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Help me be NOT poor.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Good News & Bad News...

Well, the last time I posted, it was out of desperation.  My beloved Late 2006 Intel iMac was dying. It stopped conducting heat properly and the soldered on graphics chip was throwing all sorts of graphic 'artifacts' on my screen. The computer would only run for about 10 minutes at a time in most cases, and that was the real problem.

I'm unemployed and still looking, although I was fortunate enough to gain some experience in freelance writing.  Most job applications were filled out online, and obviously, ALL freelance writing is done online. If my computer was only going to run for 10 minutes, then there was no way for me to apply for jobs or continue creating content to attract more freelance writing assignments.  So I took to the internet to try to raise funds to replace my computer.

The response was somewhat cold, to say the least.

I got a grand total of ONE PayPal donation, for which I am eternally grateful, but $30 isn't enough to replace my computer.  I got several negative remarks about what they called Twitter begging and also a scam.  I was hurt, embarrassed, and still very much screwed. Due to a tax refund, my rent was paid through March and my utilities are paid through February, but without a full time computer, my chances of getting hired on somewhere was practically zero.

Many people, well intentioned as well as trolls, suggested I use the computer at my local library. In a pinch, sure, but as the sole means of marketing myself to employers? No. My local library is the Main branch of the Cincinnati Public Library, located on Vine Street downtown.  I would need to take a bus there, which costs $1.75(exact change only) one way.  That's $3.50 per day in exact change to use the libraries computer for a limited amount of time.

Lucky for me, my sister agreed to let me use one of her families laptops. So the good news here is that I now have a laptop to work from and apply for things from. My sister lives 100 miles away, so it was going to take a 200 mile road trip to pick it up. 

My car is also in bad shape, though, and loses coolant every time I drive it.  My dad arranged for his very kind Korean mechanics to take a look at it.  They discovered that my head gasket was partially blown and that was causing my radiator to overheat and boil off the coolant.  It's a 1997 Dodge Stratus and the cost of repair is barely worth the value of the vehicle.  Besides... neither myself nor my family have the money to get this done.

So I drove back to my sister's house, very distraught about my situation. I was so riddled with despair that I accidentally locked the keys in my car when I got out to collect my laundry and my borrowed laptop.

Eventually, I got AAA to show up and get my car door open, so I could drive me and my defeated car home.  I now have to factor the commute into any job I take, since my transportation is no longer reliable. 

So this time next month, things may really start to come undone as I won't have my car insurance funds I need for the automatic withdrawal, then I won't have the electricity, then the internet, then the rent.  Food and gas money will probably dry up before that.

Hopefully, I can find a job before then.

5 comments:

  1. Are you signed up for: https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome, bubblews.com and swagbucks.com? These are ways to make money online, all legit. Yes, there is a learning curve for them and no, you will not get rich doing them but it can be gas and food money.

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  2. At this point you may have to settle for whatever you can get in terms of employment. I suggest applying to any and everything you can possible apply to in the hopes that something comes through, and then if it comes down to it pay what you can on utilities, and contact them to let them know that you are short, and see if they'll work with you. I posted a resource to the Cincinatti area in a previous comment, and I think you need to try some of those places. There is utility help, food help, medical help out there, if you are willing to accept it.

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  3. I mean this in the kindest of ways but what is your blog about really? Your blog reads as if you are making excuses instead of trying to doing better. It does not read as informative about living poor which I believe was your intention? Maybe not. Maybe your blog is a form of internet begging? Not that there is anything wrong with that type of blog. I understand there is a whole network of beggar type blogs. In that case you have certainly written it right. Anyway, the readers who come to your blog are more likely those in the same situation as you and are looking for hope, not more misery, and are certainly not in a position to give away money. There are many ways of earning money while searching for full time employment.

    I do understand you will want to delete this comment. In fact I hope you do and will email me instead. estesanita at bellsouth dot net There are many ways out of a situation like yours. I've been there. Ketsup soup was on our menu many nights. Or check out my blogs http://anitaestes.wordpress.com or http://nanaisfrugal.wordpress.com

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  4. Your car definitely shut off at the wrong time. Thankfully your dad knows a mechanic that could help. That’s a relief, somehow. I just hope that the mechanic could help you repair your car so that you have something to use whenever you have an interview. And in regards of your employment, I always believe that the right opportunity always comes at the right time. Stay strong!

    Taleen

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  5. Sorry to hear about all the bad news, but the good news always makes up for it right?!

    Another great site is www.bankquest.org It's a lot like swagbucks, but soooo much better. In my opinion their ways to earn are just a lot cooler.. like watching youtube, searching google, making suggestions, and the idea wall. The hyperactive points (bonus points every 9 minutes) and 8% of referrals points for life is what I like the most though.
    Between that and the $10 for reading strategies and tutorials, I think its pretty awesome. If you want more tips/help after you read the strategies, feel free to email me at californiadreamin90210@gmail.com :)

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