Have you recovered financially since leaving the Tower?

by lovelylil 35 Replies latest jw friends

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  lovelylil

  Remember how many families (maybe even yours) struggled with money issues while being a jdub? I remember lots of families under stress due to being Jdubs. You are always told by the Tower not to work overtime if it conflicts with the meetings and not to go for higher education, for the same reason. And yet by following this advice, it is hard for you to make ends meet especially if you have kids to feed and clothe.

  My family is doing much better financially now that my hubby can work on Tuesday and Thursdays. Also he is going to start college classes in two weeks (first time ever, he is 39) and these classes will help ensure a fat raise this year. I'm thankful for this as our daughter needs braces ($5,550) and our dental coverage covers $0 of it. If we were still jdubs right now, she would have to go without correcting her teeth. Which by the way are really bad and cause lots of headaches due to misalignment. So this is not a cosmetic issue only with her.

  Anyone else fairing better financially now that you are out of the org. ? Have you been able to take another job, go back to school or anything else that help put more $$ in your households? Lilly

  P.S. In my Da'd letter I pointed out that these "rules" on how much to work and how much education you need to earn a living are handed down by men who have no children to feed and clothe and have totally free room, board and medical care. How hypocritical of them who live in the WT bubble to make rules regarding things that only those living in the "real world" experience.
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  Dismembered

  Greetings lovelylil,

  Have you recovered financially since leaving the Tower?

  You bet! I now concentrate much more efficiently on building the business that we (my wife & I) started back while we were dubs.

  It's wonderful not having to have to waste time (hours really) appeasing the "older men" of the congregation, with those "god-given" assignments we were so privilege to receive. Instruction Talks, No.4 talks, dusting chairs, vacuuming rugs & mowing lawns.

  Dismembered
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  fullofdoubtnow

  Hi Lilly,

  I am much better off now than I ever was as a jw. I completed my education before joining at the age of 21, and have a Degree in English Language, but never really used it. Instead, I took part - time jobs to pioneer, and even when I quit pioneering I still worked part - time for many years. Nowadays I work full - time and have much more money coming in, and can obviously afford many of the things I had to deny myself as a jw.

  Due to being able to work full - time, I got a promotion at work last year, though I always wanted to be a teacher pre - jw, and am still hoping to fulfil that ambition - I'm applying for teaching jobs now. Both my wealth and my health have very much improved since leaving the org.

  You are so right about the rulemakers, they have no financial obligations and live a comfortable existence far removed from the plight of many of the people they impose their rules on. It must be wonderful not to have to worry about healthcare, rent or mortgage payments, or where the money for bills is coming from. I guess that's why they think they can impose all these rules on people, as they have no idea of the implications.

  Linda
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  jayhawk1

  Have you recoverd financially since leving the Tower?

  In short, we're still working on it. Education for a better job has become a long term endevor. One of the Witness rules my family still lives by is modesty and moderately. We make sure we don't make purchases we can't afford. Our cars are old, but they still run and are paid for. The house is old, but is constantly being improved as we can afford it. For instance, looking ahead to this Fall, we must get in new plumbing.

  The real question is; Are we happy / satisfied financially? We could always use more money, but we are doing okay.
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  Mulan

  We are much better off financially. My husband and two of our sons started their own drywall contracting business and they are busy all the time, and the money is the best we've ever had. We have several employees too, so the business supports about 6 families.
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  Cindyrenee

  Doing much better. 25 years in borg, hubby was elder, I reg pioneered, then cut down to aux. when parents became ill, raised two children. Operated window cleaning and janitorial service (imagine that), anyway, here we are (out) five years later, I am a registered nurse for two years, hubby has a good job, not physically exhausting for him, and although most of our friends are financially secure at this point in life, we are like twenty year olds just starting out. Have college loans, etc., but can go out for dinner and order what we want, buy a gift for our kids, etc., and not worry if we have enough money to pay our electric bill. Life is good!
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  whyizit

  This topic is very interesting to me. I've never been a JW, so I am on the outside looking in. The JWs who used to come to our home told us all the time how churches are always trying to get your money, etc... That was a BIG point with them. The church we now attend has s system much like the KH, I suppose. They have boxes in the back where you voluntarily leave whatever you would like. They don't pass a plate nor do they make a big issue about money. However, I am aware that they have bills and many ministries and charities that they support. Donations are necessary, but no one takes a tally of who is donating what or how much.

  Since the JWs I have met have made such a huge point about how the WTS doesn't ask for money, how are the financial needs of the local KH's met? If everyone feels they don't need to donate to help, then does the WTS headquarters pick up the tab? Do they provide records to account for the spending? (Most churches do, so that is why I ask. It is kind of nice to know that they are accountable and to be able to see where the money does go.) Also, with all the materials that they hand out door-to-door, I was wondering, does the WTS provide these materials free to their congregations? If not, then how much do they charge? Our JW friends insisted that we needed NWT, so I asked how much one would cost. They told me $5. When they delivered it, I pulled out the $5 and they kind of acted like they didn't expect it. I was getting ready to put it back in my pocket, and the guy reaches for it. He then explained that they are $5, but that he has to take it in "donation" form. Also, how many JWs give out Bibles door-to-door, as opposed to the literature? I've never had a JW offer me a free Bible.
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  jaguarbass

  Hind site is 20/20. I like to think if I was never a witness I would be retired today at 54. Having been a witness I credit to having to work till im 66. So in that sense I wont recover financially. There were jobs that I could have taken when I was young that I didnt that would have provided me a retirement by now. But time and unforseen circumstances befall us all. So I'm not going to cry over the past any longer. I am over it. LIfe is good.
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  Fleshybirdfodder

  Great question!

  I'm paying for the belief that Armageddon is just around the corner, so why even finish high school? I consider myself reasonably intelligent, but it is difficult to convince employers of that when the sum total of your experience is cleaning toilets and the "door to door ministry". I suppose I shouldn't be sour. After all, Jehovah's people have the best education of all! Regardless, we are working on it. My wife is in her last year of college, and I will be applying to University next year.

  FBF
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  moshe

  I still remember Aaron, an elder, trying to get me to quit my union apprenticeship back in 1975 and go into a contracting business with him. I turned him down. I will start drawing a nice pension from 25 past years of work thorugh that union later this year. I will have 2 more pensions from that work five years from now--and a nice pension with medical from my current employer in 2012. I missed out on a lot of privileges ( unpaid work) in the KH because of the obligations to my employers back then. If I ever run into Aaron, I'll remind him that he should have planned for a future that included "old age".