True story - that's my wallet. Yes, that is what it looks like 99% of the time. No cash, no credit cards, no bank cards. Only one prepaid debit card for my Paypal account.
Once upon a time, I lived the good life. Two income family, nice home in a gated community. Two kids, two dogs, two cats, three cars. Yep, been there, done that. Turns out money isn't everything.
As we all know, nothing is forever. And shit happens. As a result of getting involved with the wrong people, I spent a few years as a resident of the state in a not so hotel-ish facility. Then came the divorce. He let the house go to foreclosure. Took my truck. And it was time to start all over again.
Now this is not about having a self pity party or putting the blame for my situation on anyone else. I'm a big girl. When I got home, I was fortunate enough to have family that helped me get a place to live and a car. I also had a full time job up until last November. That's when it all started. Again. Between me and my boyfriend, I was the one with a car and drivers license. The car kept breaking down but we managed. In October I had to have surgery. The whole ordeal put me out of commission for over a month. I couldn't work and I couldn't get him to work. We were employed at the same place...30 miles from home. No public transportation, no one nearby to car pool. We had to make a decision and he started looking for work closer to home. And found it. But with my record, I wasn't so lucky. Then one day the car died. And I mean $600 plus worth of work dead. In the middle of the road. Long story short, between the tow and storage bill ( I couldn't move it out of the parking lot it got pushed to, so the company towed it), the needed repairs and the title loan on it, I couldn't afford to get my car back and put it on the road.
I started my own home based business in February, wish there were more orders. I'm working on it. But in the meantime, I lost my fancy phone, cable, wifi, and water. Yes, they shut the water off. It drips enough to fill gallon jugs and flush toilets, but otherwise...its like camping. I've fought to keep the electric on and made other adjustments.
I still work from home and my boyfriend just started a new job. Sometimes there are arguments, but we always look at each other realize its because of money and apologize. Things will get better but in the meantime, I've learned a few things.
·The library is a great resource. Free movies to rent and ours will bring them in from other libraries in the county for you.
·When in doubt, ask for help and suggestions. Local chat groups can be a wealth of information.
·Food pantries are invaluable when the fridge is bare. Most are one time a month, so schedule accordingly.
·When using public transportation, especially in counties such as mine, the hours are horrible. Plan a day out and get everything done for the week if you can. I make a list and plot it on the route maps to make sure I don't have to backtrack.
·A monthly bus pass is typically worth the money. For me its cheaper than buting daily passes each time I go out
·Eating out, while nice, is a rip-off. I can stock the fridge for what a dinner for four at a restaurant costs. Even fast food is fattening and not worth the money.
·Coupons and sales flyers. Check for them, use them! This includes apps for grocery stores. You'll be surprised how much your food bill comes down.
·Don't overuse air conditioning and heat. These are huge parts of the electric bill. I haven't had AC since last August. My bills this summer have been around $60. I live in the south. Fans are a must!
·Cold showers and baths are actually refreshing in the summer. When doing life camping style as we are, heat some water in the microwave if you want a hot bath.
·There is nothing wrong with second-hand. I've found great stuff at thrift stores. I can't even justify buying clothes at full price anymore. And with a baby on the way, I will absolutely be bargain shopping for almost everything (except the car seat). Local buy/sell groups are also a good way to find baby clothes and gear at a discount.
Most importantly, I've learned to distinguish between wants and needs. A lot of what I used to think was a need was really a want. When you're scraping money together for bus fare to doctor appointments and cat food ( we had them before the downfall), things like renting movies and soda aren't at the top of the list anymore.
I'm not saying everyone should go through a rough patch in their life just to see what its like, but through the kindness of others we've been fortunate to have made it this far. Everyday we say, its only up from here. If we can make it through this, we can make it through anything. But having a car would make it a little easier.
#money #journey #motivational #life-story #lifestyle #me #writing #aboutmylife #survival #tipsonhowtolivepoor
Thanks for the reminders on saving money, very good tips!!
I know the feeling and to make matters worse when you have a payment that bounces and you owe a fee when you have no money. :'(
A situation I'm quite familiar with as well!
Well I wish you success on this platform. Hopefully you accumulate enough steempower for a nice weekly income to take care of your family. I'll also keep the tips in mind. :)
sorry to hear life has been so tough for you lately. I truly hope this is the site to start turning things around for you both.
Very well put. Things do get better with the home base business it takes time to build that sadly I know this all too well too.