How To Survive a Financial Emergency!
Your roof sprang a leak during Hurricane Gustav—causing your living room to flood that caused a viral strain of mildew to spawn and spread all the way down to your basement, just in time for Junior to break his leg (and his arm) and your employer to slice your hours at work. I’d say that qualifies as a financial emergency. So you need help these days?
Here are some suggestions that will help you get through rocky waters and handle your toils and tribulations during a financial emergency:
Get a Part-time Job
As much as you may dread the thought, realize that sometimes in life one must “sacrifice to win.” This means biting the bullet and picking up a night shift at a restaurant, or delivering pizza. Yes, this might be difficult, especially for those who have gone to college, earned a degree, and have years of career experience under the belt. Remember, however, that increasing your short-term income is—well, just that, short-term. Your diligence and persistence will help you in the long run, making the benefits far outweigh the short-term sacrifice.
Get Creative
Sit down with family members and have a brainstorming session. Consider all options for generating income. Maybe start a home-based business (eBay is great for this), sell off the junk in your garage to pay some credit card debt, or re-evaluate your cash-flow plan to slash unnecessary costs. *If you don’t have a cash flow plan, you seriously need one!
Stay tuned for: ‘Worried About Losing Your Electricity?’ I’ll help you make a basic cash flow plan!
Have a Detailed Plan
Scribble your financial goal on a large sheet of paper. Tape it somewhere highly visible, or somewhere that you visit often. Measure your progress every day. When you go into work tell yourself, “Every time I put in X amount of hours, or wait X amount of tables, or deliver X amount of pizzas—I knock off X amount of debt, or get X amount closer to my financial goal.” Having a detailed plan will give you stamina and help remind you of what you are working towards.
Don’t Give Up!
Determination is the number one qualifier that separates those who pull through a financial emergency versus those who dwindle away into mental, emotional, and financial bankruptcy!
I find the words of Calvin Coolidge to be very inspirational. This quote encourages me tremendously when I feel helpless and reminds me about the “power of persistence” during hard financial times:
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
25. February 2009 at 8:44 pm :
[...] Emergency! 25 Feb 2009 | 08:54 am | Category: Uncategorized Jeffrey from West Newton, MA wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptMaybe start a home-based business [...]
25. February 2009 at 11:54 pm :
If you are on a fixed income such as disability. You already know that getting a part time job is out of the question for you. You can’t have a savings account or more than your benefit allowances in your checking account. Your benefits will be reduced or lost if you save over a certain amount. It makes it very hard to prepare cash-wise for emergencies.
For disabled folks and elderly on fixed incomes your safest way to stay ahead of the disaster risk is to work you way up to an advance amount stored on all your regular bills. Get your rent or mortgage a month or two ahead and keep it there. Same with your car and insurance. Yes, we know you can’t advance these things too far or you will get penalties, but you can get one or two months ahead, then just use your credit as you near the end of your loan so you don’t have penalty.
Keep track of your electric bills for all seasons and build up a credit with your electric company. Same with your telephone, cable, water, trash, sewer. Reaching a goal of building a credit with all your basic billing companies is pretty much the same as dedicating a certain amount for savings except not counted against you for your benefits.
For those with pets, establish a credit line with your vet and send money every month to keep on credit with your vet. If an emergency happens you have a cushion for you and your pet to land on. Those monthly deposits also look really good for you if you bill runs high, your vet will most likely accept monthly payments to cover the bill.
On a fixed income it’s HARD…really really hard to move into the advance on your basics. You are only given the extreme bare minimum of living funds and you are lucky to have $20 at the end of the month but if you use that $20 to advance your water bill, next month use it to advance your trash etc…little by very little you can build up a cushion.
If you get gift cards for special occasions..toss that cash you saved to advance a bill. No, it’s not fun…people on disability never really do have any fun because we don’t even have enough for our basics…I know, but for disaster possibilities, you will be glad you put that extra money to advance a bill.
25. February 2009 at 11:55 pm :
There are so many excellent ideas here listed in this Blog..Thanks Rayhawk, for always being so helpful!! ( I swear I must drive people nuts around here)
Sometimes, Life deals us a dirty deal, or at least we think it is..It’s not easy to pull out of it always,…I know, that I was becoming desparate in where I was going, and how I was going to get there.
You lose the one you love, ….then you lose your job, your income, you get stuck with thousands of dollars in bills..
But somehow, if you can realize, that you still have other things going for you, and you can get past your own pain…you can pull out of it..
