This is about my struggle to pay my bills. I work - full time - but my income has been cut by more than half. And I was thinking about the ways that I have cut my expenses and found extra cash and I wondered if maybe it couldn't help someone else in the same situation? Or maybe you have other ideas for me!
Let me be clear - this is NOT about money management - if I had money, I wouldn't need help! Everyone knows that you pay down your highest interest rate expenses; don't use credit except for emergencies; put 10% in savings for that rainy day, etc. But I'm beyond all of that!
I own my own retail business and, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse with this FREAKIN' economy, it did! Last September, somehow, the bottom dropped out AGAIN! I was holding out because my lease wasn't up and the monthly rent is pretty high (so, there is no way that I can afford to pay it another way). And, I just was so optimistic that things would HAVE to get better. RIGHT? Someday, they would be better and if I could just make it through it, I would be fine.
NOPE!
I'm broke. I'm out of savings. I'm out of credit. I am late on all of my business expenses because they won't hurt my credit as much as my personal expenses, but I REFUSE to file Bankruptcy! My ex forced me into bankruptcy in 2000 and it was HORRIBLE! I just can't see doing it again! And I'm (finally) in a great relationship with a wonderful man, and I would hate to burden him with (another) BK on my credit record!
So, first of all, if anyone wants to donate to a great cause, I'm not too proud! That left me a long time ago!
But, this is about what I'm doing to make it through this disaster!
Wish me luck!
