Are we lower paid essential workers with middling credit going to be better positioned in society?

The Quarantine Zone
1

So, a few years ago I took my first employment after 13 years of being self-employed and/or a student and being stressed out by family, clients, biz partners, etc and just sort of reaching bottom in all facets of life. I took an entry level hourly job that was the surest and fastest paycheck I could get. Think when the Kevin Spacey character in American Beauty goes and gets the fast food job with the least responsibility, except I’m nothing like that character or actor and didn’t start smoking weed or get a pay out. Bad marriage, same highlight to my day, and I am working out and in better shape, though. Daughter loves me; I don’t love any of her friends.

I’ve just been plodding away at that job while taking a lot more time for my health and working on my anxiety issues. Easily at my all-time best health and have made some good friends for the first time in my adult life, and so on. You know, except for being a grown man with degrees and supposedly a lot of other good qualities being wasted moving boxes around 50-60 hours week.

So I found myself “essential” which I have to chuckle at, really. However, it means that I continue to work and have a job when many others do not. With incentives and such I can choose to make an extra $600-700 a week without much effort or disruption to my life other than dealing with constantly changing security procedures. I don’t need extensions on paying bills, 90 days with no car payments, student loan freezes, etc. Even if I get sick, with the stimulus payments and earnings so far I should be good to go for awhile. My credit is “fair” (mid-600s or so on most scoring models) and mostly held down by a couple old things that can only be removed by time and my credit utilization which can be paid off with one good month of OT.

I’m not trying to profit off others’ misfortunes (and compared to some corporations and investors the extent I will is very minor), but I can’t help but feel like 2 months ago I was in a pretty bad position in life and now my fortunes have turned simply by being able to keep plugging along and staying the course. I have a job and after 40 years of struggling with social anxiety I have almost no anxiety in the age of social distancing.

2

The economic depression we’ll go through for a few years may lower rents. You may want to consider moving when the time is right; you may be able to find equal accommodations for less, or better accommodations for the same price.

There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of what life throws at you. You’re not hurting anyone - you didn’t cause all this. You have to look out for Number 1.

3

Thanks for the reply. Figured there would be more people here in a similar situation. I don’t feel bad, like I’m taking advantage of something. Just don’t want to be entirely upbeat with so many suffering health-wise and financially and I’m sure many in my tax bracket and slightly ahead are getting knocked down now for not being “essential” or choosing to stay home for health and worrying about food, paying rent, etc. That said, after struggling with depression and anxiety my whole life I am feeling fine, just not trying to scream it from the mountain top.