I'd like to tell you a story. I'd like to tell you how I parlayed a simple idea into a business that in a short time made me very wealthy and secured my financial future for the rest of my life. Boy, I really would like to tell you that story. But if I did, it would be a work of fiction. And today we have to talk about not what we wish is so, but about what is.
What is so is this...in August of '09 I lost my job. It wasn't a great job by any means, but it paid the bills. Well, some of them anyway. But I got by. Then suddenly I was out of work, a single dad with three young kids to support. But it wasn't the first time I'd found myself in that situation, so I did what I'd done before:
started looking right away for another job. But as I soon discovered, the job market had changed in the two years since I'd changed employers before. Whereas you used to hit a lot of places and drop off neatly completed applications and you found work in a few days...it seemed everything had dried up when it came to working for a living. Always before I'd almost always managed to find work before I had to consider filing for unemployment benefits. Well, not this time. I found I couldn't even find work flipping burgers or mopping floors.
About two months after losing my job the bank repossessed my car -the day before my birthday. Ouch. Just because the paycheck stops coming in doesn't mean the bills do as well. What had been a difficult proposition before suddenly became a desperate situation. I was out of work and my only way to look for another job was stripped away. And so was my ability to take the kids to school, or doctor appointments, or even a simple trip to the grocery store. Or any where else for that matter. And things were going to get worse.
I was getting unemployment checks every two weeks. And where did that money go? Almost every penny went toward electricity. Our usage wasn't even that high, around $150.00 per month. But every bill also had surcharges and service fees and taxes and late fees and anything else it seemed they could tack on there. Resulting in a monthly bill around $275.00-$300.00 per month. Unemployment benefits were $452.00 a month. The rest was pretty much taken up with our monthly water bill. Leaving almost nothing for anything else. Even necessary things like soap, detergent, toothpaste, toilet paper...more than we could afford, I'm afraid.
After a year, my unemployment benefits ended. I had to file for an extension. Which took a while to come through. The bills, however, came right on schedule. And when I couldn't pay them I experienced what they euphemistically call an "interruption of service". I borrowed money from everybody I could. Sold what little I could sell. And managed to get the power and water back on. Still I searched frantically for work, and found none. My extension came through - at a "reduced " rate, of course. Weeks later, it ran out. I filed for another. Power and water got cut off again. The second extension was approved - with another reduction in benefits...then it too ran out. And I didn't qualify for any more. So here I was...no car, no job, no income whatsoever. Game over?
No, because this was no game. This was survival. For my children and myself. My only option at this point was charity. Social services. Getting any sort of help from agencies like this is a real challenge even when the economy is fair -to- middling. But in our current economic state? Blood from a stone might be easier to manage. But I was determined, and my little ones were my motivation. And you know something? I actually did it. And I know a lot of you are in dire straits right now so I just want you to know something else...you can do it, too. Here's how.
There are quite a few agencies in my area that provide assistance to families going through tough financial times. Some specialize in rent assistance, some with food and others with help in paying your utility bills. You will find this is true in your community as well.
You have to do your homework and seek these places out. Above all the first thing you will need is patience. I can't stress that fact enough. Always remember that these agencies are run by people just like you and me. They're doing the same thing we are, just trying to get through and provide for their loved ones and themselves. They deal with not only their own problems but those of the people they talk to every day who are trying to get help. It can be frustrating when you have to call and call these places and perhaps talk to several people before you even get started. But with the economy being in the state it is currently there are lots of us who need help, and the people who take our calls really are there to help us. A lot of us are stressed, and it's easy to blow your cool and take it out on somebody we don't think is hearing us or moving as fast as we'd like. Instead, be that worker's pleasant surprise of the day...the client who is refreshingly courteous, calm and clear on the phone.
Believe me, it'll make you stand out from the crowd and that's half the battle.
You're going to experience long hold times. That's just a fact of life. So when possible make these calls from a land-line telephone and not a cell phone that eats up minutes and money at the same time.
When you do finally talk to someone don't start out by complaining about how long you had to wait. They can't help that. Instead greet them politely and explain your problem and ask questions that matter.
Do they provide assistance with this issue you're having? If not, who might? If they do, what's your next step to getting help? When you do contact the right place they'll usually make an appointment for you to come in and discuss your problem with a case worker. Pay attention to the time of your meeting to make sure it doesn't conflict with anything else you have to do...picking up kids from school, a doctors appointment, that sort of thing. And most important of all, jot down a list of everything you need to bring as documentation. This usually includes driver's licenses, social security cards, birth certificates, a copy of your lease, proof of loss of income, certification of any assistance you receive such as food stamps, and of course your utility bills. These should always be kept where you can find them anyway, of course. When you go to your appointment make sure you have each and every bill or letter or statement they tell you to bring. They will be very clear about what they need to see. It always amuses me when I show up to meet a case worker and they're so surprised when I actually bring everything I've been instructed to. It seems from talking to these case workers that a lot of people don't, and those same people get frustrated and angry when they can't get help because they didn't simply do as they were told. C'mon, didn't we all learn to do that from our parents?
When your case has been discussed and you've been approved for assistance never forget to thank your case worker for their efforts on your behalf. I always do this and again I take them by surprise.
Seems most people don't do that, either. At that time you'll get a print-out of what help the agency is giving you, and to which company money is being paid. Some places mail it to you a couple of days later. In either case, hold on to that document. You'll most likely need it at this or another social services agency when you need help again.
