Hey, I’m Zoë. My girlfriend Saoirse and I have been stuck in a really tight position for months: Despite both of us working as many hours as we can (Saoirse works full time, I balance contract gigs with freelance work), we are falling short of being able to pay our bills every month.

A few recent emergencies have made this fundraiser very urgent for us: My desktop PC that I do all of my editing, freelance, and contract work has finally failed on me and needs a motherboard replacement right as PC part prices are skyrocketing. In addition to that, we’ve had endless car troubles: Saoirse had to replace all four tires over Christmas. I had to fundraise for a brake replacement last October, then, after I got the brakes installed, my alternator died in November! Because of that, my battery died, locking me out of my car for months. Over the winter it developed a serious mold problem, which I then had to take time off to break into my own car in hazmat gear to clean out. Saoirse’s car works well enough to get her to work, but her alternator is also on its way out any time now.

I am really thankful for the work I’ve gotten in the last couple of months. I feel like my career is going in a positive direction, especially if I can find a more stable full-time position this year. Things are genuinely looking up for us, but it has been an uphill battle. One of our biggest goals for the immediate future is to find a cheaper place to lower our monthly expenses. We’ve been downsizing in anticipation of the move and selling our belongings/gear to make rent, but it’s not enough.

thanks for reading, we <3 u