I remember when I first came here…I didn’t know what to think…I have to say, I’ve met only kind, caring people here..from the owners to the patrons and donors on this site…everyone, is so kind…that right there, is worth a million bucks, when you’re down
I have been surviving, on yard sales,.making clothing, doing sewing for others, doing laundry for the guys on the boats…
Helping people move, anything, that would get me by..
I also found a phone number, 211….it seems to be nationwide,…that can help you with food, Gas and Electric bills,..and sometimes, rent.
there are so many people out there who want to help…and don’t be afraid to ask family…or friends to have a bake sale you’d be surprised at how many of your friends will help you.
And, you need to percerviere, and be prepared to stumble and fall,but you have to pick yourself up again..
I have found all of my strength, in God, and Jesus..
I promised Them, that whatever happened, I know that it is part of Their Plan for me..
and that so be it…even it was going out to the street…
So now..I will end by saying, never give up, always love yourself…
and always have faith that it will be a better day tommorow….
26. February 2009 at 2:53 pm :
Great tips Rayhawk!!!!
26. February 2009 at 2:54 pm :
JoAnnna – Thanks for sharing your personal experiences and words of encouragement!
27. February 2009 at 3:45 am :
They say everything happens for a reason, even if it does happen all at once…look where it has gotten me…if not for everything happening at once, I would not have met all the wonderful members of microgiving. God Bless each and everyone of us…..
27. February 2009 at 7:17 am :
Rayhawk, your words are a true insperation and so is your advice and your words.
With one income and about 11,000 dollars in medical debt, we do everything we can to budget our funds and make them stretch.
Ever hear the old saying, Too much month and not enough money… Well most months we run into this problem, but we work as hard as we can to get us through.
You have have balance in your life, before you can have it in your checking account.
27. February 2009 at 12:07 pm :
You know I have always tried to do everything on my own. Never thought anyone out there would help me. I am what they call the working poor. I have tried about everything in the book to survive and sometimes it would just be so easy to just give up.
The frustrating thing to me is that I can work and work and work and try not to get any more bills added on and I barely get thru each month. I keep thinking oh I am going to have enough this month to put towards a new used van but, each month one more bill pops up and there goes the money.
I can budget, I can work more and at the end of the month all I did was work and see it all go to bills.
I am heading out of state with very little money next month with my daughter. I am going to try and find out if there is somewhere we can start a new life, a place where it will be better for her health problems and to work for my parents. I didn’t have the money to do this but, had a couple of people to get together and help me be able to go.
If a financial emergency happened right now there is no way I would be prepared. And I don’t know what more I could do to be prepared. I work 7 days a week taking care of an elderly woman. I work about 11 hours a day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and have house cleaning jobs and house and pet sitting jobs in between. Plus I home school my daughter.
I keep going and going and one day it will be all ok. Keep your chin up everyone who reads this. We encourage each other and we all can make it. Keep going….. It is not what struggles we have been given it is how we handle them…. I care….
28. February 2009 at 11:07 pm :
I used to be a single mother with a handicapped child. I lived on two hundred dollars a week and one hundred and forty dollars a month in the state of Florida. Break down the food stamps for the week. I mean divide your monthly income of stamps into four weeks. You have to add a little to it. Yes, buy that beef for ninty nine cents a pound. Break it down and bag it. OH and you knpw those plastic butter bowls your throwing out. Save them, instead of rubbermaid. They are just as good.
Don’t run the air. It’s hot, but you will survive. Hang your clothes out to dry. Wash your dishes by hand.
Here in my town, we have thrift stores. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, clothes are half price.
Make sure your phone is in the person, who is handicapped. Most states have a price plan like life line.
As I said earlier, I’m from Florida where there are a lot of Hurricanes. We had four in 2004. I lost my roof. I didn’t get much from the insurance company because my house was old. That’s the insurance story. I used my friends to help me out. Then, we replaced the rug. Florida is great, except, the hurricanes.I did survive all of this and you will, too.
The Lion’s Club insurance never did pay for all thier damages. They really got hit hard in 2004.
Stay postive and stay close to your friends. I mean don’t drive them crazy, but ask for a little help. Smile because God loves you.
P.S. Ask your church for diapers
1. March 2009 at 12:07 am :
I’m here to tell you, that the old stand by, save your changed can be a life saver.
