So I’ve become a statistic. I am one of the thirteen million Americans who has lost their job due to the current economic conditions. As you may know, I work freelance but the majority of my income (80%) comes from one client who pays me a flat fee every month so that he is always first in line. I do offsite paralegal work for him and unfortunately, business has been so bad he’s had to switch me to an hourly arrangement. As there’s no work, I'm basically laid off.
My initial reaction to this unexpected news, was that I needed to call a realtor, put my house on the market and make plans to sell up and move out, probably foisting myself upon a family member until I could get things rolling again. Luckily, I calmed down before I put any of that in motion and decided, for the time being at least, I needed to try and hunker down and see if I can weather the storm. It’s been about a year since I jumped on the frugal bandwagon and, although I’ve been working very hard at it, I still have some debt and not a lot of savings. I’m in a much better position than I was a year ago but not in a position to weather this current situation for very long so I’m scrambling.
I was a network admin for the U.S. Border Patrol before going freelance and I’ve got some small clients for whom I provide that kind of service. I’m glad I have them because at least they represent some money coming in but at approximately 20% of my former income, I can’t rest long! I put an ad in the paper to see about renting a room in my house. You may recall that I have been exploring this as a possibility for quite some time but hadn’t gone forward with it for various reasons. The ad has been running for two weeks now and I’ve not yet been successful. I had one good possibility who wasn’t sure she could get out of her current lease and was going to call me last week. I haven’t heard back from her so clearly she either changed her mind or was unsuccessful in her negotiation with her landlord. I also had a man come yesterday to look at the room. It had never occurred to me to rent to a man and, after talking to him, I decided I just wasn’t comfortable going that route. I’m going to keep running the ad and hope something comes of it. Renting a room is a great passive income generator that I hope to be able to take advantage of soon!
I’m sending letters out to some local attorneys offering my services as an “on call” paralegal. One of my friends who is an attorney has already recommended me to these particular people so mine will be follow-up letters. I live in a very tiny rural town and wages are pretty low here and jobs hard to find. I feel like scrounging up a series of part-time jobs, which allow me time to keep my current clients and continue looking is a better strategy than taking a low paying full-time job that wouldn’t allow me time to do anything else. I’ve been doing a lot of networking and have been getting some leads so hopefully something solid will come soon.
I hope to keep my ship afloat at least long enough to decide what I want to do and to make an informed decision about where I want to go. I’ve been living in this little tiny town for nearly 31 years now and perhaps it’s time to move along. My son is gone and for quite awhile I’ve been feeling in need of a change. Perhaps this is my call to action! It’s a little scary. Frankly, the thought of liquidating my possessions, another long-held goal, is so daunting, I’m afraid it’s been partially responsible for my inertia!
I know things happen for a reason and I’m sure I’m going to be fine, wherever I end up. Change is hard but I think I’m up to it!
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8 comments:
Good luck to you! I hope you find something soon. I know how hard it is to make a living in a small town. We ended up moving back to the big city because of it.
Good luck, Mary. I've been a lurker on your site for a few months and never left a comment but this post prompted me to write. I wish you luck with this phase of your life and know from reading your prior posts that you will make a well thought you decision that is entirely appropriate for you. There will be ups and downs for sure, but know that we are behind you! Thanks for sharing your life with us.
I'm proud of you for having the courage to have a positive attitude about your options. There are always more choices than we see at the moment when we are confronted with something we didn't initiate; rarely it is only A or B. Be open to C, D, E...
Hang in there!
So sorry. I'm praying there is something even better around the corner for you. And also your roommate falls upon your doorstep very soon.
Oh, my goodness. That IS a shocker.
Well, hang on, and remember the Bum's Mantra: "Money happens." Sometimes it's hard to keep the faith, but it's true...money does happen.
Can you do the paralegal stuff on a completely outsourced basis? That is, from clear across the country, where you never see the client face-to-face? If so, I could ask my ex-husband and also could give you some leads to some lawyers in big firms here in the Southwest.
My friend VickyC rents to male roommates and so far has had no problem. There are some advantages to having a man around the house (they can move the furniture). As a practical matter, too, my son (who will move furniture but not make moves on the roommate) much prefers female roommates. He says we're quieter and cleaner than men.
Possibly an exaggeration. But there are decent men out there who make good roomies.
Thank you so much everyone for your kind thoughts and good wishes.
@Deb - you are so right about small towns. I love the lifestyle but it can be hard to make a living!
@Karen - your support is appreciated and I am thinking hard about my next step!
@MtnMama - you know, I do have a positive attitude! I've felt a change in the wind for a long time and this is just a push in that direction!
@Carole - Thank you! I know that a year from now I'll be so glad this happened because I'll be in a better place!
@Vicky - It was so totally unexpected that it was a huge shocker! Yes I do completely "virtual" paralegal work. Thanks to FedEx, the Internet and email I really can work from anywhere! I'd certainly appreciate any leads! If you'll contact me through the link on my homepage, we can talk about it!
This male housemate possibility was just downright creepy! He made me feel very uncomfortable and I wondered if, once in, how I'd be able to get rid of him. I did a search for him in our local paper and discovered he'd been arrested for making terroristic threats! Yikes! A helpful man around the hosue can be a good thing. This guy? Not so much!!
Smart of you to do a mini-background check on the guy. Even if you hadn't found anything, I'd say "go with your gut." If he creeped you out, don't rent to him!
I wish you luck in finding more work -- and a quiet renter who asks for nothing other than privacy.
A student I know has the following phrase taped over her work-study station: "Do not give up. You are never out of options." It sounds as though you've got the same attitude, and I have no doubt that both of you will succeed.
@Donna - now, of course my prayers have been answered and I'm off to a new life in Virginia, so my renter issue is a thing of the past!
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