You might be thinking "what's not good?" and "what level of not goodness is this malarkey!?" Well, I've come into a bad situation which I believe will be solved within time but is still scary.

I've been unemployed since late December. The only money I've run into since was from my tax return. This savings I had has completely run out, and my credit card is very close to being maxed out. I've been job hunting as hard as I can, submitting a whole lot of resumes all over the place. I've also tried finding people to buy art. No luck there yet. Now I posted some instruments on craigslist that I haven't used in awhile which, when sold should give me around $700 (I hope).

Today I asked my mom for some money because I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. She's known about this appointment, I asked her for money for this appointment a few times and was told it wouldn't be a problem. So...when I asked she said it was okay and that she would leave out her credit card because she didn't have the cash (she's not supposed to have a credit card but that's a whole other issue). I told her that was fine and to level the credit card on the table so I could take it tomorrow. A few minutes later she came back to me with an attitude asking me what the appointment was for, knowing it's a doctor's appointment. I told her it was for my cholesterol because I had a blood test for my cholesterol recently. She was okay with that, but I'm thinking she's not okay with me going to the doctor for trans stuff, or for getting hormones.

I've been able to afford my T through unemployment and having a job up until now. The cost for T now with insurance is $70 ($50 co-pay). I'm not able to afford any of the less expensive compounding pharmacies either right now. It looks like I'm probably going to be missing at least one shot. Anybody have ideas on ways to make money quick, what I can do to get some sort of income, or how to get T at the lowest price? The clinic was using sliding scale, making my total cost with needles $36 but because I have insurance I no longer qualify for this price. Is it possible that they can allow me to get it at the sliding scale price?

This probably won't be good advice but the only thing I can think of is to switch to a cheaper kind of T, if you're not already taking the cheapest. I mean, the Delatestryl I take is usually $75 while Depo-T is $25... so maybe there's something cheaper you can switch to?

I'm taking testosterone cypionate. The amount I put down would cover 5 months supply.

Quote from: Nygeel on May 06, 2012, 07:50:04 PM
I'm taking testosterone cypionate. The amount I put down would cover 5 months supply.

Oooh, gotcha. Ignore my advice then.

Nygeel, sorry to hear that. I don't think the pharmacy/clinic will drop your insurance and convert to sliding scale unless you produce proof it's discontinued (called letter or notice of discontinuation). Have you tried Strohecker's Pharmacy in Oregon? They are pretty much known as the cheapest legit compounding pharmacy in the US. Maybe you could talk to the person that runs the pharmacy, explain your situation and ask for advice. Yeah, you can't run out of T

Quote from: MeghanAndrews on May 06, 2012, 07:58:08 PM
Nygeel, sorry to hear that. I don't think the pharmacy/clinic will drop your insurance and convert to sliding scale unless you produce proof it's discontinued (called letter or notice of discontinuation). Have you tried Strohecker's Pharmacy in Oregon? They are pretty much known as the cheapest legit compounding pharmacy in the US. Maybe you could talk to the person that runs the pharmacy, explain your situation and ask for advice. Yeah, you can't run out of T

I know about 'em but their price is too high for me to buy. I know I want insurance to cover my appointment at the clinic, and to cover my blood work. That flippin' co-pay is brutal. There are compounding pharmacies around me that I plan on calling tomorrow as well as the clinic.

Depending on what's around you and what your skills are, here's some random ideas for quick money.  Some may involve more networking than others.

Dog walking, errand running, house sitting, pet sitting, baby sitting, house cleaning, yard work, donating plasma, participating in medical or psychology experiments, tutoring, skilled freelance jobs (painting, writing, graphic design, photography, carpentry, etc). 

I'm sure there are plenty others as well.  Probably a bunch of legit websites online where, if you had the time and energy, you could make some money doing surveys, reviews, etc.  A friend of mine became a mystery shopper and it paid well for her.

Learn money management.  A fiscally responsible person would have anticipated the cost of an upcoming appointment and set aside money.  They wouldn't go out and buy clothes.  Electronics, cars and pets are luxuries, if you cannot afford them, sell them.  If the job market is that terrible, enroll in college and apply for FAFSA.  $5500 is better than nothing and you'd have more earning power later as a college graduate.  The price of gold is also through the roof, any 14k and up scraps would be worth some decent cash at a pawnshop or jewelers.  A small, cheap gold locket could actually be worth $45-80 in scrap depending on the purity.

So sorry about your situation Nygeel. I know someone who told me about 2 legit websites where you can work from home:

www.ratracerebellion.com and www.sutherlandathome.com/  on these sites you shouldn't have to pay anything.

I've looked on these 2 websites but I still haven't found anything yet. Hopefully you can find something soon.

QuoteA friend of mine became a mystery shopper and it paid well for her.

I was thinking about doing that. How many hours a week does your friend get doing this job?

