so lousy for your girlfriend, but hopefully she can bide her time and you will be able to move in together in a more stable situation. If for some reason she can't stay with her mom, I suggest that she rent a room in someones house. Usually a room can be found for $400 +/- until you save up the money you will need to get a place. For a $650 rental figure you need a minimund of $1300 to move in PLUS deposits for utilities and money to set up house (so around $2000 is a good start).

 

oh man thats terrible cant she live with you while you two save up? and what about her little brother man?