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Lived Through This
Poverty: A Series of Small Emergencies
A year in the life
Let me tell you a story.
Scenario: You have a public school day job of three years that almost pays all your bills so you take on an extra job as an independent contractor to make ends meet. You still have student loans from a degree that qualifies you for your slightly more-than-minimum-wage job at $1,100 per month.
June: Your primary support job at a public school ends. The next school year begins in August, but you haven’t been able to find a job yet. You’ve worked two jobs since you were 14 so you don’t think the summer will be that bad. You’ve saved after all.
July: You don’t find a summer job, but you have enough savings for a month and a half of expenses to make it to August 16, the first day. You share food with your family and visit the library most days to job search.
August: On the first day of your new job, you have an emergency that requires a visit to the emergency room. Your insurance pays a portion, but the remainder is still more than you’re able to pay. You set up a payment plan. You tighten your belt, look for places to cut in your budget.
October: Your partner’s grandfather dies and you scrape together money for him to go to the funeral in…
