I honestly never thought I'd have to do a post like this, and I think Ko-fi and Patreon are good places to have it. I'm gonna pull the curtains a little bit and explain a few things that are hindering me as of two months ago, so everyone has a clearer picture of what's going on. For that, we'll need to move a few years back to-
2020 and the Pandemic
At the beginning of 2020, me and Dot were finally able to spend a month by ourselves at my parent's vacation apartment, a place they sometimes visit over weekends. This was basically a test on how well we'd handle living by ourselves, and it worked wonderfully for us. My art was starting to do real numbers (2020's winter was probably my peak growth on Twitter) and we were able to finance ourselves over there. The results were so good that as soon as the pandemic actually hit us on March, we had decided we'll move in together as fast as we could.
Art was bringing in a very stable income, and she was working remotely on graphic design, and although that job was extra draining for her, if we put both our incomes together, we'd be able to pay for rent and finally get to move in.
On September, we were able to do it, accruing a debt of around two thousand dollars but we'd happily pay that over the next year. It was a great experience and we were extremely happy, but Dot's job pushed her into full burnout in 2021 and, with a few sacrifices, I was able to keep up as the only source of income for our household for a few months.
With that drop in monthly income, we talked with my parents about moving in to the vacation apartment, so we'd lower our expenses and cover only the place's taxes and bills instead of also having to pay over rent. And they agreed.
2022 and the Apartment
The move itself was even more expensive than the first time, on July 2022 we finally got back to my parents' apartment and they gave us the expectancy of five years time to settle up, finish the debts for the move itself and to rebuild until we could move out again.
When we moved in, the expenses were so high we had to make a 15k BRL loan for 18 months, adding up to almost 50% in extra debt just so we'd be able to pay it. In practice, we never stopped having that rent, after all, as the monthly payment for that loan was around the same we were spending on our old place. "It'll be okay, though, we'll have four years to gather funds after this is paid", we thought.
In August, Musk bought Twitter. Ever since, our income got such a vertiginous drop as that site was and still is my main source of commissions and work in general. It got bad to the point I wasn't able to sustain ourselves anymore, so Dot had to get back to work.
It was grueling, but we were hopeful for 2023, specially after the latter part of the year when we'd finally be free from debt. Considering it was their apartment, we did get into a deal with my parents that as long as they warned us with a week in advance, they could visit any time to spend the weekend. Those visits were usually very disruptive to our workflow, but it was seen as part of the price for our relatively better financial situation.
2023 and the Moving
Five months in we living in the apartment, with a standing monthly debt still being paid for from the second move, my parents gives us an ultimatum to find another place to move in. This was at the end of January this year, because they "wanted to be able to visit whenever they wanted" and they want the place vacant for New Year's Eve.
We were told we'd have five years, we've got a fifth of that time and double our initial moving expenses in debt for our troubles.
So, with Twitter going to shit, my income shorter, still 20k of debt on our heads and with all these worries, we had to start looking for a new place to move in. With a bit of luck, another apartment in the same building we were already in was up for sale, and when we learned about it, my parents came with the idea of buying it so we could move there indefinitely, and the original vacation apartment would be free for their leisure.
We didn't even have time to prepare before my parents did the purchase, and immediately pushed us to move out.
"We bought it, it was a huge expense on us, so the renovations are yours!" were their logic, but it never came to their minds that we were already neck-deep in debt, struggling to get food on the table at a monthly basis.
The place still requires a ton of even more expensive work done, the flooring is extremely damaged and the bathroom is full of loose tiles, but we just don't have the money to do anything like that. Still, we had to adapt into the a lot smaller place than we were before, so we had to pay for an entire rework on the open balcony so it could accept Dot's computer in, or else we'd have no space except our kitchen and our bedroom.
Everything added up so much we now have a standing debt of around 2k US$ (10k BRL) and I'm still six months due in that initial 15k BRL debt until it's over. The stress of moving three times in four years, racking up such a massive debt pushed my hidradenitis to its limit and I'm still having to take daily anti inflammatories just to be able to sit down and work on what I owe.
We've both went through the absolute limit of our credit cards trying to survive this, and now we don't have money to buy food. It's my birthday and we can't even get a piece of cake.
Things are they are now
I don't know what to do anymore, art doesn't seem like it's a liveable income anymore, and I've never had even a fraction of the success I had on Twitter anywhere else. With that site pretty much dead on the water, I have no idea what else to do.
I hate asking for things, I did my best to keep us afloat these three years but it just hasn't been enough. If you've read up to this point, thank you so much for caring this much about my situation, and if you want to help me with anything, every little cent counts.
A single dollar is around five reais, we get four of those after Paypal taxes so you can consider it a 1:4 ratio if it makes it easier, six bucks pays for a meal for both of us. This is how much every bit helps.
If you want to help, you can donate directly to my ko-fi at http://ko-fi.com/shukin or send money over at http://revolut.me/shukin . There is no direct link through Paypal, because Brazil doesn't have support for paypal.me links.
Again, thank you so much for spending your time reading this, I hope things get paid back to you tenfold if you decide to help out, and that you have a wonderful day nonetheless.
We all deserve a break from the pressure and insanity of this hellscape.
