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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to what what has been called “the Great Resignation,” as well as a series of worker strikes. More individuals are turning to the gig economy and/or self-employment to mitigate risk while supporting their families and… Read moreCost of Doing Business: Why Small Business Prices are Higher
A woman sits asleep at a desk. She is hooked up with strings like a marionette. The invisible arm of the marketplace pulls the strings. The woman types on a keyboard, makes telephone calls, etc. The movements are choppy and… Read morePlay a Day: The Strings
Interior: Winter. A white, middle class couple plays with a baby. A TV is on in the background. Packages under a tree. Exterior: A homeless woman of color wrapped in a blanket shivers in the cold. People walk past on… Read morePlay a Day: Inside and Out
Someone told me that when poor people actually manage to have money, they don’t know what to do with it and it becomes a source of stress. That’s kind of how I feel right now.
I have a couple hundred dollars in my bank account somehow, and I will get another couple hundred before the end of the month.
About half of that I will need to help cover rent and bills at the first of the month, but I’m so used to not having any money, or having just enough to buy gas and groceries that it’s still weird.
I feel guilty buying groceries now. Even when I can afford them. Even when I’m buying protein to make me less hungry on days I do housecleaning. Which is totally legitimate and dare I say necessary to my health and… Read moreEven Less Than a Year of Poverty Changed Me
I started house cleaning again to better make ends meet. I decided to charge more for it this time around, because I think part of the reason I burned out last time is that I was undervaluing my time. I… Read moreStrange Intimacies
Another chapter in the “Being Poor Sucks” anthology. Using mint.com, I figured out that part of my problem is that I only accounted for monthly expenses in my budget. Less frequent expenses, like haircuts, oil changes, and renewing my car… Read moreF*ck Capitalism
I work for an independent bookstore. So, while I’m keeping my Amazon wishlist as a helpful archive of information, needless to say, my book purchases from them have stopped. As I get older, I think more and more about the… Read moreCause and Effect