Many times at the end of the month, we run short on, milk or eggs, and having that change jar really does come in handy. Some moths, there may be only two or three bucks, but it will buy a dozen eggs or maybe a box of macaroni, which could be added to tomatoes and there juice for a nice cassarole.
Also, through out the year, when you are able, even if it’s a quarter, place it in a jar and watch it grow! Name your jar Christmas Relief Fund! When you need a last minute gift, or are stretched beyond your budget, cash in your change.
Another change jar honorable mention is this, put an old mayo or pickle jar ontop of your dryer, or on a shelf in your laundry room. When you find that extra change
jingeling in your children’s pockets, or laying in the bottom of the washer or dryer,
add that change to the jar, and use that change to help with laundry detergent or tolietries.
1. March 2009 at 1:36 am :
Prevention and Educating yourself is another way of preparing for financial emergency. Learn to do simple car maintainence and bypass the mechanic. Learn to do simple plumbing to stay on top of things that can become disastrous later. Many people exhaust funds in professional repair persons. If you learn to do some of the upkeep and repair on your own that is money saved and the education will help you learn to prevent larger problems that could put you into a financial emergency.
Learning to survive with limited shelter, electricity, food, transportation and even medical care will help when something happens that makes those basic needs unavailable or seriously reduced.
There is another blog post about feeding one person on $5 a day….learn how to feed a FAMILY on $5 a day and if the time comes that you are forced to eat on such a small amount you will know how to do it and how to keep healthy while doing it.
1. March 2009 at 3:51 am :
I believe everyone has within them to survive with what they have been given but, I also know it is a true to desire to so many that have struggled for so long to have things nice happen and not to have to struggle. It truly can be exhausting to try and think what do I do next? Where do I get the money this time? Do I have enough on the shelves for a meal tonight.
The survival mode is within us and we are survivers. Blessings to all.
~ I care ~
2. March 2009 at 5:26 am :
WOW! Awesome! Everytime I find something new on this site, it gives me more hope that everything is going to be ok.
I am currently looking for a part time weekend job because that seems like a good idea to earn some extra money, I’m earning a bit extra on affiliate programs online. It’s easy money but if you have enough traffic, it is alot of money (i just dont have that much of traffic yet) so it is trickling in but it is a help
2. March 2009 at 1:19 pm :
How about this for a supernova idea:
A clever lassie makes some spare change by selling healthy, homemade lunch sandwiches around the MG corners. I bargain she makes a pretty penny doing so, as they sell more like hot-cakes than sandwiches!
Three cheers for creative capitalism!
2. March 2009 at 9:39 pm :
Feeling Helpless wrote:
“They say everything happens for a reason, even if it does happen all at once…look where it has gotten me…if not for everything happening at once, I would not have met all the wonderful members of microgiving. God Bless each and everyone of us…..”
What a great way of looking at it! In fact, your OUTLOOK on a situation can be an effective way to survive through an emergency. When you stay positive & think about the good, you’re practicing mental and emotional survival that will help you get through your challenge.
3. March 2009 at 6:37 am :
I have to admit I use to not be so concerned about a budget, both me and my husband were working and got by fine. Now that I am a stay at home mom raising my children I have had to learn to budget. I can’t feel sorry for myself when I see so many others out there that are worse than me. I like all the tips everyone has shared. Saving can be hard especially when you are low income. I never really got that until I had hardships and wished I was on a budget. Its a mistake that is learned from and never forgotten.
4. March 2009 at 1:06 am :
I want to praise each and everyone of you who have responded to this blog.
We should each be proud of ourselves first, and then of each other. I’ve learned alot since I’ve started responding to the team’s blog posts.
I miss working so much, that some times I cry, I never asked to have Lupus, or to have Pulmonary Fibrosis, I never asked to be on 60 mgs of steorids that make me look like the Pilsbury Dough Girl, but you know what? There was a reason, deep down, for why it’s happend to me and my family. There are days I search for the answer, then I relize I’m wasting my time, time that I need to do things more productive.
I sell Avon to try to help supplement my husbands income and buy medicines we both need. It isn’t much but it’s something that did not cost a arm and leg to start up.
I do Pinecone research surveys. I also did 2 people taxes this year, that helped buy enough groceries to carry us over.
Our family has become more self conscious of the things we do, such as leaving lights on, hanging laundry instead of drying… Things like that.
By the way I was a cook for 20 years, I’d do anything to be that lady on the corner selling the healthy home made sandwiches!
