Life On Hold
These last two weeks have been hell, and I'm not talking about in terms of my country or the world at large. No, I mean something that affects me first and most: being cut off from my main money maker.
I quit my last job months ago, without a new one lined up. And while I've been looking for work even before then (in my desired field, of course), I have only gotten a few interviews but no offers. So I've been relying more on survey sites, mainly Prolific because it's one of the best platforms to use. Things were going well, and I was able to put some money towards rent and other bills. Not as much as I used to, but enough to get by.
Things went south when Prolific asked me to verify my identity. I've done this in the past, and didn't have an issue with it. It was annoying, sure, but I did it because I wouldn't be able to use the site otherwise. And that's when I learned my account would be put on hold, but wasn't given an estimate. Should be such an easy thing, too. But no. It's been two weeks and I'm still waiting on a response to my appeal.
I'm fortunate to have some money from my last few cash outs, and I've still got roughly $40 pending that I can lean on for a bit. But that's not sustainable. But hey. Just goes to show you that you really can't put all your eggs in one basket. The sad thing is that I do try to diversify, but the other options have been hit or miss and always rank second or lower. Cause now I'm broke, and even if I wanted to leave, I can't. Cause I have no money or semi stable income.
And I still continue to receive messages from requesters on Prolific, who are either wondering why I haven't completed longitudinal studies or (I really hope not) want me to return a study. I can say it's nice that I can skirt the cash out minimum so I can slowly collect some of my funds. So being put on hold is better than being banned, where I heard you lose access to all your money. It's a real shit show.
It does nothing to move the needle, but I've been using an app to scrounge some change together. Every little bit helps right now, and I have a solid $100 in my account! Won't get me far, but it's better than nothing.But I am so tired of this shit. I'd love a remote job at this point, as I can come and go as I please. But my best hope right now is to find a local job. I have an interview for an apprenticeship, which will be great in the long run.
Assuming I still have a future here, anyway...Bummer of a post, but I've been in a depressive spiral ever since my account got put on hold. No money, no escape, no future...At least my upcoming backlog post will be more uplifting.