Roll Call 27

Dollar a Day Project Index | Less Is Enough

Eating on a dollar per day...

I agree with sunshine plasma donation is a good option...or family or friends...

Do you have credit cards?

Grocery stores some times give out free samples on weekends especially whole foods and costco.

The university gives out food cards that can be used on campus, but I've used them 3 times in the past 5 years and they cut me off because it's supposed to be a one time only thing. The chaplain has an emergency fund that I've used twice in 5 years. I don't know if she's in during the summer, she said she wants to catch up with me when she saw me in a play last summer, but I don't want to go there when she's expecting to catch up and I'm just asking for money. The university has a food bank, I've put in an application, I just need to wait for them to put a food bag together for me. I have quite a bit of pasta and a huge jar of peanut butter. It's the stuff I can't get from food banks or handouts, like shampoo, toothpaste, cat food, bus tickets, bottled water (there's lead in my house pipes) I need about $20 for the meds that aren't covered.

I don't have a credit card, I maxed my old one out while manic once and opened a line of credit with my bank to pay off the credit card so there would be less interest. At my parents' request (since they cosigned the line of credit), the bank has me blacklisted from opening any new cards until I pay off the line of credit. And even before that happened I tried to open a new card and was rejected because I'm on disability.

No family to help. Maybe if things get totally desperate I can get my dad to lend me enough for my meds. I don't know if I'd be allowed to donate plasma - how do you look into that? I'm in Canada. I'm banned from donating blood because I'm bisexual and transgender and take testosterone. So I might be banned from donating plasma too? I know gay guys who lie and don't disclose they're gay so they can donate blood, but I'm pretty conspicuous, they'd ask for my health card and my health card has a big glaring F underneath gender. Hell I'd donate eggs if it got me through the month except I'm pretty sure the testosterone stopped all that nonsense.

Thanks for helping me talk through this. I really feel like my options are limited.

On top of it all, I was supposed to hear back if I got into the play today, and I didn't hear anything so I'm probably not in. And I can't figure out why, I've done this production for the past 2 years, they know me, they like me, I do a good job. They also really needed male actors. I feel absolutely worthless right now.

yea i saw that. total bummer. im lookig at the nba now :/ sucks

Ur not worthless, ur just going through a hard time right now. U probably wouldn't be able to donate plasma. Man, I wish I had some better advice. I had to live off dollar deodorant and toothpaste and such before. That's an option.

Man I completely forgot about the whole LGBT/blood thing which I don't understand since they test for HIV anyway so yeah probably no plasma either...

You can always try for research studies...I know we did stuff like capsule endoscopy and people got like $200 to take a pain reliever for 2 weeks and then not eat for a morning and do a capsule endoscopy...the biggest issue was people not drinking alcohol or taking other pain relievers. Psych also does a lot of studies and you might qualify given your dx...plus they are trying to help which is nice. I know they would give me a bus pass and $20 every time I did an hour long survey.

I live in a residential area of my city. In order to get to dollar stores and food banks I need transit. I seem to remember my psychiatrist's office offering me bus tickets once so I'm going to try that. If I got a bike, I'd need a lock for it, and it wouldn't work for food banks because it takes both my arms to carry the stuff home.

I dug through my old textbooks and checked online if my school was buying any of them back. I can get $8. That's four bus tickets. So I can at least get to my medical appointments. And even if all I'll get for my old laptop is $20, I'll take it, I'm not using the damn thing.

I have a vacuum and a microwave I'm not using, I'm trying to sell them on my university's buy and sell facebook group because that's the fastest way, but no one is biting.

Oh yeah, studies! thanks, I'll look into that. I've definitely done that before. Unfortunately my school is a big science school and most of the first year psych students need to do studies for credit, so most studies offer credit and not money. But I'll try. Thanks.

You know what is great for deodorant is that crystal stuff...it's maybe $6 a piece but it lasts forever you just get it wet and apply it...I know in California the hotels donate soap to homeless people etc because they get a lot left behind. I don't know how universal that is...

What about creating a GoFundMe account? I've seen people create them for all different reasons. Then friends can donate money to you.

Most people using bikes this way get a basket on the front or back to carry stuff or use a backpack...a lock well if you get a cheap enough bike nobody is going to steal it anyway but some of the used ones come with locks because people are either upgrading or cleaning out stuff. I know I've gotten them for $5 at garage sales just because they don't want to take it to goodwill at the end of the day...these are usually fixes or 3-speeds so it takes more effort to ride them but it's doable.

I don't think I could ask for money from friends. I'd feel too bad.

I signed up for a study on Tuesday where I'll get $10 for an hour.

It doesn't have to be irl friends...people reading this like me might want to help you but have no way to do that...I wonder if you could do something involving your music too like a kickstarter...that way you'd be giving people something in exchange so it wouldn't be charity?
Think about it...

That should help.

I've been trying to self-publish a poetry book. I'll think about starting a kickstarter for that. I'll look into it.

That was exactly what I was thinking! Roll Call friends could help you. I'd love to help you!

I stayed inside most of the day going outside seemed unsafe to me today.the medicine is helping a little.

There's a tactile study that I could qualify for and get $20 but they don't want you to have any scars on the ventral side of your forearm and I have a couple of really tiny scars on the inside of my right wrist. They were self inflicted. They're so tiny though, and is the wrist a part of the forearm? I'm going to sign up for the study anyway and see what happens.

I would like to help you. That's why I thought of GoFundMe. I thought maybe other Roll Call friends might want to help some too.

TheatreKid do you feel comfortable telling us what state you live in?

I would help but I'm barely getting by.

He's in Canada...

Oh yeah! That's right! I forgot! Thanks

I'm in Ontario, Canada.

Man I have an ingrown nail. Never had one before, it hurts! And it's all swollen. I'm soaking it right now. It had went away but it's back. I think it's infected, dammit!

I am from Ontario too.