4. March 2009 at 8:09 am :
I wish I could work but since my early teens my body chose another path in life for me. I didn’t ask for a disability that would little by little strip my mobility, then work on limiting the joints of my upper body once it ruined my legs. Except for 6 years of my life when I lived with a man who made great money…I have been at and sometimes below the poverty line. In 1997 I was a disabled mother caring alone for two disabled sons. I had no fridge, had no hot water heater, my door had to be held on with bungee cords, I taped pine needles to my roof to stop the leaks. I slept on the floor my kids on the sofa…we didn’t have beds. I had to sell just about every single thing in the world I ever owned to supplement my SSI. Once I had nothing left to sell…I had to learn to not only live poor, but to try to keep a child with a heart disorder fed properly. As we all know living on SSI as your only income and in 1997 that income was $337 a month. My son also received SSI so our total monthly income was just over $650 a month and I made TOO MUCH for foodstamps. They offered me $10 which I refused and we made our way from ’97 till 2000 when my partner and I joined together and with her came her income. Our incomes combined bring us to just above the poverty line.
In that time with minimal income and with no online or local charities to help me I made it and I’m used to making it. I’m used to living on an extremely tight budget in houses that you could lose your custody rights for. Really….poor parents are always at risk of losing their kids because we have to budget on what we have and often there isn’t a way to get more unless someone in the world wants to help you….Like MicroGiving.
Back then and until recently there wasn’t any place for me to find help. I got help once by surprise in a very unsuspecting place when my cat was shot, the next time in my life I got help outside of my mom juggling her budget to help me out was when I reached out for the scooter help. When I tell others…it can be done, I’m not saying that just to say your times are not tough. Yep they are….but if you do come out of the that feeling of victimization by your circumstances you CAN keep swimming till you find solid ground. I just read about a mother with Lupus making it, and a mother of a disabled child. I understand very much about disabled parents caring for kids and I understand about being a parent of disabled children. My heart is with you friends. I’m glad we found each other on MicroGiving!
4. March 2009 at 8:23 am :
I forgot to mention what *I* do besides hang out on MicroGiving adding my boring stuff to blogs
I volunteer for Dixie Thunder, it’s a local motorcycle organization. I build and maintain all internet communications. In return I have all the tools I need to be on the internet and keep them up and running. They also sponsor a run for me once a year to help with my crippled critter sanctuary. The funds raised help with whatever is needed for me to properly care for my special needs animals. I also build, rebuild, and upgrade computer systems as well as troubleshoot and repair messed up computers. I’m completely self taught. My computer has always…since the early 90′s helped me to cope with many disabilities. My most noticeable is my physical disorders. The less noticeable is my hearing, social and phobic disorders and the least noticeable of all is the pain associated with my physical disorders. I’m in that “gee you don’t look sick” category. I look crippled….but I never look like I’m in pain….anyhow my computer educated me (overcoming educational problems), let me communicate with people (overcoming the social disorder problems), and it helped me learn how to do many many net and computer related things that I can do from home. I used to be able to supplement my income, but now well…you can build a website on myspace and everyone knows how to pop in a restore CD and fix their own computer so I don’t get much anymore but it does help with gas money from time to time, helps with one of those higher than usual bills and when all that is covered, hey I can sometimes take the kids to waffle house!
6. March 2009 at 2:56 am :
You buy a house thinking you are making a great investment for the future of your family. The job you have slowly dwindles your hours causing you to struggle with that mortgage payment. You get behind, late penalty after late penalty trying so hard to catch up. Before you know it, you are 3 months behind and your work hours can’t pay for 1/2 your mortgage anymore. You know the whirlpool has begun, but you continue to try and swim out of it. So you look for an apartment you can afford knowing you have a dog and will have to pay more. The search becomes harder all to keep your family attached. You find this place and move to protect your family from being removed from a foreclosure. In this state of mind you have to think the quote, “taking a step back to move forward” applies to you. As those work hours continue to decrease you realize this is not just the season affecting you and pick up work elsewhere that pays what it pays.
In addition to all this, the mistakes of your past come back to haunt you. The third party in your life suddenly has enough money to take your daughter away from you. All the while you are pulling funds from other bills to hire a temporary counsel to protect your family and they end up sending you to the cross for a crucifixion by trial. You scramble to replace those funds you pulled for bills while losing all your hours at work and now you are left fighting for your daughter in pro per. The whirlpool gets stronger the further you seep into it, but you knew that before it happen which is why you worked so hard from the beginning and yet you were still unable to stop it.
