Broke Urban Lawyer Becomes Broker Suburban Judge

 Like many other small businesses over the past few years, my law firm failed. I tried so hard to keep it going, hoping that just around the next corner I would turn a profit again. But I didn't. So I started a job search about six months ago.

I started a new job two weeks ago as an Administrative Law Judge. I have a boss again, which is an adjustment. But every two weeks I get a paycheck, which is something I couldn't always guarantee when I was self-employed. And it comes with health insurance for the first time in my adult life!

The pay is pretty decent; it's more than I made even in my best year running the law firm. (One of the other judges privately told me he thinks I'm underpaid, but I'm happy with it, and it's not like there's anything to be done about it anyway. There's no salary negotiation when you work for the government.)

But...I'm back at square one when it comes to my finances. Losing a business is expensive! I have a bit of credit card debt (low five-figures), some student loan debt still left over (low to mid-five-figures), a mortgage (low six figures), and a business loan (mid-six figures). My net worth is a six-figure negative number again, since all of that debt is larger than the value of my house. I thought I had escaped that.

I tried to sell my house a few months ago, but it wouldn't sell. I was upset about that at the time, but now I'm glad because it means I still have a place to live. I'm not quite at the level of declaring bankruptcy yet, but it's not out of the question. I've pulled myself from the brink of financial ruin once before, so I can do it again.

I'm still owed a large amount of money in attorney's fees from legal work I've already completed, so once that comes in, it will make a dent in the problem. I still get to work from home, so I'll save on gas and other commuting costs. Now that I have health insurance, my medical care will be much less costly.

I'm going to cut out the takeout and reduce spending in other areas as well. I'll go back to making my own laundry detergent. I hadn't planned on having to live like a student again in my 40s, but we play the cards we're dealt. It's a good thing I like rice and beans.

Onward!

Broke Urban Lawyer Fights Inflation

It's been a while since I've written. I've been bogged down at work and with life, but I thought I would pop on over to write about what I've been doing to deal with all the inflation we've had lately.

I've been indulging my inner hippie. I've preferred reusable options for years, but I've kicked it up a notch lately. Spending a little bit more up front to eliminate recurring expenses can really help the budget (and the earth).

In no particular order, here are some ideas on how to fight inflation the way our grandparents did:

1. Water

So many people will buy bottled water by the case. That can add an extra $15-20 per month to the grocery bill. I have a water filter installed in my refrigerator, and I fill up a reusable glass water bottle. There are plastic and metal options available, but I prefer glass. I fill my bottle up and drink out of that.

2. Ziploc bags

I keep a box on hand for when I really need something disposable, but for the most part, anything that most people put in a ziploc bag I'll put in a mason jar or pyrex glass container.

3. Plastic wrap

I bought a set of silicone lids that I can stretch over plates and bowls in place of plastic wrap.

4. Makeup removal wipes

I confess; I love disposable wet makeup removal wipes. But the cost adds up. I found a product called Makeup Eraser. I was skeptical, but it works wonders. I have very sensitive skin, and I love that I can take my makeup off with just water and the cloth. I ended up buying two more after the first one so that I always have a clean cloth to take my makeup off. (Though, honestly, since I stopped having to show up in person to court, I've worn much less makeup. Nobody can see what I look like on a phone call.)

5. Dishes

I don't buy paper plates or cups, and I don't buy plastic silverware. I use real dishes, even when I take my lunch with me.

6. Napkins

My mom gave me a set of cloth napkins when I moved out of my parents' house. At first, I saved them for special occasions because cloth napkins felt fancy. But one summer I was so broke that I couldn't afford napkins, so I used the cloth ones. I've never gone back. They sit in a basket on my kitchen table. When I'm done using one, I toss it in the laundry basket.

7. Paper towels

I have a house full of cats, so I was using a lot of paper towels. Then I got a free Swedish dishcloth thrown in with a cleaning supply order. It's a square of cellulose cloth that's absorbent and fast-drying. It does everything a paper towel can do, but better. I also use tea towels to wipe up spills.

8. Kleenex

I switched to handkerchiefs last year. I made a set out of an old scarf (no sewing; I just cut it up and left the edges frayed), and then I bought another pack. My nose was happier during allergy season, and now I save a ton of money by not having to buy kleenex. I still have a box or two of the disposables for guests.

9. Diapers

I don't have children, but when I do, I'm going to use cloth diapers. Not only will it save money, I'll never have to worry about running to the store at 3 AM because I'm out of diapers!

