Mother of four is stretched to the limit financially

Dear Liz: I am 40, the mother of four children and recently separated from an abusive husband. The children and I live in a $700-a-month rental home. My income after taxes and deductions is $738 biweekly. My husband earns too little to contribute to child support. I'm also in night school earning a degree in marketing. I'm trying to make ends meet by shopping thrift stores for furniture and clothes and buying store-brand groceries. But I seriously wonder whether I can make it. My biggest fear is that I'll worry about money so much that I have a heart attack and my husband gets custody of the children. I've never been on my own and I just want this to work.

Answer: Keep taking deep breaths and reminding yourself, "This too shall pass."

You're in a tough spot because you don't make much money and nearly half of what you take home goes for rent. Typically, you don't want to spend more than 30% of your gross income on shelter. You may be able to reduce housing costs by moving in with another single mom, or you may just have to tough it out until you get your degree and a better-paying job.

Given your low income, you may qualify for food stamps that could shave hundreds of dollars off your grocery bills. You'll find the Food Stamp Program home page at www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/. The page includes a link to an eligibility calculator that can help you determine whether you qualify.

You should check out food banks in your area as well. An abused women's shelter might be able to get you in touch with other resources, including clothing donations.

If any of your children are old enough, encourage them to look for part-time jobs that can help pay for some of their expenses. You don't want them working so much that it interferes with their schoolwork, but a few hours a week could help ease the burden on your family.

Finally, check out the thrifty-living resources available at your local library (anything by Mary Hunt or Amy Dacyczyn) or on the Web (the Dollar Stretcher at www.stretcher.com is a good start).

Notify creditors of relative's death

Dear Liz: Do I need to notify the credit bureaus about my relative's death so someone can't steal his identity? If so, how do I contact the credit bureaus? I tried to call one and could only get voice mail.

Answer: You don't need to contact the credit bureaus directly. If you're the executor of your relative's estate, you just need to tell his credit card issuers and any other creditors of his death. The creditors will notify the bureaus.