Now, you are unable to pay the rent, are months behind on paying utilities. You have picked up any work that comes your way. You have utilized your time to find alternative income. You have found ways to barter and negotiate with everyone you owe to the point of writing up promissory letters. You have applied for every assistance program that comes your way to help you. Just when you feel you’ve hit bottom and things have to get better…
Your dog gets hit by a car crossing the freeway looking for you. Hospitalized for a near $5,000 fix. You had no medical on the dog because you don’t even have medical for yourself so you now are searching in ways you never thought you would.
…Last night I brought my daughter home from school and errands. I opened a can of beans and heated them up. I brought out a half eaten sourdough roll and heated it up. I brought out some leftover veggies and heated them up with water to drink. Thinking to myself, “Has it really come to this?” I told my daughter, “This is a poor family’s meal from the bible.” We split the food evenly among us and enjoyed it as though it were the greatest meal on earth. Knowing how poor I felt at the time was quickly lifted by the smile on my daughter’s face and the happiness within her laughter.
The moral of the story is no matter how bad things can possibly get, there will always be a light. Finding it can be hard, but in order to move on you must persevere and never give up. If you do that, the whirlpool will not kill you, but exercise you into the person God wants you to be. Stronger, wiser, and more faithful. I have hope~
6. March 2009 at 4:02 am :
JT–
Your comment is incredibly touching & powerful.
“Even youth grow tired and weary. And strong men stumble and fall, but those who have hope will renew their strength. They will rise up on the wings of eagles and soar. They run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.”
You have remarkable faith
6. March 2009 at 5:14 pm :
Thank you April. I didn’t mean to carry on, but there is just so much I had to brief to express myself in full. That was the first blog I have ever written so I’m still trying to grasp the concept. Thank you again~
6. March 2009 at 10:21 pm :
Becky,
I love your suggestion of credit with our vet. I wonder if that is possible. It sure would be easier on us. Our Weim, who was a present from Tom’s sister 5 years ago, get’s his yearly visit, but It would be nice to have a scale, where the vet, might let you make payments, through the year.
I would LOVE to volunteer to a organization like Dixie Thunder! That would be great.
I would like to say again, that I admire you, for ALL that you do.
6. March 2009 at 10:22 pm :
JT…… Amazing!
6. March 2009 at 10:36 pm :
My husband Tom, has been disabled since 1997, it took him years, yes I said years, to learn to cope with his disabilties, and some days I wonder if he ever really has? Know what I mean? He was 31 years old, with Degenertive Disk and joint disease, Osteo Arthritis, Fibromyalga, and a few other things, tossed in for good measure (Not funny,I know). Then along came Colon Cancer, it seemed for him, when one thing was better, another popped up. He worked for 18 years at a plastics factory on the maintance team. It broke his heartt he day the doctor said…. Tom there’s no way to tell you this, but you won’t work again.
And then I was dx’d with Systemic Lupus, and this made him feel even worse because he felt that he should be taking care of our family.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, when you become disabled, well at least when Tom became disabled, it changed him, and he had to learn to adjust. And I think it has been one of his hardest struggles in life.
Now I would like to apologize for getting soooooo off course with this subject, but I appreciate you all letting me vent.
7. March 2009 at 3:15 am :
Disability and income is a passionate subject for me. Yes Sherri, when you become disabled and try and try to work only to be told…you can’t and probably never will. It does change you and you do have to learn to adjust. I came from a family of belief…old enough to walk old enough to work and you worked for everything. As a child you did not get allowance for doing good on your homework and doing a few chores. Chore were expected because you were a member of the household and getting good grades was expected because that was simply your responsibility if you wanted to grow up and take care of your own self. Extra things is what you did to earn that allowance. My mother did suffer Deg. Disk and osteo in her hips at a young age but I remember her having bloody scabbed knees as she was on hands and knees scrubbing floors for a home maker service. She refused…flat out refused any kind of public aid until she simply became so seriously sick and unable to earn enough to keep her kids under a roof and with food. For her going on public aid was the worst humiliation. She never cried over bleeding knees…but cried over that welfare check and food stamps like that hurt her worse than anything in the world.
