I'm worried about sharing my story because it reveals some things in my life that are personal but I want others to know that there are struggles people are facing through unexpected life situations. I hope I'm not judged to harshly for sharing some of how I've been impacted.
I had never filed for unemployment, last week I did. It was the most crushing thing I have had to do. I am independent and proud. I always pay my bills and I’ve never asked or needed handouts.
The house that I fell in love with and was going to make an offer on didn’t happen. The sellers were devastated. They are an older couple who have lived in that house for over 40 years. The husband was a retired fireman which I really connected with because my grandfather was a DC fireman too. They had raised their family in that house and I could feel the pride and love they had poured into it.
This will delay their move to warmer climates. I hope they find a buyer while simultaneously I’ll be sad if they do.
I owe less than $2k on my car with only 4 payments remaining. Friday, I had to contact the financial department and request a deferment due to the furlough. They were very gracious and agreed. Of course, the loan had 0% finance, so they really aren’t losing anything, but I was still relieved that they were willing to work with me.
I took out a personal loan through my credit union last year to address a health issue. I contacted them about deferring my January payments. They were happy to accommodate me for a $35 fee applied to both payments. I was shocked and told them that I was disappointed they were using the furlough to make money. They quickly rescinded the fees.
My savings took a hit when I was faced with rehab and housing costs for one of my sons. I take care of my own problems and I’ve never applied for federal resources to offset those expenses. I’ve always thought federal resources should help those less fortunate than me. Now I have no resources to help him right now and I worry for his life. Generally, I would have a cushion, but the opioids epidemic has hit my family hard and has basically cleaned me out.
I’ve always been smart not to accumulate credit card debt but I’m worried that I may have to fall back on my credit cards to survive this furlough. I may have to ask my parents for a loan. I’ve only had to ask them for help on one other occasion and I was much younger, it was one of the most embarrassing times in my life. Now I’m in a situation where I may have to ask them for help again and I feel like a failure. They don’t know that my savings has been depleted from helping my son. It’s something I’ve never discussed with them because I wanted to handle it on my own and I didn’t want them to worry for me or my son.
I guess I could pull money from my TSP savings, but I don’t want to take any money out of my retirement accounts.
I’m required to perform some activities for work without pay as an excepted employee and I do them without complaint because it’s who I am as a civil servant. My country comes first.
I do NOT support this President’s shut down as he claimed in a press conference yesterday. He is delusional if he thinks federal workers should carry the burden of these negotiations.
I need to be paid for the work I am performing during this furlough and I need to get back to work so that I can meet my financial obligations and responsibilities that I have to others. Creditors are not going to give me a pass because of a wall. Retailers and manufacturers who depend on federal workers to buy from them are not going to understand why they are not making profits because of a wall. Contractors and small businesses that the federal government does business with will also suffer from losing business or having current work performance stopped because of a wall. Senior Citizens that need social resources will not understand why they are not receiving the care or assistance because of a wall. These are just some examples of how everyday citizens and businesses are going to be impacted by this shutdown.
My story isn’t unique. I am just one of many that are impacted by the furlough. I’m a real person who has always done the right thing financially and personally. I’ve never used social resources, but I may have to use them now because my livelihood has been cut off. This is heartbreaking and I’m angry to be forced into this situation.