Bills, Benefits, and Brokeness

Apparently, the burning question isn’t “How’s the job hunt going?”, but “How the hell are you paying rent and eating?” So here’s the glamorous truth.

Back on August 1st, I was in a minor car accident. Not fun, but hey, silver lining: I got a settlement for my minor injuries. It’s enough to cover my rent for 3–4 months. So no, I’m not practicing my cardboard-box-decorating skills just yet.

When I got terminated from my job, I also got a final check with four weeks of pay. Thanks for the parting gift, incompetent goons.

And starting next week, unemployment benefits roll in. It’s not champagne money, but it’ll keep the lights on and the fridge stocked with something besides mustard packets.

Now, here’s where it gets fun: credit cards. Thanks to medical bills from last year and earlier this year, I’m rocking a sweet $30K balance, which costs me about $1,000 a month. Cute, right? If it weren’t for that, life would actually feel manageable.

I even told my landlord about losing my job, just in case. Shockingly, they didn’t respond with “Cool, get out.” Instead, they said if things get bad, they’ll work with me because I’ve been such a stellar tenant. Imagine that, an actual decent human in the rental world.

So the plan is simple: find a new job by the end of October. Ideally something that doesn’t make me want to chuck my laptop out the nearest window. But if it comes down to it, I’ll happily don a paper hat and serve fries at McDonald’s. Pride doesn’t pay rent.

So no, I’m not secretly rich. Yes, I can keep things afloat for now. And yes, the job hunt drags on.

If you want to know more about my finances, check out this video on my YouTube channel.

-Irene