My life changed when I gained access to my pay as I earned it

You know the saying, “the straw that broke the camel’s back”? Well, in my case, it was a broken toe.

I’d never broken a bone or had a major injury in my life, but last summer, I broke my toe and unfortunately, it put me out of work for about three months. As a working mom in a major city like Atlanta, the bills and expenses began to pile up quickly. My husband and I work hard to take care of our family and make sure all of our needs are met. But at the end of the day, it’s not really about how hard you work when all it takes is a broken toe to undo so much of what you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Atlanta remains in the top 15 cities in America dealing with high inflation. While the Georgia government has recently pushed out a bill for income tax cuts , taxes are only one part of the equation to help Georgians economically. While I have a good job working at a logistics company, the cost of everyday expenses doesn’t always align with my payday, and getting financial momentum back after being out of work for a while took some diligence.

My husband had started using an app called EarnIn –  it allowed him to access his pay as he earned it, without needing to wait until payday. I looked into it, trying to see if there was a catch… a monthly membership fee, high interest payments, or any other fees hidden in the fine print. There weren’t any, so I decided to sign up and try the app for myself.

On-demand pay was a new concept to me, but I immediately saw the benefits. At first, I was only getting a small portion of my paycheck and it helped me pay for gas to get to work that week. I love that it’s my own money – it’s not a loan, I’m not borrowing it from anyone else – I’m borrowing using my own money . I earned it. Having access to my pay daily has helped me find more balance and taught me to be more thoughtful about my spending.

It’s been about a year now since I started getting access to my pay as I earn it; I’m so proud of how far I’ve come in working towards my financial goals. I’ve stopped using all other credit-focused finance apps, they just haven’t helped me in the same way. I’ve been paying off my debt consistently every month; I’m better at budgeting and saving than ever before. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I suddenly have more control over my financial wellbeing again.

There are so many Atlantans in similar situations to mine – struggling to make ends meet, especially in today’s economic environment where the cost of living just keeps getting higher and higher. My piece of advice? Look at what you do have, as you don’t need to wait until payday to access the money you’ve already earned to pay for the things you need. Budgeting more effectively or managing your debt with greater confidence can start today with access to what you earn daily. At the end of the day, waiting for payday can be burdensome to your overall financial health and it doesn’t need to be by using financial apps like EarnIn that are easily at your disposal.

This story was authored by EarnIn customer Christina Clarke.

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