My Worst Financial Month Ever (And How I Survived It)

Posted by Julia | 6 min read

August 2022 I made $1,400 total. Worst month since I started escort work. Here's what went wrong and how I got through it.

First, summer is always slow. Clients go on vacation, spend money on travel instead of appointments, generally less demand.

Second, two regular clients moved away for job transfers. Lost predictable monthly income without replacement clients ready.

Third, I got food poisoning and had to cancel three appointments. Lost $1,200 in bookings plus couldn't work for a week while recovering.

Fourth, my car needed $800 in repairs. Had to pay that from savings meant for slow period cushion.

By mid-August I was panicking. Rent was due, student loan payment coming up, basic living expenses adding up fast.

Started applying for regular jobs but hiring processes take weeks. Needed immediate income solutions.

Borrowed $500 from Maya to cover rent. Humiliating but necessary.

Put some expenses on credit cards, which I usually avoid. Created debt problems for later but kept utilities from getting shut off.

Started accepting clients I'd normally screen out. Lowered my rates slightly to compete for available bookings.

Bad decisions driven by desperation. The clients were problematic and the lower rates hurt my positioning in the market.

Also looked into restaurant jobs for supplemental income. Applied at five places, got interviews at two.

The schedule conflicts between day jobs and escort work seemed impossible to manage though.

Finally got through the month by working more appointments than usual in September. Six bookings per week instead of my normal three or four.

Exhausting pace but helped catch up financially and rebuild savings buffer.

The experience taught me several important lessons about financial management in this work.

First, emergency savings needs to be bigger. One month of expenses isn't enough cushion for income that varies this much.

Now I maintain three months of living expenses in emergency fund. Enough to survive extended slow periods.

Second, need backup income plans before crisis hits. Research side job options during good months, not while panicking about rent.

Third, don't compromise safety or rates during desperate times. Those decisions usually create more problems than they solve.

Fourth, track seasonal patterns better. August is always slow, should have prepared for that predictable dip.

Fifth, maintain relationships with other providers for mutual support. Maya's loan saved me from worse financial damage.

Bad months happen in this business. Key is preparing for them during good months instead of hoping they won't come.

That awful August motivated me to get serious about financial planning and exit strategy development.

Never want to feel that financially desperate again.