No I’m not Gordon Gekko but I did get your attention didn’t?
I’ve been living frugally and not making enough money to actually live the good life for quite a while. It has been about a year of scrabbling to find the money to pay my basic living expenses. Finding work has been an uphill struggle in this recession or shall I say depression and making enough to make ends meet had been a daily challenge.
Now for the first time in what seems like the longest year, I’m actually making enough money to start making headway on my debt and I might even be able to put something a little aside for myself. I am thrilled about the situation but is bought a funny side effect – I actually want to make more money. I have turned greedy.
I think I lost some of my hope constantly struggling to make money and to find ways to make ends meet. Even with the great support I get all my lovely readers of this blog and especially my beloved, I still felt my spirit being crushed every time a bill came in.
It is still very hard to be optimistic when you just don’t think there’s any money to be found. Then low and behold, one day you get some work that actually pays enough to cover your bare living expenses and you start to be able to breathe again. Now that I have money coming in, I seem more open to other opportunities. My creativity is returning and I don’t have the urge to sit in front of the tv every night because that is all I can afford to do.
Just knowing that there is some money coming in makes me think clearer. I didn’t realize how beaten I had felt, it was just me trying my best. Now I can’t say I will not be in the same position of just getting by again; my new work is a temporary situation that might last up to six months. But I do have my hope back and an putting an effort into clearing debts and putting money aside for a proper emergency fund so if I am without substantial work again for a bit, hopefully it will not be as soul destroying.
Have you been through a similar experience? Did you make good on your resolutions to pay off your debt and make sure you are covered in an emergency? Please leave me a comment so I don’t feel like the only sad sack, who couldn’t pull her socks up.
I totally relate. During my last job hunt things were so desperate that I was renting a room room off a family in the Bronx and eating raman twice a day. I couldn’t believe that after years of busting my butt I was no longer considered an asset to anyone’s team. I was so destroyed by the time I got an offer I cheerfully took a job that I knew would make me miserable. I’m now living in a different country and job hunting again. Thankfully this time I’m not on my own and don’t have to worry about being housed and fed.
Hi Kathryn, I remember eating LOTS of ramen when in college in NY. Here the cheap food is baked beans on toast but not nearly as cheap as ramen. I have had the same situation with being made redundant in July to be replaced by someone half my age and not very smart. It is a truly soul destroying experience to be replace for no fault of your own.
Best of luck on the job hunt, having a support team is so vital to keeping your spirits up and food on the table. Thanks so much for commenting and sharing your story. Vxx