We grew up learning if you don’t earn it…it belongs to someone else. I worked hard to be able to follow in her footsteps…bloody knees and all till I was at a young age someone who would never have anything of my own. It all belongs to someone else. Yes…my life is paid for out of the pockets of every tax payer in the USA and to me that is the most humiliating and horrible feeling. I own nothing…it belongs to the good people who struggle every day to feed their families. I didn’t earn it. A young disabled person has to come to terms with that. We never got enough work credits to say we earned out government pay…no..sadly we are the drain on society and we hear about it every day when you hear tax payers complaining about their taxes going up. We know that tax money is what keeps us alive and it hurts.
I never asked for this…I asked to be a nurse or a field trauma rescue technician.
I want to earn my way and the best I can do is use what skills I have in exchange for the help I get. I do that with Dixie Thunder and I do give to my community and online communities because I have been helped and I can’t just take a dime without giving 11 cents back somehow. If I can’t earn it…I have to pay it back or forward or I feel like a drain on society and really it’s the worst feeling
7. March 2009 at 3:20 am :
PS, JT my partner and I lost our car, then our water/power shut off, this all resulted in a lost job, then we lost our home and had to move in with my mom and leave everything we owned behind because there was not enough income with just my disability to rent anything.
I live in my moms house now, she moved out and we are making the mortgage payments and will own this place in 10 years. We do understand just what one unexpected bill can do to a family. We know what happens when you get behind in just one payment. We know and our heart is with you as you try so hard to keep your family together. It’s not easy and I wish you the very best.
8. March 2009 at 12:33 pm :
Christy, who is struggling to take care of her son and family…has donated to me,..in a time that she really couldn’t and I wanted to ‘brag’ about her unselfishness..
I am going to make sure she realizes that dream…
She is an inspiration…as is Rayhawk, Sherri, April, Becky, John and Michelle…
so many kind people here…and what goes around, will come around, in the best possible ways.
9. March 2009 at 4:11 pm :
Thanks for your heart and encouragement Becky. I am fortunate that God has not taken abilities away from me making my situation as difficult as yours, so in that respect I would like to make a special effort to help you when I am able to. Thank you again and I look forward to better times~
12. March 2009 at 2:24 am :
[...] More: MicroGiving Blog » How To Survive a Financial Emergency! [...]
12. March 2009 at 4:05 am :
[...] here to read the rest: MicroGiving Blog » How To Survive a Financial Emergency! Share and [...]
17. March 2009 at 12:34 am :
Wow… I am really inspired and touched by reading how you all support and encourage one another!
I am trying to learn my way around still….and thanks April for helping me!
One thing that came to mind as I was reading is one thing that I have learned through my own situation is we often do want to question why God allows some of the things He does.I have struggled so much with that myself here lately.When I know better! Meaning I know God doesnt allow more than we can handle and if He brings it to ya – He will get ya through it.I think where I mess up is I have to realize its in His timing not mine as when the dark clouds will disappear. But that there is reason ..or a purpose in the making.. its that- I need to grow as a person from it. If they went by any faster I wouldnt grow– . Its all apart of ” the path” so to say to hopefully make me a better ,stronger, wiser, person …and provider. …and mostly a survivor.
So never loose hope….we may be down and often times it is back to back blows… but the support and encouragement here is just amazing and that is so vital to anyone who may feel those dark clouds are never going to pass.Theres enough of us here that can even help push those ole clouds over a bit faster!
God Bless you ALL!
Sheri
17. March 2009 at 1:54 am :
me again
I forgot to introduce myself! So sorry! I had gotten all caught up in reading everything I just jumped right on in!
I’m Sheri and had joined a few months ago but then I lost my computer and thank goodness someone now had one I could use for a while.
In the firts comment about starting a home based business in a crisis is pretty much what I have been trying to do. I was a stay at home Mom for almost 17 years so I basically didnt have any skills that I could turn too when I knew I had be the now only provider to my 2 children.
I thought about what is it can I do that hopefully I already know how to do it? That would be clean house…or child care. I opted to not do child care unless all else failed. I was stressed enough at that point and just didnt feel I could do my very best at child care at such stressful time as I was facing.
I didnt have a clue how to really get started.I didnt have the money to advertise or the gas to drive around everywhere… but one thing I have done is b/c of the gas situation is if I could find a neighborhood with lots of houses that appeared to be . ones that would be interested in a home cleaner… I could walk it.
At this point I cant even spend money on the plastic door bags to place my homemade flyers in, but I do have close pins! Which work just as well to hold the flyer onto a door handle or even an outside door rug.
