I’d like to preface this by saying that I don’t think I’ve ever truly been poor. I’ve had times where I’ve had to watch my spending and had to cut back on luxuries, little things like that. I’ve never had to worry about a roof over my head, or where my next meal is coming from, even if occasionally that meal has just been beans on toast because that’s all I could afford at the time.
I think the poorest I’ve ever been is probably when I’d just finished university. I had to move back home because I couldn’t afford to pay rent, I was ridiculously far in debt, and I was struggling to find a job. At that point I’d have taken any job offered to me, and in the end I did.
I was borrowing money from my grandparents, from my mum, and dipping into my savings account. I was desperate. But I was also incredibly lucky, I had a savings account I could make use of, and family that would help support me until I got back on my feet. I’m forever grateful for what they’ve done for me.
A Place of Mine 