I’ve lived in Madison most of my life, and for more than 15 years I’ve worked as a homecare worker. I love what I do. Every day I get to help people live safely in their homes, whether it’s cooking meals, helping them with medication, or just being there so they’re not alone. It’s meaningful work, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
But the truth is that the work doesn’t pay enough to make ends meet. At $17.65 an hour, I live paycheck to paycheck. I have no cushion, no savings account that I can fall back on when something unexpected happens.
That’s why the rising cost of my Alliant Energy bill worries me. I’m on a payment plan of $109 per month, but the balance keeps climbing because I can’t pay it completely. My most recent bill was $230. That may not sound like much to some people, but for me it’s a serious expense. When my bills go up, I have to decide what to cut back on: food, gas, or other essentials…