But I knew sitting at home feeling defeated wasnt going to help me accomplish anything or get me the much needed work I need. Even if just one person calls out of an entire nieghborhood then thank you God- that is one more house to clean that I didnt have before. Then hopefully that one house is the one that will be by word of mouth that gets me another one.That alone is such good adverstisment because that person is unkowingly being a “reference” in a sense.
When you get out and walk it, you pass joggers, moms out walking babies and hand them a flyer that way too.
I also knew my mommy van could help advertise too…so I had some of that car window paint and lettering stencil and made my own …by stenciling it with the window car paint right onto my windows.
I had to use the only cleaning products I had as what I use and just hoped it got me through the first house.But there is also many websites that give the directions to homemade cleaners and I have had to do that as well many times to just get by.
Its not an overnight success by far….but I knew I had to do something that I already knew how to do and hopefully one day it will take off and walking those neighborhoods would have been well worth those shin splints and leg cramps.
I was so down and out and still am… and it was and is still hard to just go and put on a smile on when that is the last thing you feel like doing… but the joy comes when the job is done and you know hey I did this all on my own…and to be handed your pay… makes a smile apear because you are surviving ….even if a teeny bit at a time… b/c that becomes the motivation one needs when they have none b/c of life situations that do take us down…. but the more motivation we have … the more “hope” will begin to filter on in.
17. March 2009 at 7:44 pm :
We’re so glad you joined our community Sherri! Thanks for sharing your story with us, and most of all, thank you for your encouragements!
17. March 2009 at 8:26 pm :
Sheri -
You’re absolutely right about ‘growing as a person’ when you meet the challenge of tough times in life!
“Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And endurance will produce perfect results, so that you may be perfect, complete, and lacking in nothing.”
18. March 2009 at 2:39 am :
Dear…Becky…. I wanted to comment on something you shared.
“”"”"”. I’m used to living on an extremely tight budget in houses that you could lose your custody rights for. Really….poor parents are always at risk of losing their kids because we have to budget on what we have and often there isn’t a way to get more unless someone in the world wants to help you….Like MicroGiving.”"”"”"”"”
Have you ever heard of (former) Senator Nancy Sheafer? If not please please do a web search on her.(contact her)
***I was reading what all you wrote pretty closely and I think I picked up on what you were saying****
Anyway…. Ms Nancy is a dear friend of mine…and I want to really back up what you said about poor parents…. it is TRUE… and I dont think most Americans realize this is happening to these parents.
How unfair this true fact is…. and just because any person is poor or down on their feet does not make them a bad parent.IF anything it makes the a better parent.Nothing a parent can give to a child can ever equal or out do –that of their unconditional LOVE.
It is not fair that people are treated this way…and I for one am in your court!
Please look up that name I just gave you… let it give you hope… that she is trying to change things about the very things you brought up.
My heart goes out to you and I do encourage others to PLEASE give to her! What she said is true and it happens every single day…as hard as that is to believe… believe it …
BIG {{{ hugs}}} to you Becky!!
20. March 2009 at 7:39 pm :
[...] In a previous post our reader commented: “I’m used to living on an extremely tight budget in houses that you could lose your custody rights for. Poor parents are always at risk of losing their kids because we have to budget on what we have and often there isn’t a way to get more unless someone in the world wants to help you…” –Becky on How To Survive a Financial Emergency [...]
21. March 2009 at 10:21 pm :
Sheri, thanks for your comments. Many truly do not believe that being poor means you are often breaking laws or violating codes and ordinances and you can be fined heavily, forced to move, or lose your children.
Homelessness isn’t just because you can’t pay your mortgage, sometimes it’s because you couldn’t afford exterior upkeep or repairs and are forced out by your county and couldn’t afford to live anywhere else. Some are evicted if they can’t keep power and water running, or can’t afford trash removal. Then they are out of a home with no money to rent or even store their belongings.
Yes there are rental programs if you are forced out, but there are also waiting lists and if you become homeless before your name comes up, you are lost in the cracks because you have no mailing address or phone number to be contacted. Most do not have people who can take them in…they may be willing but are afraid of being caught in an overcrowded house or caught having an extra family in there and having their rent raised. Some are on benefits and don’t want to risk losing them by helping a friend or family member.
Sometimes the problems we face are because of too many restrictions on how you should be living. Poor people learn to adapt and manage, but when you are breaking codes, ordinances and laws do to that you are not just poor, you are a nuisance and a criminal
24. March 2009 at 7:04 am :
Some times in life a financal cricis hit you so suddenly. When you are unprepared But that a part of life you must have faith and beleive in your self and god to overcome.
