Close Call (November 26, 2011)

Phew!  That was too close.  I almost experienced a hit that would have crippled me for the rest of this phase of the project.

Sprain my ankle again?  Suffer an illness requiring expensive meds?  Get in an accident?  No, none of those . . . THANKFULLY.  My wife's vehicle needs new tires.  It was taken in because one of the tires had a slow leak.  We thought it had picked up a nail or something, but  found out that the tires were beginning to split.  Had it been my vehicle receiving this diagnosis then it would have changed the whole course of things for this project.


What would have happened if it were my vehicle that needed new tires?  The cost would likely be in the range of $700 - $800, well over my current credit limit of $30.  So with credit unavailable as is the case for many people, another option would be to get another job . . . but that is also outside the parameters of the project.  This, too, is realistic as many working poor are already working to the max or unable to get further employment.  So the only alternative I can see is to try to live with the problem.

I would have to limit my driving as much as possible in order to delay the inevitable tire failure.  This means going through the heart of winter in the Canadian Rockies without access to a vehicle most of the time, and without access to public transportation.  For some this could spell unemployment as lack of transportation would mean inability to fulfill job responsibilities.  Fortunately, my job is not reliant on having transportation available . . . but it would mean walking a lot more and having a lot less time available on days when I would have driven.  When I did drive, to get groceries for example, it would mean doing so with increase risk to myself, my vehicle, and potentially others.  Not a good situation.

I've mentioned it before, and I'll say it again . . . life on the edge of having barely enough resources to cover your needs is stressful.  If I had to be looking after children on this budget, it would be exponentially tougher.  Kids don't only represent more mouths to feed and bodies to clothe, but also a whack of more potential hits that could de-rail the family's finances (eg. school costs, medical issues, replacing clothes frequently, extracurricular pressures, etc.).  No one chooses to live on the edge . . . it's not enjoyable.

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Phase II - Struggles of the Working Poor Daily Report
Day 25 (November 25^th)

Weight at Beginning of Project:  233 lbs
Weight at End of Phase One:  216 lbs
Weight at Start of Phase Two: 221 lbs
Weight at Start of Today:  219 lbs

Available Funds:   $1.35 (leftover) $9.50 (Nov 25) = $10.85
Funds Spent Today:  $39.74 (purchases)
Remaining Funds:   $0.00 (see New Loan)

New Loan:  $28.89
Loan Due Today: $0.00
Loan Payment:   $0.00
Outstanding Loan: $28.89 @ 1.5% per day . . .  $29.32 due on Day 26

Items Purchased:   6 Apples, 6 Bananas, 4 Sm.Tomatoes, 6 Noodle Soup, 400 g Red-Skin Peanuts (bulk), 2 Warehouse Pack Chicken Backs & Legs (BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!!), 6 Eggs, Loaf of Bread, 220 g Salt & Vinegar Chips & 6-Pack Cheap Beer (GREY CUP!!), 1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce (HALF PRICE!!)

Free Stuff:  Nil

Gas Purchased* & Remaining:  $0.00 (i.e. 0.00 litres @ $1.089 per litre . . . 0.0 km @ 10 km/litre) + 3.58 litres (gas remaining) = 3.58 litres (35.8 km)
Driving Today:  14 km (i.e. 1.4 litres)
Gas Remaining:  2.18 litres (i.e. 21.8 km)

*Will not include any fuel or driving related to work that is paid for by work.

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