I did it. I pulled out my IRA. Before anyone goes judging me — for the song choice or pulling out my IRA — let me explain. Ok, judge me openly for DMB. That was just cruel of me to do. But it fit and I stand by that. As for the IRA, let explain.
1. My credit debt is at a higher interest than trying to do a balance transfer. I need a way to continue to make low payments and pay on time. Pulling out my IRA gives me more time and allows me to use unemployment to continue to look for full time work.
2. I only had the IRA for a year and no more money was being put in. I can take it out and have a slightly cushier pillow to protect me. Slightly.
3. It was my choice. I thought about it a long time and decided that rather than freak out, continue not to sleep the night away that I’d take it out. I know there are ramifications but I also know that my income bracket this year will be far less than years past. I’m banking on the ability to fall somewhere below a blip of did-I-really-exist-this-year-or-not.
Lessons in survival. Do what you have to do to survive. I don’t know what the future holds. I do know that I need money now, and in the foreseeable future, and since I like where I live, I need to make it last.
I won’t lie. I’m scared. I say it daily, but being scared doesn’t mean I am going to stand still. If I go down it won’t be from lack of trying. They’ll have to pry a computer out of my cold, dead hands. I really hope I get out of this soon. I don’t want unemployment to turn me into a jam band fan. That might be even be too much, even for me.