You can odd jobs on Craigslist. 

There is also fiverr.com where you can sell your gigs online for $4 each.

Yard sales

Recycling

If you have a social networking site like Facebook then you can put your items up there to sell to friends etc.

If I think of any more I'll add them

Quote from: Dominick_81 on May 06, 2012, 10:38:26 PM
I was thinking about doing that. How many hours a week does your friend get doing this job?

I don't think it's steady work.  I haven't talked to her about it in a while.  From what I gather, it was mainly "go to this store, buy something with this money, tell us about your experience."  I'm not too sure about the details.

Quote from: Adio on May 06, 2012, 10:08:06 PM
A friend of mine became a mystery shopper and it paid well for her.

My fiancee actually works for a Mystery Shopping company as a Scheduler. A bunch of companies use ShadowShopper.com and post listing up. It's freelance type work and there's no guarantee that there will be work in your area, but people can make decent money.

Most people usually start out shopping grocery stores, lunch spots (Quizno's is new to her company), Staples and Radioshack stuff. For all of the shops, you can sign up through the website and they'll send you a shop itinerary. Usually you have to buy something and upload a receipt to prove you were there - they'll reimburse you for whatever you buy up to a certain $ amount and usually give a $10+ bonus. My fiancee just had to schedule a Quizno's shop (which is literally, go buy a sandwich and get a combo if they offer it to you) somewhere out in Oregon with a $100+ bonus attached because the area was hard to schedule - so people can make quite a bit if you're in the right location!

Definitely worth a look, but be careful, there are lots of places that claim they're mystery shopping sites and are scams.

I read in another post/thread somewhere you put your chosen name in quotes or something on your resume.
Well that might rise suspicion from future employers. Just saying. Up to you obviously.

I don't have any advice to offer unfortunately... just wanted to wish you good luck with your situation. Hope something pans out.

This is going to be a long post, but bear with me:

Someone mentioned donating plasma. That is one way I make money. I go twice a week. First donation is $20 and the second is $30. With extra bonuses here and there you can typically make $240 a month if you go in as many times as you're able. See if that is offered in your state. The amounts you will make might differ but I'm betting it will at least be comparable.

They give you a card where they load the money onto it right away and you can use it as a debit card almost anywhere. I can use a Chase ATM to get cash, or just get cash back at the grocery store.

The good thing about it is that you get the money immediately after your donation; it's on your card before you even walk out of the place. The bad thing is, a lot of trans people have said they were banned from ever donating due to their trans status. There really is no scientific basis behind deferring a trans person, but if they don't want your business they can put you on a national list so that you won't be able to donate no matter where you go. Knowing this, I went in stealth. There hasn't been an issue and I've been donating since last November. There is an initial physical (and you have to take one annually). The nurse did go under my binder to listen to my heart and lungs, which was nerve-wracking to say the least; but I gave some sort of explanation for the binder and no eyebrows were raised.

As for paying for testosterone: There are some websites that let you print a discount card which is accepted at many pharmacies nationwide. needymeds is one of them; google "needymeds discount card" and you should find it right away. Print that off and take it to your pharmacy and ask if they will run it. Then you can see if your T will be at a more affordable price. You can't use it in conjunction with insurance, so you'll have to pay entirely out of pocket. But I used it last time I needed a refill and it took the price from almost $100 down to $40.

Quote from: Epi on May 06, 2012, 10:34:52 PM
The price of gold is also through the roof, any 14k and up scraps would be worth some decent cash at a pawnshop or jewelers.  A small, cheap gold locket could actually be worth $45-80 in scrap depending on the purity.

I made about $800 doing this, and all I was able to sell were a couple gold pendants, chains, and a coin. But instead of going to a pawn shop, I would suggest selling directly to a company that is seeking precious metals such as Rio Grande.

I can feel you on having a hard time finding a job: it took me three years to get the PART TIME work I have now, and I'm still looking for other job opportunities. But the key is to keep looking for work, EVEN IF YOU GET A JOB. Seriously, man. Always look for work, it's essential to your survival.

In my spare time, I do cheap digital art commissions, expensive sculpture work, and sell old books, movies, toys, and games. Whether it's five dollars or five hundred dollars, it's money you'll need.

Cut back on your spending if at all possible, seriously. Learn to cut your own hair, tailor your own clothes, prepare your meals weeks in advance, and become as self sufficient as possible. I don't go out for lunch or dinner anymore, and it's saved me so much money a month, you wouldn't believe it.

Also, start a savings fund dedicated to your transition. Put a portion of whatever money you make from work, selling things, etc into it, and ONLY take money out of there if it's for your transition. Be aware of how much money you'll need before setting up appointments with your doctor and plan weeks, even months in advance to be able to afford it. Things happen, and you might need emergency money, so have a back up plan for situations where you might not be able to afford what you need.

Good luck, dude.