ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – The pandemic may leave more than 40 million Americans without a job, risking their homes and their health. Would you and your family be able to survive without a paycheck coming in every other week? How close are you to the poverty line? Are you prepared for an emergency or being homeless? Most people aren’t.
Could you live on $12,000 a year? How about a family of four living on $26,000? Thirty-four million people in the U.S. are living on this or less. “We became homeless and now we don’t have food, and now COVID, it’s been really, really tough,” said Latisha King. But would you make the right choices when it comes to living on less? www.playspent.org puts your knowledge to the test. It asks a series of questions like ‘Which job would you take if you are desperate?’ ‘Do you pay for health insurance or groceries?’ the choices you make can be life-altering.
Experts say preparing for the worst is key. Educate yourself on financial basics. Reflect on your money philosophy. How were you raised to think of money? What are your current beliefs? Then compare to what you’ve learned. Ask for help. Avoid borrowing. Work with what you have. And focus on your credit. It can be your safety net if you use it wisely. “21 years ago, I was homeless with my children and today I’m the founder of a nonprofit organization,” said Stephanie Bowman, Visionary at One Heart. Together, we can all survive these times.
You can find out your poverty risk assessment by logging on to www.playspent.org and taking the test. You may be surprised how one wrong decision can impact months—even years of your life.
Sources:
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/30/what-its-like-to-be-evicted-during-the-coivd-19-pandemic.html
https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines
https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines
https://www.self.inc/blog/7-tips-for-breaking-the-cycle-of-poverty
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Sabrina Broadbent, Producer; Bob Walko, Videographer and Editor.
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