10. Menstrual products

The average menstruating person uses 9,000 tampons or maxi pads in a lifetime. That's a lot of money. There are alternatives that can cut down on this cost. Menstrual cups are popular. There are also washable cloth pads and cloth period panties. For people who know how to sew, there are free cloth pad patterns available.

11. Bicycle

Have you seen gas prices lately?! I drive a Prius and I'm still feeling the pinch. I've committed to riding my bicycle more often for short errands like trips to the library or grocery store. Bonus is that I also get fresh air and exercise.

12. Thrift store

Almost all of my clothes come from Goodwill. I bought my suits (and, of course, undergarments) new, but shirts, pants, pajamas, leggings, and jackets come from the thrift store for a fraction of the price. A lot of my pots and pans and dishes also come from the thrift store. When I furnished my house, most of the guest room furniture was also used. I ended up with a functional house for a fraction of the price.

13. Lighter

I love candles. I almost always have one burning while I'm working. When my butane lighter ran out of fuel last summer, I started looking at refillable options. I found a battery powered arc lighter. Instead of using combustible fuel to create a flame, it uses electricity to create a spark. It's rechargeable with a usb cable.

14. Batteries

Rechargeable batteries are a good option. There are even usb-rechargeable ones now. I still have the old-school ones that plug into the wall where you pop the batteries in four at a time.

I didn't go out and buy these all at once. When my disposable options ran out, I replaced them with reusable ones. What ideas are you implementing to fight inflation?

Broke Urban Lawyer Gets the Covid Vaccine

 I never do things the easy way. Apparently, that includes getting vaccinated against covid.

As a lawyer, I'm considered in my state to be an essential worker. As a result, I became eligible for vaccination very early in the process. However, because I have allergies and have had prior bad vaccine reactions, my doctor said that it was too risky for me to get a mRNA vaccine at the moment. At the time, the only approved vaccines were mRNA, so I had to hold off on vaccination.

I eagerly awaited the results of the Johnson and Johnson trial and the subsequent approval, since that vaccine uses traditional technology. Right after the J&J vaccine got approved, my state changed eligibility to be based only on age instead of occupation. My eligibility was revoked.

Broke Urban Lawyer Votes

It's been a while since I've blogged. When the pandemic started, I figured I would document it for history, because I didn't think it would last this long or get this bad, and I thought it would be an interesting record of a weird month. That was nearly half a year ago, and it's so thoroughly rehashed ad nauseam in the news that I haven't felt like it.

Life marches on. And at least for now, we still live in a republic, so voting marches on, too.

There's been a bit of controversy about how voting should happen in a pandemic. I'm not going to go into that here, but I will describe my experience voting.

Broke Urban Lawyer Falls into the Money Pit

There's a movie called The Money Pit (full disclosure, I haven't actually seen it, though many people have told me that I should), and the basic premise is that a couple buys a house, and things constantly break to comedic effect.

It turns out I bought that house.

Broke Urban Lawyer Buys a House

I started this post about 4 months ago and then got so busy I didn't have a chance to come back to it until now. I had been doing so well with my debt that I decided in February to go and triple it. I bought a house.

I know, it sounds a little counterintuitive to take on a mortgage when I'm staring down my student loans. I decided to do it because in the long run it will save me money, though. Rents in my city are rising at an alarming rate. In the two years I lived in my apartment, my rent doubled. I figured at some point, the rent on a one bedroom apartment would catch up to the mortgage on a multi-bedroom house, and I wanted to get out of renting before that happened. I hated flushing money down the drain every month. When I paid rent, I was fattening the wallet of my landlord. When I pay my mortgage, a portion of that goes to me. If I kept renting, in 30 years I would get to keep paying rent. By buying a house, in 30 years I'll have a house. (Though I plan to pay it off much sooner than that. This is a get out of debt blog, after all.)

Broke Urban Lawyer Pays Cash for Medical Care

I've written previously about how I don't have health insurance because it's not a good financial option for me. I do, however, get regular medical care, and my care doesn't suffer due to my lack of insurance. In some ways it's better because I don't have to wait for approval from an insurance company before getting stuff done. If my doctor and I agree on it, it happens without bureaucrats interfering.

I have some mild chronic health conditions that I manage, but other than that, I'm generally in good health. If you're someone with more expensive medical needs, your calculation might come out differently.

Here's how I handle it: