COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do?, store manager here

I just got my COBRA paperwork and the deadline to decide is close. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. My old employer will not help with the premium. Did anyone switch mid-year?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 4 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.