Money: When unemployment becomes a full-time job
Since losing my job, my biggest challenge has been paperwork.
Typically, I don’t have to pay much attention to money. It’s about the same each month and it’s all on auto-pay. Thankfully, I have some savings that I could pull from – but not everybody does. I have a pretty good amount in a 401K, but I can’t access that.
I invested in that company-sponsored 401K because I thought that was a good idea. There was a company match. But I put more there than I did in savings. And that’s my fault.
Like any human, I have debt.
I don’t spend a lot of money. Mortgage, utilities, debt, groceries. I don’t drive. I could only cut back on my DoorDashorders. I cancelled a couple of streaming services. But between streaming services and not ordering out, that only cut about $200/month.
The questions and the to-do list keep growing.
I’m disabled. I have epilepsy. I have critical prescriptions. I’ve been on a payment plan with my healthcare provider for years to cover the annual procedures to manage my condition, but I had to cancel that so I had some liquidity to pay for my prescriptions. I had to cancel routine procedures, like a mammogram, because that requires a co-pay.
I started the paperwork for financial assistance with my medical system, but that won’t cover my prescriptions.
I can’t file for Medicaid yet.
It’s bringing up a lot of bad memories from 20 years ago. My son was a toddler and we were on government assistance. I was employed full-time and making a decent salary but I couldn’t afford much more than rent, daycare, and diapers. “Managing my money” was rotating which utility I paid that month.
Then the seizures started. Thankfully, Mayo Clinic paid for my treatment and my prescriptions because my employer-sponsored health insurance didn’t. But I don’t have that support now.
I see you. I feel you. I get it.
Sometimes there are going to be questions that we can’t answer right now. Asking those questions and the follow-up that will be required is exhausting. But the questions will be answered.
And that’s where community comes in. Be honest. I’m still teaching myself how to ask for help – and setting aside the shame that I feel when I do that.
There’s family, friends, maybe church or a community group. But writing this out and sharing with you helps me, too.
My next steps:
Contact my bank. One of my accounts is at a credit union, and they usually have assistance programs to help consolidate debt.
Contact my mortgage company. Maybe I can refinance for a lower monthly payment.
Contact my utility companies. There’s usually payment plans or financial assistance for those of us in this situation.
Continue to make those phone calls and complete that paperwork, which is the same amount of work and frustration as a full-time job.
And throughout the day, do whatever I can to keep it positive.
Take the time to thank the people that I have talked to as I go through my day. They want to help, and they are trying to help as much as they can within their limitations.
Step back throughout the day and think of what I have accomplished. Think about whether or not that particular situation is even in my control, or if I’m just doing the best I can. Because “doing my best” is something to celebrate too.
Maintain a written “to-do” list so I can cross stuff off and see what I’ve completed – even if I’ve added to that list. It reminds me that I’m moving forward.
We’re all going to be okay.
