Forum Challenge: Create an actionable plan

[ZCP]

Check out the link / story: http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/03/news/economy/low-minimum-wage-worker/index.html?iid=hp-stack-dom

Challenge:
Create an actionable plan for what she should do. No politics. No religion. No soap boxes. No grandstanding. Create a step by step program for getting out of the current situation.

Once we have a good plan together, I'll try to find the reporter (and her) to deliver the plan and some initial capital to start it. Then maybe the reporter can follow up after a period of time and link here.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Rethagos]

I'd start with writing a book, then finding somebody to publish it.

#1. She's got a solid subject to write about: her struggle of living with a $240/2 weeks paycheck.
Bonus: Her method of surviving seems to work somehow, so she can provide some actionable tips to other fellow Slowlaners on how to keep expenses low.
Bonus#2: If her story caught the attention of media, her book surely will as well.
Bonus#3: Stories about people having it hard in life are quite inspirational. As such, they have value. Check out the guy Nick Vujicic. He's got no arms, no legs, but he's like honey badger: he don't give a sh*t. And his books sell well, too.

Example: Life Without Limits, by Nick Vijicic.

• [HASHTAG]#482[/HASHTAG] in Books > Self-Help > Motivational on Amazon.com

#2. Writing a book costs nothing. She could write in notebooks, then visit a local library or something (there has to be computer somewhere) and transfer the written words to something like Google Drive.

#3. Publishing a book costs nothing. She can learn how to get her book published on Amazon or somewhere. Heck, she could even send the manuscript to the publishing company.

#4. She has A LOT of free time. 20 hour workweek? It's half the workweek of the typical Slowlaner.

Well, that's what I would do.

 

[mws87]

Buy/donate copy of TMF .

 

[Get Right]

Tough to plan somebody else's life but ok....

Step #1 - Find a friend/family/new boyfriend/sponsor etc. type person to co-habitat and split utilities.
Step #2 - Drop daycare and work out a childcare sharing system at home with new co-habitator.
Step #3 - Ramp up working hours to 40-50 hours/week. Either at McD's or multiple jobs. If co-habitator has children, allow them to ramp up their hours (different shifts) while you take care of your/their kids.
Step #4 - Find a mentor type to help show her how to increase her value/skills and start a longer term work vision.
Step #5 - Give her the tools to help her find friends a few steps ahead of where she wants to go.
Step #6 - New significant other.
Step #7 - Show her how far she has come. Continue to build self-esteem.
Step #8 - Start to show her how to ween off assistance.
Step #9 - Start an exercise/healthier eating discovery mode.
Step #10 - Encourage her to do something that's all "her".
Step #11 - Encourage her to help someone else.

If you dissect the steps you will see the main thing she needs (IMHO) - people. Not money or assistance but the right people in her life.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Mattie]

Basic Needs : p

1. Housing: Non-profit organization with low incoming housing with a case worker holding them accountable with finances every week, and learning how to budget and save money.
2. Parenting & Life Skills class once a week
3. Workforce or Job training skills class
4. Volunteer for work experience

These are already in the works. Problem with this? It's not mandated. They're given the wrong advice. And the system doesn't do their job to prepare them stay off the welfare system. Get any job doesn't work. They're mandated to do one thing show up at the Work force once a week. They get their G.E.D. told there aren't any jobs or part time jobs. And take any job. There not court ordered to stay in the program. There benefits get cut off and they go steal and do drugs.

What needs to happen:

Mandate and court order to live on Apartment environment. Everything provided their to learn budgeting and finances. Case workers or Coaches to meet every week to go over goals. Have classes on mental strength and emotional strength. Personal Responsibility. A day care center, there at the complex. Parenting skills every day. Mental Toughness class every day. Work Related training everyday. Make it a year program to get the right mindset, coping skills, training or education. Bus them to the classrooms and back. Allow them to take turns running the classes as they graduate and become mentors. Allow them to run the day care and take turns. Even have them run a store on campus for personal needs, to learn job skills. Teach them to work as a team to work together. Talk about how to improve the campus and what Ideas they can implement. Have them run a website and learn how to market, raise fun raisers, find donors, and run campaigns the appropriate way. Teach them to learn to write grants. At The same time they have a year to save money for an apartment, learn budgeting skills, and have some kind of direction to go, besides backwards.

