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Real estate opportunity: invest in my rent payments

Am I really going to post a public statement of my finances in order to find investors, as I promised in my previous post about calculated stable loans? Yes, I think this will be interesting for other readers too. It's a rather peculiar existence to be a struggling freelancer in a welfare state not designed to accommodate such a lifestyle. I bet Americans will be surprised to see how low these numbers are on all sides.

Debt

Removed some details here because the situation changed. I'm on benefits now and I'm not allowed to take on more debt at the moment.

![F01 20250526_163820.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/edb/23xKt8U9ynKbvN8r5Lmfs9otZutBd4mcbbvnSyRrfyTg5Y1pmsto8qNVKiqcb34vTkDeS.jpg) *My beloved Fiat Stilo, sold in May 2025*

Assets

Nothing to report here. I already sold my car and only have trace amounts of crypto left. Maybe I could sell some random stuff like books, puzzles, T-shirts and obsolete electronics, but it would take a lot of effort and yield less than €100.

![img_20260405_123520~2.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/edb/23zbPbyB6zxHZDzcPcDWVZ4CLCS5Vrrz56tw4W2mRoD5ZzCtgp6ERXtjoZAJqz46u4aVe.jpg) *On Easter Sunday, using the To Good To Go app, I bought a surprise package of bakery leftovers from the local supermarket for only €2.99. I'm on a cut in April and May; eating pastries until I get sick is an effective way to lower my appetite and lose weight.*

Expenses

The most positive part of this sad story is that I have very low expenses. I'm paying €200 per month for business expenses and €1500 per month for personal expenses, of which €500 is covered by rent & health insurance subsidies. Of course these subsidies would decrease when my income increases. This makes a total of €1200 in expenditures, not counting payment plans or loan payments.

This means that I'll be able to pay off all my current debts within a year once I get regular work again. And it doesn't even have to be well-paid or full-time work.

In the second half of 2025, I saved around €200 per month in groceries thanks to the food bank. I stopped going there because it took too much time to sort and cook all those healthy groceries, making sure to eat or freeze them before they expired. They also gave me non-food items sometimes, and I still have some of those in stock, like shampoo, toothpaste and spaghetti.

![img_20260405_123822~2.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/edb/23wMVzsiPAVn3DLVpoWFfBLxJeBQoVou9zfhcwM93LD7jpo37cycijnSdVoah6EBhrMQw.jpg) *On Sunday, I also bought more protein-rich food as well as tea for 87 cents, plus the deposit from Monster Energy cans I ordered online and didn't pay yet.*

Income

The core problem is that AI ruined the translation market and I haven't been able to adapt quickly enough to find other work. I wouldn't have survived 24 years as a freelancer if I couldn't work hard. But I was used to getting a constant stream of offers, out of which I could pick the best ones. I get stressed out by having to sell myself. Which is needed for finding new work, of course.

Last year, I considered getting a part-time temp job in a warehouse or as a delivery driver, but I missed the best opportunity by being sick. In other cases, they weren't eager to hire an overqualified 55 year old. On the other hand, I didn't have the right qualifications for the semi-technical IT jobs I applied to. I'll keep trying though.

I wasn't eligible for income support for self-employed people, because I wasn't working enough hours. Which was the problem in the first place! Applying for regular unemployment benefits would mean I'd have to give up my business registration. And they'd push me to apply for temp jobs anyway, so I might as well go there directly.

Update: In May 2026, I did apply for regular benefits, and closed down my translation business. In fact, I became a worker on Labor Day. I also went back to the food bank, got my back rent managed by the city and received a stylish outfit for job interviews from the volunteer organization Dress for Success. I'm looking for administrative jobs in the logistics sector now.

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