I have experience that situation my self. Since January 12, 2008 my while life has change for me and my family. But only god knows the answer why some of us face these unfortunate circumstances in our life.
So when you face with these cricis you have ajust to a different life style by giving up certain spending habits. Also you have to make a plan to see you through financial hard ship.
My believe is god dont give no one more than he or she can bear. No one goes through life with out obstacles in some way form or fashion.
30. March 2009 at 12:00 pm :
Wow, It took me a long time to get to the end of this page. There are some great ideas here. I have found in life that no matter how tough things are in my life there is always so many more that are in worse trials. Things do work out but it just takes time. You twist and turn many ways to adjust to what is happening in life. We all will make it. The support here for one another is great and I pray that each of us keep knowing that we will be ok. Have a wonderful day everyone!!!
30. March 2009 at 4:22 pm :
I have had the worst luck every where i go it seems. I went to apply for SSI at my local DHS office and the case worker said to me “you walked in here just fine. You don’t look disabled to me.” Then he said i had to show up for their (work program) or i won’t get any of their services. Then he called me (HOME-GIRL). I ended up filing a complaint against him. So i am still in the process of fighting for SSI. I don’t know how they expect disabaled people to survive until they get approved. I am only recieving 500 dollars a month in alimony payments, and 387 in foodstamps. I have absolutly no way to pay any of my bills. I know that God is looking over me ad my boys. I always keep a positive attitude. Some day my ship will come in. Thanks for reading, Sincerely, Pamela Fedie.
11. April 2009 at 12:53 am :
When I get money I get as many bills paid off as I can. Sometimes I only have about $15 to spend a week on groceries and sometimes less. It is a challenge but you learn to love things like soup and peanut butter sandwiches. Macaroni, hot dogs. God does see us through each challenge and I know that things are going to be ok. Even tonight I am very discouraged but, somehow, someway things will be ok. It would be so great to go in a grocery store and get a cart and fill it as full as I can. They sounds like so much fun.
Your ship will come in some day Pammy. Just stay strong and it is just over the horizon.
16. April 2009 at 11:59 pm :
Oh Pamy!! He called you home girl?!! That wasnt very nice…gosh!
Yessss God is looking over you. never doubt that! I
Big God Hugs!!
17. April 2009 at 12:03 am :
she said—>The survival mode is within us and we are survivers
I say —-> AMEN!!
17. April 2009 at 12:15 am :
MJ said –>Sometimes I only have about $15 to spend a week on groceries and sometimes less.
I posted on another blo about AngelFood Ministries…. you get a LOT of food for $30 . It says it all lasts 1 week… but I have made it last longer… Its GOOD food to… they have a webiste… Please take a peak at it. Then look for where it is delivered at a local church near you. Often times even the church has Sunday School Classes -where they will purchase it for you.You just have to tell them it is a need. So dont be afraid to call the church and ask about it…
*** It is a challenge but you learn to love things like soup and peanut butter sandwiches.***
YEP!! I can back ya up on that one!!
Food isnt important to me any more… I am just thankful if I have bread and some cheeze and then ya have grilled cheeze sandwhiches..Or a bag of potatoes…
You can do SO much with them… potatoe soup, baked potatoes, potatoe skins, fried potatoes,potatoe cassorole…
Maybe we should share recipes?
17. April 2009 at 2:23 pm :
Sheri – thanks for your recommendation!
17. April 2009 at 3:12 pm :
aww your welcome April! Here is the link to Angelfood Ministries… take a peak at the box of food one gets.. its meat, vegggies, desert… its under “menu”. When a person orders it … they then go and pick it up at a church that it is delivered too..I think 2 x a month , maybe 1. But they can order as many boxes of food they want. (they even have some for $20. The $30 spent on that box of food would cost you $60 plus if you bought it from the store. So if someone can order 2 or 3 boxes they save over $100 .
The food (meat) is good too… its not cheap meat stuff! Or buy one and ask the church to help you out with one… they do not mind being asked to do this.. they have funds to do it through Sunday School Classes.
So I encourage anyone that is struling with food please go look a this webiste..and even ask for gift cards at holidays for it when some one asks you what you would like to have..b/c a $30 gift card from a local grocery store isnt going to buy no where near as much as you can get with $30 at Angel food ministry.
http://www.angelfoodministries.com/
17. April 2009 at 3:15 pm :
I forgot to add they also take Food stamps!