How did you get by w/o working?

[thermophile 0]

How are you intending to meet the 125% above poverty requirements to get his visa in the first place?

many of us have co-sponsors to meet the requirements. that doesn't mean that we expect those wonderful people to actually support us. I know that it's un-american to not have tons of money and we don't really deserve to marry our loves but what can you do, we just keep expecting to be treated like proper citizens anyway.

[Texanadian 10]

Worked like a dog before leaving Canada. Paid off all debts before crossing the border.

Cashed in all my RRSP's before I left Canada. The tax rate in BC for me was lower than the non-resident fee I would have payed in the US if I did it later.

Stay at home once you get to the USA. Try not to drive when you don't need to. Eat at home.

Cancel unnecessary things. Cell phones, top of the line TV package, don't buy new clothes. It's still not easy waiting for the EAD, but you do what you gotta do to scrape by.

Take up walking as an activity. Gets you out of the "stuck inside all day" mind problem. Good exercise.

[Caladan 19]

How are you intending to meet the 125% above poverty requirements to get his visa in the first place?

Meeting the 125% above poverty requirements just means having a sponsor willing to sign a form. It doesn't say anything about your daily living expenses, which might come out of your own pocket.

[Goldylocks 0]

I am selling my house (which I should make a good chunk of change on because I bought before things went completely nuts with the housing market in Edmonton) plus I still have some money I took out from remortgaging my house that was going to get used on renos but now that I'm moving there's not much point in going all out on that. Plus my fiance makes good money as well so I'm not terribly worried.

[Delicia 1]

My husband and I live separately and we are both working while we wait out the the IR-1/CR-1 route. We decided that was the only way to go without going insane from poverty. Yeah, it definitely sucks living apart, but the alternative for us (to live together and have only 1 working) was a failed experiment when I tried that by moving to Canada. The upside is, we will have more than enough just in our savings account to satisfy the financial requirements and my salary on the U.S. side will just be bonus.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Work, who wants to work!! I can wait till I finish school in may 2009,lol

[kimmbo 0]

I know were a bit different because we live together in Canada and are moving together...for the last year my entire income has been going to savings and weve been living off my husbands income alone.. I know not everyone has that option heres some other things that weve done to save:

we stopped going to Blockbuster EVERY weekend (with the exception of renting Big Love Season 2 this weekend! and we each get a "New Release" on pay weeks only, got WAITRESS last week and I highly recommend it, loved it!) we also get free movies from the Library

I often write letters to the manufacturers of the products that we use alot of in our house and let them know how much we like their products and ask for coupons..often they will send you more than 1 coupon and even coupons for FREE products...(coupons just dont seem to be used as much in Canada as they are in the US, Ive never seen any stores in Canada that double the coupons..I miss that!)

cook at home, much cheaper than eating out...I make alot of stews, chilis, soups so that I can freeze them for ready to go dinners or lunches... and we also buy most of our meats from Costco in bulk and divide it up at home..

we save our water bottles and re-fill them

my husband hates change, so he always throws his pennies, nickels, dimes, in a jar...last time I cashed in the change we had almost $35...and the jar is getting full again..

dont know if any of these suggestions will help you or not... I wish you the best of luck with the process

[MichelleMcK 0]

How are you intending to meet the 125% above poverty requirements to get his visa in the first place?

Well, I have been talking to my sister (who is an attorney) or my parents, who both make a decent sum of money. We are also planning on living with one of them... and trying to save money, but I am still stressing that we may not be able to get by.

My fiance says that he can cash his stocks (a little over 4 grand), but I'm just nervous...

[HannahP 119]

My question wasn't meant to be malicious. Just thinking that you have to get over one hurdle before you approach the next.

I had to take a semester off of university and work (&live with my mom) to save up money. My boy graduated from university, went back to Canada, and also lived with his family and worked full-time to save up money while our petition was going through. (Went through Vancouver so we didn't have to wait 93084309843 million years for an interview.) We probably had about $5,000 in combined assets when he came down. Plus, another $2,000 in wedding gifts from both of our parents.

That money, combined with my part-time job at Wal Mart, probably would have been enough in more experienced hands. But we were (are) both young and inexperienced with budgeting and being completely financially independent from our parents. Yes, we planned out a budget beforehand. It just didn't work and our spending tended to rise in unison with our funds.

I ended up having to make the switch to a part-time student, full-time worker at Wal Mart. (I'm now on the six year college plan, I think? Arrgggh.)

[DavidsPrincess 1]

hah, I'm in the exact same situation Hannah. I work part time at Wal Mart here in the US...I haven't really been able to save any money though (I eat out way too much). He is working as a Physical Therapist Assistant in Edmonton right now and saving all he can, so when he comes down he should have around 6k saved and me still working (like 650 a month )...we are going to get a cheap apartment (around 350/month..I live in a small town ) and try to get by on the savings and my paycheck until the EAD comes through. I'm pretty optimistic about it, I'll just have to get used to cooking more than eating fast food

Only thing I'm really worried about is that he has to go through licensing exams + apps. for being a PTA. So much red tape just for him to be with me!

Good thing is, my parents are paying for the wedding so I get to have a nice semi-big wedding. And according to them we should get a good amount of money as gifts from the wedding.

I'm using my dad as a co-sponsor.