#expenses

Hello everyone, we need some help :')

This is all the money We have right now, but We need to pay for medical transport to get to my physical therapy & occupational therapy appointments this week alongside an orthodontist appointment.... transportation costs about $350 PER route, so it will be around $1050 this week because I need it 3 times (TuWF) to get to PT/OT (Tu & F) and to the orthodontist (W) so I can get my braces fixed (esp. to repair a couple of brackets that are ripping the inside of my mouth to shreds...). If I can't get at least a little bit of that $1050, I'll have to cancel my appointments, We just cannot afford it right now, which will fuckin suck bc my PT/OT helps my body to continue working.... iDK what else to do other than ask for help here, I know people usually get at least a little bit of help through Instagram & Tumblr, so I'm gonna try to get help too....

If you aren't able to donate (totally understandable!!) please consider sharing so maybe someone else can.

We appreciate your help very much & We'll keep y'all updated as things progress :') idk what else to do y'all... I'm struggling.

Cashapp: $wdinnerstein

Venmo: @Willoughby-Dinnerstein

Wells Fargo: please ask!

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There is nothing quite like the quiet anxiety of your vehicle's annual checkup, before its physical. Betsy Jean, our trusty Ford Focus, named primarily because her number plate reads BJ10 and she possesses the distinct personality of a mildly disgruntled relative, decided today was the day to stage a protest.

When the mechanics attempted to peer under her hood, she flatly refused to open her mouth. The bonnet opening cylinder had completely given up the ghost. A total lockjaw situation. Classic Betsy move, honestly. She later had to be taken to a specialist just to get her jaw pried open, which felt entirely dramatic for a Friday.

Once they finally breached the perimeter, the news only worsened. Apparently, the old girl also required a brand-new set of shoes. Yes, all four tyres were deemed past their prime, and we couldn't her waddling about in a pair of well-worn slippers.

Mutual aid in this situation could be:

Pro-bono legal work to help you legally withhold rent, avoid eviction, or get out of a lease if your landlord isn't upholding their side of it.

Help locating a cheaper/better place to live and/or good roommates.

Help moving.

Help finding a better job or income source.

Help reducing debt which could include credit counseling, coaching in loan restructuring, refinancing, renegotiation or cancelling, legal tricks to eliminate debts, or even people paying off your debt for you.

Help accessing welfare programs or other assistance that you are eligible for but not already receiving.

Help reducing your expenses which could be things as diverse as people giving you free stuff that you need in your daily life, energy-efficient electrical devices to reduce your electric bill, kitchen equipment to help you more efficiently prepare food from scratch, or people helping you to change cell phone providers or joining a pool of people who are sharing phone or home internet to keep their costs low.

If you're in an unsustainable financial situation, mutual aid helps you get out of that situation. It might involve cash donations, like for a security deposit on a new apartment, or for paying off high-interest-rate debt.

But funneling money into an unsustainable situation, particularly one where you are being exploited by a negligent landlord, is not helping you. It's rewarding the expolitative landlord.

And it often keeps the person in a bad situation.

I've seen countless examples on Tumblr of people who ask for financial help like this, and predictably, it happens month after month and they never seem to get out of the situation. Many of these requests too are hard to distinguish from scams, so even if people are asking sincerely, having these sorts of posts circulate and get donations creates an environment that encourages and rewards scammers.

On the other hand, when I've helped friends in the ways I describe above, their situation dramatically improves. I've helped people in literally every way in the list and I've been helped in all but two of the ways. It works every time. I've seen people go from living paycheck-to-paycheck and struggling to make ends meet, to having a financial cushion and even investments. I've seen people make this change even without much increase in their income.

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Credit welcome, not required.

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Free for personal use.

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nonprofits are weird sometimes—like, if they’re not making profit, how do they even keep going? do they just live off donations?

not exactly. nonprofits do make money, but they use it differently than for-profit businesses. let’s break it down.

not about profit, about purpose

the main difference between nonprofits and regular businesses is the end goal. for-profits want to maximize profit. nonprofits want to maximize impact. the “extra” money they earn doesn’t go into shareholders’ pockets—it goes right back into keeping their mission alive.

so instead of focusing on how much money they make, nonprofits focus on how much good they do per dollar spent.

where the money actually comes from

nonprofits don’t rely on selling products the same way corporations do. instead, they fund themselves through...

grants (from government or private institutions)

donations (from individuals, communities, or fundraising drives)

events + campaigns (galas, auctions, walks, etc.)

services or products (some nonprofits do sell things, like merch, museum tickets, or classes, but the money goes straight back into the cause)

this mix of income keeps them afloat even without traditional profit margins.

the expenses are real though

nonprofits still have to cover basics: paying employees, covering rent, tech, insurance, retirement funds, and all the boring behind-the-scenes stuff. the difference is they don’t aim to exceed those costs for personal gain. breaking even while continuing to fund their programs = success.

the bigger picture

nonprofits survive because their value isn’t measured in profit but in impact. keeping the lights on is important, but their true “survival” depends on showing results: feeding families, educating kids, preserving art, saving animals. that’s how they secure ongoing support and funding.

nonprofits don’t survive without profit—they survive without personal profit. every dollar is recycled back into the mission. and while the money structure looks different, the hustle is just as real. SOURCES

Segal, Troy. "How Do NGOs Get Funding?" Investopedia, 30 Jan. 2023, www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/13/ngos-get-funding.asp. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

"7 Ways a Nonprofit Can Generate Revenue." 501c3-Nonprofit.org, 3 Jan. 2022, www.501c3-nonprofit.org/blog/7-ways-a-nonprofit-can-generate-revenue. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

"How Do Nonprofits Receive Grants?" Instrumentl, www.instrumentl.com/blog/how-do-nonprofits-receive-grants. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

"Chapter 11: Revenue Streams for Nonprofits." Jotform, www.jotform.com/help/485-chapter-11-revenue-streams-for-nonprofits. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

"Nonprofit Revenue Diversification: What It Is and Why It Matters." Jitasa, www.jitasagroup.com/jitasa_nonprofit_blog/nonprofit-revenue-diversification. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

Santana, Aamer Madhani, and Mariam Fam. "US Charities Are on the Brink as Government Funding Dries Up and Needs Soar." AP News, 30 Apr. 2024, apnews.com/article/ed2e5b30445c9ffdb07346e42c0abfa3. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

"Why You Need More Than One Source of Revenue for Your Nonprofit." Get Fully Funded, www.getfullyfunded.com/more-than-one-source-of-revenue-for-your-nonprofit. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

"10 Revenue Streams for Nonprofits." Wild Apricot, www.wildapricot.com/blog/nonprofit-revenue-streams. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.