I’ve always felt put off by the idea of begging for money online, mostly because so many people are so judgmental about it and like to victim-blame and tell people who beg for money online to pull themselves up by their bootstraps or “Get a job, loser!”   Even though I have a “Donate” button on this blog, I’m always hesitant to call attention to it because it seems too much like begging to me.

But I have this problem and using a service like GoFundMe or Paypal seems to be the only way I can solve it.   My 15 year old car is about to die.   I had the transmission rebuilt last year and that ate up my tax return, but it was a good investment because I had a car to drive for another year.  But over the past few months, a whole host of new problems have come up.  I feel like I just keep sinking more money into keeping it running and it’s really starting to get out of hand.  I just had the alternator and battery replaced (which I really couldn’t afford) and was told the oil leak (which I already knew about) is so bad they would have to take the whole engine out to find out where it is.  In the meantime, the car’s drivable but I was warned the leak is dangerous and the car could even catch on fire!  So I can’t use it for anything but getting to and from work, and only maybe for another month or so until tax time.

I should be getting a tax refund, but I don’t think it’s going to be that much (I have no exemptions, ensuring I get the maximum amount).   Due to my low income (like many people today especially in my geographic region, I’m underemployed)  I’m unable to save any money and pretty much live paycheck to paycheck.   I have almost no disposable income.  If you’re wondering why I have Internet, I don’t pay for it.  I’m getting Internet via Wi-Fi and pay my neighbor a $10 courtesy fee to use it.

I’ve been reluctant to trade in the car I have now, because it’s paid off and I don’t have to worry about the burden of monthly payments, which would be  more than I can reasonably afford, especially since any down payment I could put on a new (used) car would not be very much.   I also don’t have good credit because my ex ruined my credit rating, so I probably wouldn’t get financing anyway without a cosigner and I don’t know anyone who could or would cosign.  Asking my family for help is not an option for me.

So I have a problem because there’s no way I can get back and forth to work, or go anywhere, even the store, without a car.    Taking a taxi everywhere is out of the question and there are no nearby bus lines.

I’m not picky about the car I get, as long as it’s reliable.    I do not want to answer the private classifieds (used cars are a lot cheaper when sold by individuals but are usually sold “as is”) because I don’t want to be stuck with something that has unforeseen problems and that can’t be returned.  I looked at the prices of cars from used car lots in my area and they are all more than I can afford, even if I were to get financing.

So my last option is to set up a GoFundMe.   My goal would be $5,000.   I feel like using GoFundMe  to raise money for a car is kind of icky and shameful but what else can I do?    Apparently many people have been able to raise funds this way (and some for more questionable reasons like paying off credit card debts or funding a vacation!).  I’ve always wondered how that works though.  Do rich people with extra cash to burn browse the site picking random people they think have a deserving cause?   Do people actually do that?

The other thing about using GoFundMe, is that you’re required to use your real name.  I’d provide the link (I haven’t set up the account yet), but I don’t want my real name connected with this blog.  Therefore, if you read this blog, feel like you’ve been helped, educated, or entertained by it, and feel like contributing something, you may use my Paypal which is under the Donations tab in the header.  If you can’t contribute, no worries! But I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask anyway, even though I hate to.   I hope no one minds me asking.   I know sometimes people feel manipulated by such a request.

If you’d like to help, please click this for information about my Paypal:

https://luckyottershaven.com/nuts-and-bolts-general-information/donate-to-the-blog/