"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
I humbly write these blogs to help encourage others and help people understand that whatever financial situation they might be in, whether they're in a hole or not, that they can improve their circumstances. Yesterday I received great feedback from my Interested In Improving Your Monthly Cash Flow? Follow These 5 Steps... blog. I received a few emails and some text messages about this blog with a few folks wanting to know more about my story. I decided to take a quick detour with my blogs and introduce to you my story as it pertains to my finances. This is not a "How I got rich quick" story. It's more of a survival story.
Most financial planners that I have met might know a great deal about 401Ks or investments. However, most of them might have never struggled to make ends meet, had to live paycheck to paycheck or had bill collectors calling them every day. Therefore, many of them might not be able to tell you how you can get out of your tough financial situation. I feel as though most people can relate to my story and this is why I encourage others to keep pushing. Here's my story...
During the recession of 2008 I found myself jobless. After working for multiple education companies and trying to become a substitute teacher, I was once again applying for unemployment and applying to jobs only a teenager would apply for during the summer. I was a college graduate with a business degree and a huge appetite for success but at the time no one gave me a chance to prove myself. I had two bill collectors harassing me, a warrant for a failure to appear in court (which to this day I still can't remember why I had to go to court in the first place) and a car that kept breaking down.
One day, in late May, I closed my bank account before they charged me again with overdraft fees. I decided that I would just live off of the $300 or so I had left and whatever I received from unemployment I would use for rent. At the time, I lived in a small two bedroom house in Fontana with my nephew. That day I told my nephew I couldn't pay rent anymore so I called the landlord and gave the 30 day notice. I had no clue where I would go or what I would do. In the meantime, my goal was to find any job to have enough money to last me through this.
I took any job that came my way. At the time I also played in a band but we were lucky if we even got money for gas when we performed. I painted a house (or tried to paint a house) for a few bucks, I put strings on guitars for a music store for a few dollars and I babysat here and there. Once a week I tutored my friend's daughter in reading and since she didn't have money to pay me, she blessed me with shrimp tacos every time we ended a lesson. On Tuesdays, I drove to San Bernardino to teach a kid's mariachi group how to play mariachi music. The families would pitch in to give me $20 for gas. In no way did I complain about my situation. Yes, it was tough and I would get sad at times but my mom taught me to be happy for what I do have. I cheered loudly even if I only received $20.
Shortly after, my cash was low and I had to move out of my house so I began to sell my possessions: microwave, toaster oven, TV, etc. I made a few hundred dollars but now I only had four boxes left with my name on them filled with books, clothes and a few memories. I was close to selling my guitar but some of my bandmates didn't let me. I was lucky enough to have a brother that let me stay with him. I was happy to just sleep on the floor so that I didn't have to sleep in my car. I stayed with my brother for a few months as I continued to apply for jobs every day. I interviewed with so many companies but felt as though I had the worst luck in the world. I didn't have a suit to properly present myself so I always wore the nicest shirt I had (which had a small hole that I had to cover during interviews). I didn't know why no one would hire me.
I finally received a call in early August from a company that called me a week before to tell me that I didn't get the job. This was an education company that did SES tutoring and they offered me a 3-month assignment as an independent contractor. If I met certain targets in three months, I would be able to stay with the company. If I failed, I was out. I had no choice. The day I received that call I only had $11 and had to decide whether I used those $11 for gas or for food. I used the money for gas and hoped that I would somehow survive until I received a paycheck. I started work on a Wednesday and, by an act of God, I received a small paycheck on Friday for my first three days of work. At that point, I knew things were going to change...
To be continued...
Don't forget to share this blog so you can encourage others: family, co-workers, friends. Give them something to get motivated! You never know what they might be going through. A few words of encouragement can go a long way.
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