Growing on Trees

Ever wonder why money doesn't really grow on trees?  It always seems that there's more bills than what you bring in.  Why is that??

Oh, I know!!!  The economy!!  Wait, is that right!?!?!  I'm not sure I believe that fully, myself.

I look at myself and wonder how I got where I am now.  I used to work for a prominent health insurance company making good money.  My bills were on time, etc...  Then after almost 3 years, they decided to do "massive lay-offs" and I was one of the **lucky** ones laid-off.  It took me from November 2009 until April 2011 to find a new job.  That's a LONG time.  In the meantime, my pay got cut by 50%!!  So, it came down to "do I pay the water bill" or "do I pay the mortgage?"  Then before I knew it, we were behind on everything.  Now I have a job, but we can't seem to get ahead.

Oh wait, again, I know why!!!!  My (soon-to-be) ex-husband has decided to reside in "our" home and NOT pay to live there.  So he's using the utilities (water, electric, gas, etc...) and eating the food that I buy, BUT not paying a dime.  **CORRECTION** The only thing he's paying for is my health insurace, because legally he CANNOT kick me off of it until we're officially divorced, but in return I'm paying for the car insurance!

He wants $2,000 out of the monies he took out of his 401K back in February/March.  Ugh, that money was used to get us caught up on bills, but once we got caught up, we got behind because I wasn't working, etc....  And we're right back where we started, but this time all of the financial responsibility falls solely on ME!  My jobs doesn't pay me THAT well!!  I make 65% of what I made when I worked for the health insurance company.

How do you make someone understand this when they have no concept of money?!?  Especially when they think $500 is like $5000?!

Bankruptcy is the "best" option, but there's no gurantee it'll help, because in order for me to keep the house once the divorce is finalized, I have to refinance the house in my name.  NO ONE is going to refinance the house in my name with bankruptcy overhead!!!  Sure, some say "Just get rid of the house and move on."  It's easy to say that, but the house was purchased with monies MY grandfather left me.  The house was also repaired with the monies MY grandfather left me.  My father, my mother, and I put all kinds of work into the house, as well as my cousin's boyfriend.  My (soon-to-be) ex-husband painted one room and his family is/was non-existant!  It's almost like the house has a sentimental value to me.  Weird to say about a house I've only lived in for 3 years.  Hmph.....  (BTW, his excuse for not helping was because he had to work, although, so did my mother, my father, and I.  Funny how that goes!  Only his work was important and I made more money!)

It just seems like I'm getting nowhere and I wished money grew on trees!