Yes, I do have a full-time job, and I even enjoy it, but it doesn’t pay enough to survive in this hellscape of a world we live in. I lack the college degree required to get almost any decent-paying job (plus my last job hunt took MONTHS to get a lead), I don’t have the skills or originality to become an online content creator, nor the artistry or patience to create and sell trinkets on Etsy (plus, that would require an initial investment which I simply do not have). Should I set up a GoFundMe? OnlyFans? I wouldn’t really be offering anything except a charity basket/collection plate so that feels dishonest at best. Idk, I’m quite literally having a breakdown because I’m probably going to lose my car soon, and then my job, and then my apartment, and then my life. Any help at all would be appreciated. Thank you
First, I’m sorry that you find yourself in this situation.
Second, there’s no magic bullet that’s going to get you out of this. A tight budget might help, and perhaps tinkering at the edges might get you a little closer.
There’s a few things that might help:
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Check what your paying for what. Can you save a few bucks by switching contacts? Phone companies are crap at offering good deals to existing customers, for example. Make sure your not paying for any long-forgotten warranty given in your account.
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Upskill yourself: things like Alison offer free training, and a small cost for the certificate. While not enough to match a degree, that can give you the leg up to the next pay band. Often worth checking out New Skills Academy as well for offers.
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Check out your local college/university for free short courses. Many of them will do short courses that can help improve you’re CV. Even if they are just in a subject you’re interested in, having a university course on a CV can really help.
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Google your CV type: every type of work has a different CV requirement. Some want the biggest qualification first, some want a skill profile. We’ve all been taught to do a CV, but there are hundreds of different ways to do it. Check out what’s popular in your line of work, and update accordingly
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Job hunt now: if your current job isn’t paying the bills, it’s time to job hunt. Look at the salary you need, then what you need to know to do the job. If you have 70% of what they are asking for, apply. Luck plays a bigger part in job hunting than we like to think.
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Side hustle or not to side hustle: if you have a salaried job with regular hours, check your contract. It’s always good to know what requirements your current job has on having a second job. If your not feeling like a content creator, then Only Fans may not be for you: unless you happen to be really well endowed with good features. If that’s out, consider an evening job or weekend job. You might be able to pick up a few hours stacking shelves at your corner shop, or on the till/cash register. Two nights a week might be enough to help you make those ends meet. You can also try side-hustles like dog walking, or handy-person. Perhaps even a paid befriending service for the elderly (be aware there may be legal requirements in your area)
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Plan: having a goal helps keep you focused. Knowing what job you’d like to do will help you work out what training and skills you need. Having a goal being that can also make the grind of two jobs easier as you can see yourself building towards a goal.
These are some broad-brush ideas that I hope gives you the idea that is it’s not totally hopeless.
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A personal friend of mine is also about to go homeless, in the uk. I live in another country and feel hopeles. Worst part is, the debt. Even if he would get a well paying job his debt will follow him for the rest of his life. Kinda same for my study debts i suppose. But main advice i can give you is, under no circumstances take on (more) debt.
also, this might be intersting as a “fuck this place i’m outta here”: auroville. personally i want to go first on holidays to check it out but i haven’t taken any days off since, so the comment section can maybe tell something about it.
last thing, some dude here said, if you need your car 4 work, then it might be better to lose the appartment than the car, def agree with that.
Habitat for Humanity helps people get affordable housing plus if you are looking into gettingbinto construction part of the deal is you help build some houses are part of the payment
To give the most generic advice to all who read this: make a living by making the lives of others liveable. Many are determined to study X and have a career of Y. This sometimes works out. Many will repeatedly try to have career Y their whole life due to a fixation even if it isn’t right for them at any or all those times. Some of the most lucrative success stories have been people who saw someone else in need and helped them, someone else or a subset of the population who had a problem that nobody came around to fix yet. A problem you had no prior affiliation with. Opportunity Z may be wildly unrelated to your training and/or career path, but, it may help more people moreso than your career Y. And then, your X, Y and Z skills can compound when you find your next opportunity.
Start looking at jobs at your local city and county governments. A lot of them still come with actual pensions.
Focus on what you have and make it work for you. Reduce expenses. Get a roommate. Sell stuff. Most importantly, make a budget.
