tips for low-income folks
Hey there! This is a post for friends who are on a low-income, minors who are in a low-income home and anyone facing homelessness. I also work in retail so I’m also passing on friendly advice from soccer moms.
I don’t know if this was just me, but when my parents and I were homeless and lived in a shady motel for almost two years, the money to my first job (part-time) went all to food. Unfortunately, with high food prices, it was easy to blow my check on it.
Start couponing and pay attention to sales. “But Leon! That takes too much time!” It’s worth it, okay? I promise. You can get away with super cheap deodorant that will last you for months. As a cashier, my biggest word of advice is keep up with the coupon policy at your choice of grocery store. Also take advantage of mystery (free/or a penny) items at the store if they have it!
Farmer’s markets are your friend! Especially for produce!
Don’t be afraid of ‘manager’s special’ items at grocery stores. Like seriously, raid the clearance rack for spices, medicines, and hygiene supplies. Clearance is also your friend.
Cooking. You probably see this a ton but cooking your own meals is much cheaper. I didn’t believe that at first “McDonald’s got a dollar menu tho” was my logic but no.
Food stamps! You don’t need to have kids to get food stamps. Give it a try.
Learn how to keep food longer. Did you know bananas get brown faster when its by something cold? Neither did I. And freezing milk and bread is a thing, too.
Non Name Brand Stores or Dollar Stores. I live in the suburbs so there are stores like Aldi’s where most of the food isn’t name brand. That’s a good place for basics like sugar, water, rice, ect.
You need clothes for weather changes, don’t you? And maybe you have a job interview and you need to look presentable. Try these tips.
Thrift stores. Some of the clothes might not suit your taste. Don’t worry, okay? Remember, there’s usually more thrift stores in the area. I also highly suggest the app Mercari or Poshmark. I mainly use Mercari (use my code “RTWFJP” to start off with $2 in credits!) but wow, you can get some nice clothes for real cheap. I needed fitness clothes. I checked the retail value of a tank top and it was $70. On Mercari? The seller had it for $16. I was one happy flower, let me tell you. This is great also for plus sized pyts (pretty young things) because it’s hard to find cheap, fashionable clothes that fit.
Hand me downs/ups. Don’t be afraid to get old clothes! Some of that stuff is an easy fix with a sewing needle.
Hand washing clothes is a good way to save on money, too!
Maybe this should have been number one…
Use job boards such as Indeed.com, Monster.com and careerbuilder. Another method of job hunting that helped me is using Google Maps and searching for companies in the area, and then I’d call them directly or check their ‘careers’ section (usually located at the bottom of their sites).
Use your skills. You’re an artist? Try doing commissions! You can draw for other people or sell art. If you’re a write, you can also do this as well. Or let’s branch out. If you’re in a community, you tutor kids (make yourself a cute ad), babysit or dogsit.
Work on skills. ‘Must be billingual’ ‘Must have bachelor’s degree’ ‘Must have typing speed of a million wpm.’ I know, it’s annoying when a lot of jobs have that. One that I learned while waiting for a job to call me is to try making new skills. There’s a ton of language learning sites that are free like duolingo and tumblr! Tumblr has langblrs that I believe is a fantastic idea. I’m not saying to be a fluent French speaker overnight, but if you can at least get the basics, that will help build your resume. If art is your thing, practice your skill with online tutorials!
Volunteer. ‘Wtf Leon how am I supposed to help people when I’m the one who needs help???” Hear me out. This is another way to not only build character, but to build your resume. Some organizations need someone to help with filing or starting up a fundraiser. This will help you gain experience. See? Try this site, volunteermatch.org I do advise you to research the organization, first!
One difficult thing was managing my mental and physical health. I was in a bleak situation and it was hard getting help without health insurance. This part might not be helpful so if anyone wants to add on, please do.
Mayoclinc.org. I went to the doctor (I paid out of pocket) and the doctor simply took out her laptop, searched up mayoclinic and printed out the page with what she guessed I trouble with. My point is, it’s pretty valid for having an idea of what’s wrong.
Record everything. I might be a hypochondriac but it’s important to make sure you keep a record of your weird things your body does. Missed periods, odd spots, always feeling dizzy after you eat, random stomach pains, struggling using the bathroom, you name it. Write the time, date and what’s going on in a journal so when you do get the change of seeing a health professional, they can help you.
Keep clean. Wash your hands, polish your teeth and keep your hair tamed. Your hygiene is very important because it keeps you from getting sick.
Online therapy. I have ptsd so I had to live with some people who triggered it in order to survive. You’re not alone, okay? Try this masterpost.
Stay Away From Toxic People. An important thing is not to tell every single person about your struggle. Why? Because some people see that as vulnerability. It’s okay to ask for help, but be very wary of who you ask.
You’re very important. Your worth is NOT defined by how much money you have or fancy stuff. You’re a really cool kid and you’re doing a great job! Hang in there!
Cool ways to have a good time!
Join local events. I’m more of a loner but if you like being around people, there might be some fun events in the area you can go to for free! Or even better, you can use this as an opportunity to get involved! Like if there’s a fair, you can do face painting or help clean.
Libraries. Those are sanctuaries. You can read, use the computer, or use it as a safe place to get yourself together.
DIY Projects. My favorite thing ever is reading cool life hacks like making candles out of crayons or all the things you can do with eggs. You might find something neat that will benefit you!
Windowshopping at the mall. I love the mall. Some shops have samples and nice spots to hang out. They even have some stores with massage chairs so you can ‘test’ it out for a little bit.
Watch cartoons and anime online. I reaaally love the sites kissanime and kisscartoon. They saved me from absolute boredom. The best part is that you can download the shows if internet is a struggle to get to.
Check out @howtogrowthefuckup! This blog saved my butt in so many ways. Like I mentioned before, I was homeless and was forced into adulthood without much guidance from my parents.
Get yourself pepperspray! It can be dangerous out there, so make sure you have something to keep you safe.
If you’re not in school or work, try to find a way to get online classes. Education is power! And student loans is also a thing.
Careful with some organizations. My job sponsors a charity and I finally went to the said charity for help…worst experience. It’s worth a try but try not to fully depend on them.
Set goals and write or think of the steps on how to get to them. Sometimes I’ll get overwhelmed with life and things will happen too fast. Step back and think “Where do I want to be?” Then look at how things are “Am I there?” and if not “How do I get there?” For a good example, I still don’t know how to drive. I want to drive but I’m not. How do I do it? I start by reading the driving manual on the dmv’s website.
Separate your needs vs. wants. This will help you avoid impulse spending and training yourself to be responsible with your money.
IMPORTANT! If you’re a homeless minor in public school (I guess this applies mostly to the United States, I don’t know how it is in other places), tell your school counselor and try having it documented that they are aware!! You see, while applying for FASFA, there was a section about homelessness. Unfortunately, my counselors denied me ever speaking of it (which we did, ugh long story).
I hope this helped you! Things may be hard now, but remember that bad times are temporary. Just as the good times were. Hang in there, you flower!
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