Remember, times are tough right now and we're all in this together. Let's work with each other and we'll get through it!
What is so is this...in August of '09 I lost my job. It wasn't a great job by any means, but it paid the bills. Well, some of them anyway. But I got by. Then suddenly I was out of work, a single dad with three young kids to support. But it wasn't the first time I'd found myself in that situation, so I did what I'd done before:
started looking right away for another job. But as I soon discovered, the job market had changed in the two years since I'd changed employers before. Whereas you used to hit a lot of places and drop off neatly completed applications and you found work in a few days...it seemed everything had dried up when it came to working for a living. Always before I'd almost always managed to find work before I had to consider filing for unemployment benefits. Well, not this time. I found I couldn't even find work flipping burgers or mopping floors.
About two months after losing my job the bank repossessed my car -the day before my birthday. Ouch. Just because the paycheck stops coming in doesn't mean the bills do as well. What had been a difficult proposition before suddenly became a desperate situation. I was out of work and my only way to look for another job was stripped away. And so was my ability to take the kids to school, or doctor appointments, or even a simple trip to the grocery store. Or any where else for that matter. And things were going to get worse.
I was getting unemployment checks every two weeks. And where did that money go? Almost every penny went toward electricity. Our usage wasn't even that high, around $150.00 per month. But every bill also had surcharges and service fees and taxes and late fees and anything else it seemed they could tack on there. Resulting in a monthly bill around $275.00-$300.00 per month. Unemployment benefits were $452.00 a month. The rest was pretty much taken up with our monthly water bill. Leaving almost nothing for anything else. Even necessary things like soap, detergent, toothpaste, toilet paper...more than we could afford, I'm afraid.
After a year, my unemployment benefits ended. I had to file for an extension. Which took a while to come through. The bills, however, came right on schedule. And when I couldn't pay them I experienced what they euphemistically call an "interruption of service". I borrowed money from everybody I could. Sold what little I could sell. And managed to get the power and water back on. Still I searched frantically for work, and found none. My extension came through - at a "reduced " rate, of course. Weeks later, it ran out. I filed for another. Power and water got cut off again. The second extension was approved - with another reduction in benefits...then it too ran out. And I didn't qualify for any more. So here I was...no car, no job, no income whatsoever. Game over?
No, because this was no game. This was survival. For my children and myself. My only option at this point was charity. Social services. Getting any sort of help from agencies like this is a real challenge even when the economy is fair -to- middling. But in our current economic state? Blood from a stone might be easier to manage. But I was determined, and my little ones were my motivation. And you know something? I actually did it. And I know a lot of you are in dire straits right now so I just want you to know something else...you can do it, too. Here's how.
There are quite a few agencies in my area that provide assistance to families going through tough financial times. Some specialize in rent assistance, some with food and others with help in paying your utility bills. You will find this is true in your community as well.
You have to do your homework and seek these places out. Above all the first thing you will need is patience. I can't stress that fact enough. Always remember that these agencies are run by people just like you and me. They're doing the same thing we are, just trying to get through and provide for their loved ones and themselves. They deal with not only their own problems but those of the people they talk to every day who are trying to get help. It can be frustrating when you have to call and call these places and perhaps talk to several people before you even get started. But with the economy being in the state it is currently there are lots of us who need help, and the people who take our calls really are there to help us. A lot of us are stressed, and it's easy to blow your cool and take it out on somebody we don't think is hearing us or moving as fast as we'd like. Instead, be that worker's pleasant surprise of the day...the client who is refreshingly courteous, calm and clear on the phone.
Believe me, it'll make you stand out from the crowd and that's half the battle.
You're going to experience long hold times. That's just a fact of life. So when possible make these calls from a land-line telephone and not a cell phone that eats up minutes and money at the same time.
When you do finally talk to someone don't start out by complaining about how long you had to wait. They can't help that. Instead greet them politely and explain your problem and ask questions that matter.
Do they provide assistance with this issue you're having? If not, who might? If they do, what's your next step to getting help? When you do contact the right place they'll usually make an appointment for you to come in and discuss your problem with a case worker. Pay attention to the time of your meeting to make sure it doesn't conflict with anything else you have to do...picking up kids from school, a doctors appointment, that sort of thing. And most important of all, jot down a list of everything you need to bring as documentation. This usually includes driver's licenses, social security cards, birth certificates, a copy of your lease, proof of loss of income, certification of any assistance you receive such as food stamps, and of course your utility bills. These should always be kept where you can find them anyway, of course. When you go to your appointment make sure you have each and every bill or letter or statement they tell you to bring. They will be very clear about what they need to see. It always amuses me when I show up to meet a case worker and they're so surprised when I actually bring everything I've been instructed to. It seems from talking to these case workers that a lot of people don't, and those same people get frustrated and angry when they can't get help because they didn't simply do as they were told. C'mon, didn't we all learn to do that from our parents?
When your case has been discussed and you've been approved for assistance never forget to thank your case worker for their efforts on your behalf. I always do this and again I take them by surprise.
Seems most people don't do that, either. At that time you'll get a print-out of what help the agency is giving you, and to which company money is being paid. Some places mail it to you a couple of days later. In either case, hold on to that document. You'll most likely need it at this or another social services agency when you need help again.
Remember, times are tough right now and we're all in this together. Let's work with each other and we'll get through it!
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