What a good idea, this site.
Like everyone, we struggle since the economic crash. We were ripped off for two jobs in september before the crash and have had two small jobs since. It put us out of business, this ripoff, since we have to fund the work first and live until paid; without the business cash flow of customer payment, we can't do that. I thought it would be okay; I sold everything extra online and managed to prevent foreclosure on the farm.
No one is hiring within 100 miles and no one has hired either of us altho we will live apart to work if either of us can get something.
We're lucky in one sense. We have our 2 paid vehicles, old but running, although there's no money for gas in them. I'm trying to figure out anything else we have that would sell online although the costs of doing that have increased so that you have to be very careful not to lose money instead of make it that way.
We put up a tree and enjoyed small gifts we'd stashed thru the years but never given, so we made a Christmas although we didn't light the lights to save electricity.
The deep freeze that has settled on this area has me frightened. We heat, cook with propane. We've closed down as much heat area as possible, never open blinds, etc. We've found homes for all the rescued animals we've taken in over the years except the 13 year old dog with a false hip joint and the young dog with a horrible heart murmur - no one will take them and people keep leaving cats/kittens at the gate (we've always taken the leftovers - they didn't ask to be born either - fixed them and found homes if possible & kept the special needs ones). I've been able to make food for them and I always grew, canned, froze from a garden here to work with.
Tonight the freezers are turned off, finally emptied. The propane tank is showing empty. LP providers are unregulated and they don't have to keep you able to heat your home. There's no other way to heat or to cook here. The temperature is 0. My adult daughters live in other states but both are also in this deep freeze and I'm very worried for them although last I talked to them, they said they were fine (Christmas call; we will lose phone after this month except basic service and we will cut off internet then too., long ago gave up TV for the dogs needs and to generally conserve.
I have tried all local agencies and because only the two of us we can't qualify for anything. We have not had income in months. There is no more money. Literally. We have told the creditors for the little bit of credit we had outstanding that we would stand good, that we don't plan to file bankruptcy. We've paid what we could when we got those couple of jobs. Now they threaten lawsuits.
Where do people like us turn? I've reached the point where I no longer know what to do and can't find any options or hope online either. EVERYONE is struggling and I even feel guilty for thinking we need help too. We are workers. Always have been. I don't know what to do if I can't work to earn money to live even in survival mode, which we've managed really well. I'm lucky that I truly like AND love my husband, so I'd rather live small with him than any other way without him.
Still, I can't figure out what to do now. If the house freezes and the bank finds out, they will take the farm; I'm just holding them at bay and can't pay anything or tell them when I might again. I'm just plain scared now because I can't find a direction toward earning money.
Thanks for listening.
Freezing
