Extract from The Guardian
The legacy I want to pass down to my three children is the knowledge that despite the struggles, there are some ways to make do
- About this series
- Read Tara Rose’s first piece in this series
Name: Tara Rose*
Age: 43
Lives: Western Australia
Turning point: Separating after 14 years of marriage
After housing costs has to live on: $260 week
It has been a mixed bag this winter, with struggles and achievements, highs and lows and a few health dramas added in for the extra bonus round of setbacks. However, resilience takes charge and I’m still going, still here putting one foot in front of the other, still trudging forward despite the odds.
There have been times though, that that struggle has been so uphill, when I’ve really had to dig deep to find motivation and strength. Times I’ve really felt the need to book an appointment with my psychologist to generally strengthen my emotional scaffolding. But booking that appointment isn’t always easy – the price tag attached is $50 gap out of pocket after the Medicare rebate for the mental health care plan takes effect. Likewise, one of my children needs to see her therapist, however, the out-of-pocket gap there is larger still.
Being a single mother on Centrelink and being a student – trying to upskill for a better future – this means that either we go without in other areas to be able to go to these appointments or we don’t attend as frequently as we need to, instead relying on our peers and family and friends for emotional support. When I think of these needs, and my own experiences having worked in the healthcare industry for over 20 years until a few years ago, my thoughts turn to the many others who are also struggling with their mental health yet don’t have the financial resources to get the care they need.
Likewise, I have to see a respiratory specialist as my lungs have deteriorated this winter quite significantly. I can go on the public waiting list, but by the time I actually get in to see the specialist, the severity of my current issues will have all but subsided, making the appointment somewhat redundant. So I have to either just struggle through, or scrimp and save to find the money for the appointment, or borrow from my friends. The latter is something that I would only choose as a last resort, as that financial burden would just add to my list, another debt to be repaid. There is such emotional turmoil.
My other cause for concern this winter has been the loss of my car. The engine blew up rather unexpectedly two months ago and thankfully I still had my RAC membership. Watching my car be winched on to the back of the truck before the arduous journey home and the ceremonial offloading on to my driveway, made me cry.
When the mechanic politely and somewhat sympathetically informed me that the repair costs would be upwards of $2,000 and probably more than what the car was worth, I felt my little world crumble again. There was and is still no way I can come up with that sort of money. So I am very thankful that my beautiful friends have helped me out once again, by allowing me to borrow their cars.
"I’m very thankful that my garden is delivering fresh, homegrown vegies that we have enjoyed and thrived on this winter"
At the same time as I was struggling to deal with the car dilemma, I made a silly mistake that cost me $50. Who knew that you could accidently transfer money into a closed-off account? I personally would have thought that I would have received a message saying something along the lines of “this account is not available, please check the account number”. But no, my $50 disappeared into the realms of the banking neverland. The lovely lady at the bank assured me that the money would be refunded back into my account, however it would take up to four business days as it was a Friday and the team that would enact said refund had already left for the day. I was once again brought to tears when she said, “Oh well, it’s only $50. Be thankful it’s not $5,000!”
It may have been “only $50”, but to me that’s fuel for the weekend and some essential groceries for myself and three teenagers. I managed to make do with the little I had left in my bank, but was still perplexed that some people just don’t, and can’t understand how, when you are reliant on a set, meagre income, every cent counts. I had this same thought when the supermarkets increased the price of the UHT cartons of homebrand milk from 90 cents to $1. Yes, it’s only 10 cents, but if you go through five or six litres of milk per week, it adds up.
Fresh carrots, broccoli and cauliflower, peas and the odd potato have been well worth the initial setup issues. The legacy I want to pass down to my children is the knowledge that despite the struggles, there are some ways to make do in some areas. I want them to know that it doesn’t matter whether you have a high income and don’t need to be concerned with expenses, or are reliant on a Centrelink income: if you have good friends and hopefully family, can turn to your inner resolve and resilience, then this might just be enough to get you through those hard times until life isn’t such a struggle and the learning skills from this will be invaluable.
I still have sleepless nights, wondering how I’m going to pay the bills and still have enough left for life’s other essentials. That’s the burden on the shoulders of a single mother trying to survive and raise a family on Centrelink.
*Name has been changed
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