So, I have two 4 year old male cats, whom I feed 3x a day 1/2 can each of wet food and 3/4 each of dry food per meal.
Obviously, I made them overweight with this feeding schedule.
I feeding them Science Diet weightloss dry food and applaws wet food.
They both weigh 17 pounds and need to both lose 5 pounds.
Do I decrease their daily meals over 5 days or 10 days?
Do I just give them a few dry bubbles at lunch?
So, I was a substitute teacher for 12 years then I got a legal assistant job. I lost my job and then have been rideshare driving for Lyft for 3 years now. I barely make ends meet, but I can pay my bills. I just don't have anything to put into savings.
I'm 55. Single. Never married.
Today, my SUV stopped working - antifreeze leaked to the ground after it was filled.
These are common issues with my 2019 Jeep Cherokee Limited that I learned about today.
I have no savings, and I don't qualify (as a single, 55 year old woman) for most of the car repair grant programs I have applied to. They view the radiator as a "major repair" so they won't cover that cost with their car repair grant money.
So, here is where I need your feedback as to whether I should feel ashamed of myself for my current circumstances?
I reached out to my sister and brother and neither could help me financially. Two cousins I reached out to Venmo'd me $50 each.
My deceased mother's friend offered to give me $500 with the intent to repay her. I haven't accepted the money yet, because my mother's church has helped parishioner's with car repair grants so I just have to submit a diagnostic body shop estimate to have it approved or not.
So far, I have communicated with the church's director who is not the administrator. He agreed to let me pay $500 of the possible $1700 repair (I get my car diagnosed tomorrow at a local Midas here in Saint Paul, MN).
I called my car lender and pushed back my car payments. I called Verizon and split up my cell/tv/internet monthly payment. I called my auto insurer and pushed back my auto insurance payment.
My sister and nephew agreed to take me grocery shopping on Sunday for myself and my two cats.
I'm wondering if I should feel ashamed of myself, as one of my cousin's pointed out in her text to me, "here's $50 and I hope you can figure out a way out of your predicament so that this doesn't happen again." I wanted to be upset with her for her text, but believe me, I am mad that I am in this situation -- and a full-time job would alleviate A LOT of my financial straits.
I have joined nonprofit job training programs and received certificates in administrative support, technical support, and medical customer service. I have utlized temp agencies by calling weekly to mark myself as available. I have utlized job boards and directly applied on company websites for jobs. I have cold called and networked with companies where there are job openings to try to make a personal connection with their human resources or hiring person.
But I can't control the outcome of my actions. I can only use the information I've provided with and then respond to that information with what I think is the best decision for me.
I am still wondering if I should feel ashamed of myself. Is there something I'm missing that I could be doing to help myself farther along in my job search.
It is hard to tackle life situations like car repair when you are low income but don't fit neatly into the boxes set by the nonprofits who offer car repair help.
If/when I can find a full time job, I plan to get rid of my car so that I can take the bus or call people for rides or use rideshare as a passenger. The money I've thrown at my car for monthly car payments and monthly car insurance will finally be free for me to use for more social activities, which I haven't been able to do while ride share driving.
Can anyone relate to my situation at all? It was really hard to reach out today to people via text asking for help. It opened me up to their criticism, and to their judgment, which I'm choosing not to take personally (and believe me, the "me" ten years ago would have taken their comments personally).