The AMA starts in one hour, at 3pm PST, 5pm EST. In the words of u/sleepyparrot17
My parents were atrocious with money. As in, they inherited a house, sold it, and blew almost all of 400k in a few years. As in, we lived on a campsite for a year, in a tent, as a family of 5, when my baby sister was still around 5-6. As in, they used to go through my bags and take my money that I, at 14-16, made selling crafty stuff. Anyone who knows me already knows who I am from those 3 lines. :P
The money issues were not the only ones, so I left home at 16 and was helped by a youth homelessness project. Although I was legally homeless, I never slept rough, though I did spend a couple of nights on the bare floor of a bare flat that was full of paint fumes. At the time I was on welfare, sitting A-levels, and working bit jobs to make up odds. My total income was around £8k/y, of which 4k went on housing, but I still saved 2k after living expenses were done.
Then, though the only year of uni I did, I carried on the bit jobs and got a living assistance/maintenance grant. Realized I made more by the hour on tutoring than I would in a graduate job and dropped out of my degree.
I was off government support and establishing an actual registered business at 19. Paid my last debts (£400 owed to child benefit from when I was looking after my little sister) at 20.
Fast forward five years and I'm 24, financially stable as a self-employed writer and translator, debt free, with £13k in the bank and £6k in shares, married, with a kid that got to 15 months costing me under £1200.
So not a "rags to riches" so much as a "rags to nice rags" story. But I've been through loads of situations, seen loads of the most dangerous financial traps, and come out on top without resorting to surviving off forage or weaving my own clothing fabric.
So AMA about being a "welfare brat" and the path I took out of it. I just want to help whoever I can with my experiences and tips.
Come on over to r/povertyfinance and check it out!
April 01, 2018 at 05:06PM
