last Thursday I lost my

[Silver]

[Mod's note: This is a post from another forum being shared here.]

" Just lost my job. $500 in savings, cancelling my wedding and everything else. Help? Advice? (xpost from Frugal) (self.personalfinance)

submitted an hour ago by lilappleblossom

last Thursday I lost my job. The highest paying job I've ever had with actual benefits.

I need help. Now living off the single income of my fiance's $10/hr job.

 I'm going to outline my expenses as best I can to see if I can get any advice on what to do.

Rent: $400/month
Loan payment: $346/month
Electricity: $100/month (May go down now that the weather is cooling off)
Car insurance: $120/month
Water/trash: $40/month
Internet: $55/month

Credit card payment: $180/month
(we're trying to lower it by moving our credit to another card with a lower interest rate through our bank)
Income: Approx $1200/month until I can find a job

Savings: $528 (was originally for the wedding, losing a $200 deposit on it but there's no way we can have it now.
 We were already having trouble saving enough anyway.)
This isn't counting things like groceries or gas,
 I've already applied for foodstamps and unemployment.
 And I'm selling everything that isn't bolted down, pretty much.
Please, any help or advice you can give I would greatly appreciate. I'm so scared. "

Even if rent was $ 300 / mo would U do it ?

If I lost my job I'm seriously thinkin travelling to Santa Cruz , Cali or
Reno , Wash , Colorado.

There's so much of the world I havent seen !

Tired of working 40 + hrs / week making the man rich.

Just do it ?  How did U full timers initially hit the road?

I help out my parents with cleaning the house & chores ,
landscaping , security guard , food shopping ocasionally etc.

 

[GotSmart]

This is the same advice I have given my kids over and over.

Find a job, any job. Save as much as possible.  Once you have a job, look for a better job.  Save enough so you can hit the road.  Living in a car in the winter SUCKS!


Finding income when you do not have skills, a shower and a place to store large amounts of clean clothing is not easy.  There are a lot of street people in the places you mentioned. Starting over there without a stake is almost impossible.

I am old and disabled.  I can sit in my van reading until my next check comes in.  That is because I have built it into a place I can survive in.  

I have a Bucket! :blush:

PS Get that cc payed off, and shop around for car insurance.

 

[compassrose]

Self employment. NO DEBT!!!!!

When David & I moved fulltime into the Class C, he had a job that paid well but kept in in states other than TN where our home was. After a falling out with the person who funded our house flips combined with the bottom dropping out of the housing market within a few months of that, junking kept food on the table and gas in the tank. I eventually got a job at a hotel (front desk clerk). David had me research hot dog carts and he built one from stuff and junk we already had or located used. Funded it on a skinny broken shoestring (my meager paycheck). I quit my job when the cart take doubled my paycheck. Moved out west. Moved a few more times with me getting job when the cart could bring in enough. Finally shut the cart down after it not only couldn't make it in Roswell (people are not into street food unless at a festival and we don't do tacos). I got tired of my part time paycheck supporting the food cart. The 10 hour day was too hard on David. Plus he was tired of the BS involved with food vending. The cart was shut down and we survived on my part time paycheck (20-32 hours per week). I eventually went full time. After David passed away, I stuck it out as long as I could and finally quit. Was going to leave NM (should have been gone by now) but I ran out of money and it looks like I may have to sue HD to get the money they took out of my pay check to buy HD stock with - but didn't. So now I have gotten another job (cashier) and my son-in-law is getting referrals for lawyers in ABQ. To be honest, self employment is the only good job. I have been trying to get a jewelry making business off the ground while working on my bus in the 90+F heat. Depression and heat are not a good combo for me. Kinda hard to junk out here. They don't have the tailgate fleamarkets here like they do back east.

 

[SoulRaven]

I initially hit the road in a borrowed 2 door relic of a car with $733/month income and too disabled to care for my own necessities.

When it broke down a few friends pooled together a loan and I got a "conversion van" (cargo van with a bed and lights) and I simply threw everything into that and survived the winter in that...barely, with major emergency repairs every other month maxing out my credit.

When that broke down in too many ways to fix I moved into a newer minivan, and while my life is still hectic, it happens better than it used to.

A few things I'd mention. Gas money absolutely has to be budgeted in. Food banks can help. And even if things are a bit miserable at times, full time vandwelling can be done in very little time, even overnight. It's hard, I don't recommend it if you've already got a place to stay, but it can happen if you need it to.

