Let’s face it, if you’re like most people, you need to work in order to put food on the table and clothes on your back. Now, there are some individuals fortunate enough to be able to work for themselves, but for those who don’t have that as an option, you have an employer that is relying on you to come into work to do your job. When an employer relies on you to come in to do your job, they’re depending on you, and sometimes dependability is hard to come by.
There are those who simply aren’t dependable and don’t come to work because of pure laziness, but then, there are those individuals who want to come to work, and have a strong work ethic, but illness falls upon them, causing them to no longer be able to work. For those individuals, who have the drive and a strong work ethic, not being able to work can be devastating not only physically and mentally, but also financially. So with that, is there truly a way to prepare for the unexpected when you have no idea what type of unexpected life event may happen?
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We mentioned earlier that most people have to work in order to survive, and if they don’t work, money won’t come in, right? Not necessarily. There are individuals who are retired or who physically aren’t able to work, but are still able to make ends meet… in fact, people do it all the time. There are debilitating illnesses that keep people in their homes but they’re able to still have a steady flow of income, reduce costs in other areas of their life, or simply able to have assistance at home. Some illnesses are life-threatening while others are non-life-threatening but nonetheless, they can prevent you from working for a very long time.
Illnesses That Can Keep You at Home
We’re going to take a look at some of the different ways you can still make ends meet at home despite your illness, but before we do, we’re going to take a look at some of the illnesses that can deeply impact your daily life.
- Back Injury: The most common type of back injury is a slipped disc. It’s not a life-threatening illness, but it’s definitely one that can keep you at home for quite some time depending on the severity of the injury. A back brace is the most common and effective piece of medical equipment to treat back injuries.
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS): MS is a disease that can be debilitating. It affects your brain, spinal cord, and nervous system and can leave you with very limited mobility. With this condition, wheelchairs, special dining utensils, and shower chairs are necessary for the care of an individual with MS.
- Cancer: Cancer is a harsh disease that can attack any part of the body. When someone has cancer, they typically undergo treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, which can definitely keep someone at home. Some medical supplies that cancer patients sometimes need at home include toilet raisers, oxygen tanks, and wheelchairs.
Making Ends Meet
We mentioned earlier that although you may have a debilitating illness, it doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the world, physically, mentally, and especially financially. We’re going to discuss how you can make changes in certain areas of your life to help you financially manage your illness when going to work isn’t a sustainable option for you at the moment.
Have a Friend or Family Member Move In
Having someone move in with you can be a difficult option for some. Privacy is worth more than money, but when it comes to finances, sometimes a roommate is the best option financially. Now depending on the severity of your condition, you may not need someone to live with you for too long of a time but in case you do, that added financial support will be very helpful to you.
Not only will a friend or family member be able to offer financial support to you, but they’ll also be able to offer emotional support. When going through a life-changing event such as a serious illness, you don’t want to, nor should you have to go it alone. Healio states that emotional support after major surgery or serious injury can play a crucial role in how a person heals and functions afterward.
Set Up an E-Commerce Store
Whether your illness prevents you from working at all or for an extended period of time, it’s never too late to start your own e-commerce store. The great thing about e-commerce is that you can run your business all from the comfort of your own home. The first thing you want to do is determine what you want your business to sell. Once you’ve figured that out, you can get to the fun part of getting your website set up.
In order to set up your website, you first need to pick out a name for it using a domain name search tool. Once you’ve picked out a name, you can then get into the design and layout of your site. Once your website is open for business, you have the potential to earn great profits from your business and it can all be done from wherever you are.
Become a Freelance Writer
There are so many companies that need content written for their blogs and websites. Why not become a writer for some of those websites to earn a little extra money? This can be very helpful financially, especially when you’re not able to work. It may not seem like a lot of money in the beginning but once you build up a nice amount of clients to write for, you can actually earn a decent income from it. You just have to be consistent with reaching out to different websites and blogs to establish your clientele. In order to be successful in this, reach out to websites that have categories that you’re very familiar with and knowledgeable on to submit good quality pieces.
