We were so excited when my fiance got a new job a couple of weeks ago. Finally, we thought we had a way out. We would continue living off of my pay, and funnel most of his towards paying down the debt.

He was happier than I've seen him in a while. He stopped worrying and seemed to actually feel confident about himself. Before this, it had been nine months since he'd worked last, and he's taking it personally at this point.

He'd never worked retail before, so the store had him just stocking items, folding clothes, etc. They told him to make sure anyone needing help was helped. A guy came to him about trying on a pair of $80 shoes, which C grabbed him from the back before turning to deal with the next customer.

You see where this is going, don't you.

Guy stole the shoes.

The store manager didn't penalize him the day it happened, but she called a couple days after to let him go.

This sucks. It really, really sucks. Doing the math, I don't know how long we can keep going on just my income. We cut off our cable today, lowered our internet speed, and I've found a cheaper place to park for work. But we can't cut back much further.

It's hard to focus on anything else. All I can do is think about how much more readily employable I am (background in customer- and food-service vs his factory experience) and it makes me wish I could take on a second job until he finds something. But with the irregular shifts I work at my job now, I don't think I could find anyplace willing to accommodate me.

Things are getting a little panicked. Thankfully, though, we are pulling together, and it's reinforcing how lucky I am to have him.

Sorry to be a burden, I just needed to vent. He's submitting more resumes online as we speak.