 

[MikeRuth]

what are your skills that you can use right now to work? Ask everyone and anyone that you can about work
And like got smart said, get a job any job. Doesn't matter because your not gonna hurt anyone's feelings when the next stepping stone appears.

Mike

 

[Sabatical]

This is a place people go for help in the form of advice and friendly conversation.
The beauty of this forum is in it's lack of judgement!
Remember the saying "everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten". First rule: be kind to others and they will be kind to you.

Scott

 

[BC Guy]

Perhaps Silver should have made it clearer that this topic was copied from Reddit.

If the person is really in an area where they can get $10 per hour and only pay $400 in rent, they need to get off their butt and get a job right there. As a responder on the Reddit forum said, just putting in applications is not enough. Knock on doors, talk to friends and relatives, check boards at local malls, etc.

 

[cyndi]

I've deleted and/or edited posts. They detracted from the thread.

Sabbatical, I understand you're trying to help and appreciate the effort. Your posts would not have made sense with out the other post.Thanks.

 

[Sabatical]

Cyndi you are welcome to remove mine as well since they were off topic.
It sounds like maybe I missed some back story since it appears that the post came from another site.

 

[cyndi]

Perhaps Silver should have made it clearer that this topic was copied from Reddit.

If the person is really in an area where they can get $10 per hour and only pay $400 in rent, they need to get off their butt and get a job right there.  As a responder on the Reddit forum said, just putting in applications is not enough.  Knock on doors, talk to friends and relatives, check boards at local malls, etc.

Is it possible silver is also posting on reddit?

 

[Silver]

" After David passed away "
Sorry for your lost.  Thanks for sharing your story.
" 90+F heat "  Thats why the SnowBird life intriques me.

" When it broke down a few friends pooled together a loan 
and I got a "conversion van" "
Friends are like gold.

" Food banks " yes I have to look into this more.

" get a job any job "
For me I've been workin for the last 25 yrs
so I could do with a 9-16 mos vacation. 

Like Chris Penn says paraphrased: 
 Life is about experiences not working 9-5   , 40 + hrs / wk til ur decrepit ,
have no interesting stories to tell & too disabled to accomplish your dreams.

" be kind to others and they will be kind to you. "
it doesnt always happen like this.
Its human to get irritated when people wrong you.

Oh I got that post from reddit & after the quotes put
my own story in.

" Perhaps Silver should have made it clearer that this topic was copied from Reddit. "
BC Guy is wise . 
Is he the only 1 to catch on to this first read ?

 

[compassrose]

" Perhaps Silver should have made it clearer that this topic was copied from Reddit. "
BC Guy is wise . 
Is he the only 1 to catch on to this first read ?

I can read. The post/link said it was from reddit (whatever that is). My assumption is that you were (or someone you knew was) in a similar situation (either all or some) and wanted info based on the story. The biggest thing for going fulltime is to be debt free. Even if you are staying long term in one area, you need to be debt free. You need a savings fund. For the emergency repair or similar. You will need tires. But I look at it like a house. There was always something that needed repaired on any of the houses we owned (or they owned us). No different with the bus (or your vans).

But I have little patience for those who will not take a lower paying job yet still complain about their lack of job. When I start my next job, I will be taking a pay cut of about $4 per hour and about half the hours. Stuff happens. I will use the extra time to do other things, like get the bus ready to move again and build up inventory for the jewelry business. Sometimes you just need more eggs in more baskets. And maybe some apples and peaches too.

 

[Silver]

" You will need tires. But I look at it like a house. 
There was always something that needed repaired on any of the houses we owned "

Did you hear about that man who was director for Jim Carey,
bought 5 mil $ house it didnt make him happy.
so he sold it & moved into a mobile home park !

" We live, we die, and like the grass and trees, 
renew ourselves from the soft earth of the grave.

 Stones crumble and decay, 
faiths grow old and they are forgotten,
 but new beliefs are born.

 The faith of the villages is dust now... but it will grow again... like the trees. "
JOESPH
- Chief Joseph, Nez Perce (1840-1904)

I just learned this.  So powerful !

" Hold on to what is good,
Even if it's a handful of earth.

Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it's a tree that stands by itself.

SUPPORTHold on to what you must do,
Even if it's a long way from here.

Hold on to your life,
Even if it's easier to let go.

Hold on to my hand,
Even if someday I'll be gone away from you. "

Pueblo Prayer