Since I don’t know where to begin, I’ll tell you how I ended up here. I have always put other people’s needs before my own. I like helping those in need when I have it in my power to do so. I am currently helping my disabled mother, someone who I have always supported. I am not blaming anyone for my situation. I take full responsibility for my life. However, my desire to put others before myself, and poor decisions on my part, are the two reasons why I need some assistance.
My decision not to further my education right after high school was a big mistake because it impacted me financially. Postponing college affected the kind of jobs that I was able to secure. Most of the jobs paid low wages. Sometimes I was fortunate enough to find a job that paid just above minimum wage. However, I can count those jobs on one hand. As you can see, I was financially distressed the years following high school because I was only working for pennies.
Why did I decide to postpone college? There are two reasons why I decided to defer college, one being financial and the other one being family obligations. Unfortunately, the money was only available to fund my education if I took out a student loan. That was not an option for me. I was not interested in taking on student debt.
In addition to trying to evade student debt, my mother was struggling financially. Going to college, and enjoying college life, did not feel right considering my mother’s financial predicament at the time. To help my mother, I found a part-time job immediately after graduating high school. In short, deferring my education to help my mother was the logical thing to do. Although I waited to attend college initially, I decided to go later.
Despite my attempt to increase my income by going to college later, I faced many obstacles. I did not have the financial support of my family. Also, I had to work part-time to have money for meals and books. I didn’t have reliable transportation, so I would have to leave home early to arrive at class on time. I only had a little study time because I spent most of my time traveling to school. I had to study whenever a time slot was available. Lastly, my mother was struggling to pay the bills. As a result of my mother’s financial situation, I constantly worried. As is evident, furthering my education proved to be very challenging.
Although I wanted to graduate from college, money, and family obligations made my desire impossible. The increasing student loan debt was my main reason for withdrawing from college. I’m not too fond of debt, and I wasn’t sure if I could find a good job after graduation. While in college, I often worried about money and my mother’s health. These two things made it difficult for me to concentrate on my studies. Once again, my aspirations had to wait.
Today I am still being impacted by the decisions that I made in the past. I work full-time at a job that pays just above minimum wage. Every time I try to improve my situation, finances hold me back. I cannot set aside a decent amount for groceries when I pay my monthly bills. I buy groceries if I have money left over after paying my bills. If I try to factor in money for food, I cannot settle one of my bills by the due date. Some days I eat nothing. I often go to work hungry. I feel ashamed about my situation. It hurts me to write this letter. I am not trying to get someone to feel sorry for me. The purpose of this letter is to help everyone understand my situation.
As a single adult, $3,600.00 will feed me for the next 12 months. However, any amount you can give will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter.
Thank you,
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