Basically if you did this it would cut out a lot of things and actually do something positive.

 

[ZCP]

So far we have: (with me adding a few....)

1) setup daycare sharing to cut costs and make availability for more work hours
2) apply / beg / borrow / plead for more work hours with as many companies as needed to get more hours and more pay. Do not take no for an answer.
3) put 10% of what she brings home into an emergency fund. Do not touch it for any reason.
4) put 10% of what she makes into debt repayment. Find a way to live on the 80%. No new debt.
5) get a group of positive friends together. People who want to escape the rat race. Build each other up and help each other when needed.
6) any spare time goes into making crafts that can sell. Teach any children how to make them. Let everyone know what she is selling and ask if there are other things they need.
7) cut any wasteful spending from the budget. Barter within her group for things.
8) find a cheaper cell phone plan
9) take advantage of any help from local churches / charities for food / clothing / diapers / etc.
10) comb through govt assistance / scholarships / grants / etc. for ways to accelerate her plan. Charge others in the same situation a few bucks to teach them how to do the same thing she is doing.
11) stay positive and enjoy the time with her son

 

[Mattie]

Once we have a good plan together, I'll try to find the reporter (and her) to deliver the plan and some initial capital to start it. Then maybe the reporter can follow up after a period of time and link here.

I think when I've done internships none of your plans work. Sorry. Every state is different. Not every state gives rental assistance to everyone. And usually a one time emergency fund, or one time utilities. She would be in trouble in some states.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Mattie]

I just need to stay out of this thread because I can tell you how it work inside and out. Except signed a piece paper of confidentiality and would get sued. Let's just put it this way, if there smart enough they will figure out how to be an entrepreneur. If they don't they're basically stuck in the system, because they're aloud to play victim syndrome. And not being taught how to stop being a victim.

 

[LynnD5000]

I'd start with writing a book, then finding somebody to publish it.

#1. She's got a solid subject to write about: her struggle of living with a $240/2 weeks paycheck.
Bonus: Her method of surviving seems to work somehow, so she can provide some actionable tips to other fellow Slowlaners on how to keep expenses low.
Bonus#2: If her story caught the attention of media, her book surely will as well.
Bonus#3: Stories about people having it hard in life are quite inspirational. As such, they have value. Check out the guy Nick Vujicic. He's got no arms, no legs, but he's like honey badger: he don't give a sh*t. And his books sell well, too.

Example: Life Without Limits, by Nick Vijicic.

• [HASHTAG]#482[/HASHTAG] in Books > Self-Help > Motivational on Amazon.com

#2. Writing a book costs nothing. She could write in notebooks, then visit a local library or something (there has to be computer somewhere) and transfer the written words to something like Google Drive.

#3. Publishing a book costs nothing. She can learn how to get her book published on Amazon or somewhere. Heck, she could even send the manuscript to the publishing company.

#4. She has A LOT of free time. 20 hour workweek? It's half the workweek of the typical Slowlaner.

Well, that's what I would do.

I concur - It worked for JK Rowling - Harry Potter - that's about where she was when she wrote the 1st one....
L

 

[dirk.wert.3]

One question she only works 20 hours a week?
As far as I can tell the reporters agenda was to show she can't live without the government aid. So far writing a book is the practical idea given since she can stick with her job while writing and maybe try to pick up some more hours. Daycare is also great since it will allow her to work longer hours while still being near her child. If she can drive there's also uber and whatever the shipping version of uber is providing that her family can watch her baby. I'm sure there's many ideas we can come up with the but does she actually want probably not.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.