I know this isn’t the typical post on here but I would really appreciate some advice. Tonight was “unpack your backpack” at my kids' school tonight. I called a few days ago to ask if the school would help with supplies. I was told yes. Tonight we get there and it turns out they can’t get it until the first day of school. We left and I just started crying. Usually I hide it from my kids but the thought of them going to school on the first day, walking in with nothing, gutted me.
I was expecting help that didn’t come through and I’m hyperventilating.
I’m 41 years old and have been a single dad for 11 years. I have worked as a machinist in the same shop for 10 years. I work M-F, 5:30AM-3pm, I can’t get a different job because then I’d have to find childcare and it’s expensive.
So, how did I get to a spot where I only have $12 to my name?
-My 12 year old died and I had to use my entire savings for final expenses, she doesn't even have a headstone right now, a year later.
-The small savings I had to get my boys' school clothes/supplies/birthday present was stolen. I will never trust anyone with my money again. Everything went downhill from here, rapidly.
-My boys had their AAC tablets stolen and destroyed by my ex.
-I was hit by a drunk driver who had no insurance.
-My credit card was maxed out by my ex that resulted in my credit being frozen and accounts locked until an investigation is complete. I didn’t catch it until I received my monthly statement so it looks sketchy because I didn’t report it right away. I only have a venmo card.
Now I’ll list the things I’ve tried that haven’t worked out..
-Asking family if I can do some work in exchange for money. My family didn’t like how I grieved my daughters death and because I didn’t “reach out to console them”, no help.
-Food pantries. We have food allergies and severe dietary restrictions that make me look like a choosy beggar and I get a box of food we can’t eat.
-Loans, payday advances, or new credit cards until my credit is unfroze.
-Reaching out to my community. This is only my experience but nobody has sympathy for a guy struggling in my life. If I can’t make things happen, I’m not trying hard enough.
Finally here are my temporary solutions that I could use some feedback on…
-I’ve enrolled my kids into an afterschool program that I know they will hate but will give me 2 hours after work to do any side work/craigslist jobs. I just signed up for instacart and doordash but there is a wait so I will quite literally be pounding the pavement to find extra work daily.
-I won’t buy anything that isn’t on sale. No prepackaged foods, no sweets, no junk, no pop. I’m lucky to have some fruit trees and cucumbers that we eat as snacks. No streaming services either.
-I’ve changed my phone plan to a cheaper, bare bones prepaid plan.
The only positive thing I have to look forward to is I’m 3 months away from having my house paid off which I never thought I’d ever say. That will clear up a huge chunk in my budget and I'm looking forward to it. I need to survive until then. I only get paid once a month so this paycheck to paycheck living isn’t working. Gas, inflation, grocery prices have not helped stretch what I used to be able to. I’ve never felt so helpless and this stress is suffocating.
TL;DR: Are there any legit work from home jobs that aren’t scams? Am I not doing something I should be financially? I can’t pull money out of thin air so I would really appreciate tips/advice/words of encouragement?
Submitted August 02, 2022 at 11:35PM by throwaway-the-hair https://ift.tt/ZWdVpYk
