Pretty much the title. Put slightly differently: for those of you who are financially surviving by just a razor thin margin, how are you managing to scrape by?
This is more historical as fortunately I was able to work my way up in my industry over the years.
A little over 10 years ago I was living in my first flat by myself. 90% of my income from part time retail went on rent and bills. What I was left with was £4 a week for all groceries, medicine prescription fees, etc. (Travel I considered to be bills because I couldn’t walk to work as it was too far)
I just had to buy the absolute cheapest of everything, bulk deals, etc. Anything I couldn’t immediately afford I’d spread over a few months on my credit card.
Anything health related fell off quickly. I never saw the dentist the entire time I was this poor, and I couldn’t afford healthy food at all. I’m still paying the price for that now. I swear my teeth are 90% glass at this point.
It was an extremely difficult point in my life, but I needed that freedom and independence and would do it all again if I had to.
Sex work. My minimum wage job (2600 lei / $600 per month) is not enough to survive. For reference, rent around here is $300-500 the cheapest per month (not including utilities). The country has a major inflation problem & everything’s expensive. Sex work pays 500 lei ($116) / 1h.
Government assistance. Luckily I live in a blue state, so getting several major bills subsidized for being a filthy poor helps me eat regularly and not worry too much about turning the heat above 50 in the winter.
When I knew my income was going to be destroyed I prepared by stopping all my outgoing subscriptions immediately. Changed phone plan to bare minimum etc. traded our car in for electric which cut our fuel bill from £100pm to £15. Finally I’m slowly selling my stuff, but I’m now at the stage where I have a 10 yr old laptop, 8yr old phone and something is going to break soon. Fun times.
Family
A little nepotism diesn’t hurt.
