Basically, my girlfriend [21f] and I [27m] are living together trying to figure out what to do with our lives while also trying to navigate an awful situation, trying to find an apartment, just life I guess. It seems every time something goes right, many more things go wrong. I'm just going to lay it all out in no particular order because I don't know where to start.
I have a genetic condition that essentially makes me feel like I have the flu 24/7 and also sort of brain dead (with a ton of other issues that are in no way relevant to my ability to work so I won't include them), and it's become considerably worse in the past year. There are treatments but they are expensive. I need better insurance. My doctor has told me as soon as I start getting treated my brain and body will both get better. I was just diagnosed with this about three weeks ago but I've had symptoms for maybe four years now.
My girlfriend is physically disabled and cannot stand or walk for more than maybe an hour. I usually refer to her as 'the brains of the operation' because next to her I feel like some kinda caveman. She has not graduated high school because she isn't really booksmart, more streetsmart I guess. I'm the opposite. I have a bachelors degree in game design and I got pretty good grades in school but most people I talk to think I'm on drugs or just fucking awkward. She's been trying to find work but it's hard because no one wants to hire someone who can only work 4 hour shifts and can't stand or walk, but she's willing to work from home. So far when people hear "work from home" they send us to MTURK but you can't make a living on there, just beer money. I'm really good at remote tech support over the phone but I guess there's not much of a market for that unless you're operating out of a physical location.
For the past two years I've worked in a mechanical shop for $14/hr (no benefits), Since finding out I have this genetic condition my head has been swimming in stress, and at work I made a series of errors that could have hurt someone pretty badly so I'm being fired soon, unless I avoid that by quitting now. I've explained the situation but the mistakes I made were pretty serious and not really things that can be explained away easily. Right now "HR is reviewing my case" which I'm told is code for "you're toast". I'm considering just quitting so I don't get that black mark on my resume.
I've been looking for other jobs and I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to find anything that pays $14, though I did find a grocery job that pays $10/hr and has 100% health, vision, dental, and life insurance benefits, and a 401k. I think my folks would straight up kill me if they ever found out I was making minimum wage at some grocery store after getting my bachelors degree though. I've been applying to jobs that involve some degree if experience, but I'm wondering if I should just take any job. When I first graduated from college I wouldn't have even taken the job I have now, but now I feel like I'm pushed into a corner here.
My girlfriend and I don't have any serious moneymaking talents. I make my own clothing and designs but that's a really niche market and I've found I can make maybe $500/month doing that if I work on it 20+ hours a week, which is great when you're in college and not so great when you're trying to live. My girlfriend has tried tupperware parties and Scentsy and a bunch of stuff like that and she always makes barely enough to pay rent but never enough to save anything.
I'm curious as to what other people in our situation have done.
Submitted April 01, 2017 at 09:39PM by _SPACE_WITCH_ http://ift.tt/2nvkD7Q
