In October of 2020, I got sick. I was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. I was isolated in my own room, receiving an IV of remdesivir for 5 of the 6 days I stayed there. Upon returning home, my boss wanted me back to work as soon as possible. I had already been working from home at that time, so I followed his advice and tried an 8-hour day as soon as the quarantine time had expired (14 days back then). That first day I started in to work, I needed a nap after 2 hours!! I had to request extended time away, and reduced hours, for when I did finally return. Fortunately, my doctor worked with me for this.
Eventually I began working 20 hours a week. That solved for the lack of energy, but cut my pay in half, of course. I signed up (and paid via credit) for several successive online businesses, that never ended up amounting to anything – I tried several versions of real estate; which included tax lien certificates, finding foreclosed property owners to let them know they were entitled to any amount of proceeds that were above and beyond what they owed, and I even tried to partner up with a real estate “flipper” to get something going. But none panned out. So now, not only did I have half the income, but I had significant bills for the training hanging over my head. In total, about $84k in debt.
At the end of 2023, my company wanted me to return to 40-hour weeks. I didn’t feel capable of doing that at the time, and being 64, I decided to retire and take my social security.
It wasn’t very long before I started looking for an online part time job. And I found one! It was actually advertised on job boards, so I thought it was legit. It was unusual in that it required me to put money into it to continue to “earn” additional money. But then multi-level marketing businesses require funds too, so maybe it’s “the new normal”? (Of course, MLMs have products, not whatever this service was.) It was also crypto based, so I figured I was learning something new.
Unfortunately, I seem to have a streak of magical thinking, like my mom. My brother says I’m just another older lady that got tricked out of her funds.
A good friend of mine had predicted long ago, that I would have a hefty amount of money to my name someday – and I thought “maybe this is how I accomplish that”!
Looking back, I can see that I was in some kind of a trance. I’d seen myself get careless about money and just go along with excessive charges because I was feeling good in the past – but this time took the cake, so to speak.
Before too long my whole retirement savings and inheritance had been plied into this so-called part time crypto job, that was supposedly “optimizing software” for a variety of companies. Realistically, my money was being held for ransom, with additional and higher stakes required for the promise that the money would be returned. I had the money – and the timing of my inheritance was coincidental, so I thought “it must be fate”! So, I kept thinking I would see where it takes me. Well, it took me to where I no longer had any money. There was always a new fee that has to be submitted before the funds would be returned. I see now that my original money has been held for ransom – to the point of complete depletion. Over $200k.
So now I don’t have enough coming in to last me to the end of the month. My minimums due are more than what I make. I have enrolled into a financial hardship program, but even their fees are steep! There is relief at the end of a three-year tunnel with them, but that’s not helping me get there much.
In the meantime, I have applied and been hired as a caregiver for Senior Helpers in my community, but it hasn’t started yet, and payday won’t be for two weeks after I start.
I have started Capital One’s Khan Academy to learn better how to manage my funds not that I have less coming in. It’s quite a shift in my experience and reminds me of when I just got out of high school.
I am taking steps to pull myself out of this and really hope that someone might be willing to provide funding to get me through this gap/mess I have created for myself. Please be kind and help. $5k should get me through this month, and my earnings from my job should kick in after that. I’m grateful for any donations. Thank you.
https://paypal.me/MaryLivingston92?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US