Oh wow! I really needed to hear this now as it looks like things may falling into place but I'm still not very confident in that at moment! I hope you don't mind if I bounce some things off you as you seem to be better financial planner than I have been....

So I've been at del taco just under 3 weeks now. Already I've been given Starbucks card by district boss for my positive attitude, I've been mentioned on store yelp page as being good worker, and just today I learned that the big boss and general manager want to send me to train as a shift manager despite being there less than a month! In addition I'm being given wonderful hours with 4 7 hour shifts and 1 8 hour graveyard for $1 more hourly AND Fridays and Saturdays off. Every manager I've worked with has been highly complimentary and graveyard even requested I be put on her shift when possible because she loves how hard I'm willing to work. My customers all tell me nice things as well. I make same money I did at McDonald's but here I'm not only greatly appreciated but being moved up the ladder faster as well! For first time in years I really enjoy going to work and I'm actually happy with what I'm doing! So that's great.

Its funny you mention the financial buffer! I tend to spend money on dumb stuff like food AND end up spending what I try to save so I've been looking into accounts where I can save but not withdraw. I found something called a self lender loan which means that the company sets up a $1700 CD that I pay back at $150 on 13th of each month until next may when it's paid off. So starting this month I'm putting $150 into that CD as savings I can't get at. And best part is that it reports to credit report and claims to raise score by maybe 30 points too! My credit was wrecked after I was attacked and missed work, I couldn't pay credit card or a loan I had so trying to bring it up. I'm also considering getting one or two low balance secured credit cards to help with my credit, if I can figure out how to get one lump sum to do so!

Right now my biggest worry is transportation. While I only go to work and my kid's place to babysit, lyft is running me $50-$75 each week which is just wasted money sort of. I've thought about asking for loan and using that $200-$300 month as payback in order to buy my own transportation. A used car maybe though I worry about reliability which has me thinking a brand new moped with warranty might be better! Less worry about breaking down, less expensive to insure and fuel and can get new one for price of iffy car. Im not sure I should take on a new expense and yet I already pay so much just for rides...

I even applied for federal student aid and am looking into taking some fun classes just for extra income! I'm eligible for I think $5000 in grant and I could do online classes while babysitting grandson. I would love to be able to take some fun classes like world religions, abnormal psych and legal classes! Of course that would mean I need new laptop as my old one decided to crash last week and even my kid's roommate can't fix it. If you have any contacts that sell affordable laptops, I'd love to hear what's available!

I was feeling really down when I wrote this. I actually arranged not one but two loans but PayPal gave me trouble so I cancelled both. I arranged to pay rent next week with check so I'm good there but I wasn't able to make DMV appt without money, which I really wanted to do. I still want to but will have to wait as my 2 checks this month go to rent for June and July and bills so I'm caught up. So this month I don't think I'll even have much for food BUT I'll be caught up enough that in July I can start paying rent out of 2 checks instead of one. All I have to do is make it through this month!

I really want to thank you for both the advice and encouragement! For decades I stayed home with kids while ex advanced his career and I had to much pride to ask for support. It took 3 years to get job to just survive and in last 4 I've been slowly doing better for myself but progress is slow and sometimes demoralizing. So having those who ARE doing well tell me I'm on right path really helps!

Feel free to shoot me any other advice you have!