We’ve got 2 adults and 3 kids in the house, and 2 more kids in the evening on school days.
We had a bunch of financial emergencies in a row on top of Christmas at the end of last year, so we pinpointed which bills would go through even if our account was in the negative and we’ve been overdrawing our account by like a thousand dollars a pay period. Paying our bills, then withdrawing the money while it was clearing.
This was working well enough that each paycheck we’d be in the hole less and less. Then my job decided to switch the payroll schedule and withhold a week of pay. And a lot of our utilities are already on payment plans so if they get shut off again we’ll need the full amount to get them back on. Luckily, they can’t shut off our heat for a couple more months because of the cold.
TLDR is we’ve got just enough money to keep our water running and lights on OR buy groceries for 2 weeks, but not both.
I tried to pick one of my sparser alts, but my PayPal still has personal info in it, so if anyone can offer some help, please DM me
Edit: y’all made me and my partner cry. We’re heading to the store later today. Thanks every who pitched in. I didn’t expect this community to be as generous as it was, so this is a gigantic relief.
Also commenting for visibility, you and your family deserve better than this evil capitalist hellworld
This season’s been rough on everyone. Most of my usual outlets for asking for help are in similar situations. We’re about helping each other and letting it all come out in the wash. But that’s a lot more difficult when everyone’s in a bad spot.
Hi, OP. I'm in a terrible financial situation myself, so I can't give in that way. However, I am a community health worker. I currently work at a nonprofit whose mission is to reduce food insecurity. I also have a lot of personal experience in this area.
If you are comfortable chatting privately about where you live and more about your situation, I will do whatever I can to connect you with resources that will help. I can also walk you through some shopping techniques and recipes to save money and make your pantry stretch further, but I'm not going to assume this is something you need unless you say so!