After a lot of discussions with people in the community, I’ve decided to put this all out there… for transparency’s sake and so people who want to help can help in any way possible.

Where to donate: Paypal     Ko-Fi     Patreon

Why The Move?

August is it for me in Mississippi, where I’ve lived since I was three years old. The store I’ve poured blood, sweat, and frustrated tears into over the past four years is shutting its doors for good. It’s for the best, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a scramble to get hours and work before the end.

The rent in my current apartment jumped from $380 when I first moved in to $420 over the course of several years. Now, it’s $530 this month with the ending of my lease. Seeing as this place was built in the early 80s, it’s no spring chicken for sure, and the cost has become untenable.

My friendships and relationships here, in Mississippi, have run their course. The vast majority of my friends, coworkers, and peers have relocated themselves. The idea that only a handful (four, possibly?) people would even notice my absence was the nail in the coffin.

I am moving, on August 25th. I’m heading 1,744 miles to Las Vegas, Nevada. My best friend in the world and his amazing wife have extended an invitation for me to live with them for a time, rent free, and get on my feet in a new city. Being close to the West coast, it will open so many more avenues for me in regards to DropTheDie and what I want my future to actually BE. Yeah, I could move back home and work at a Toyota factory for 30 years, but that’s just not me. 

So regardless of the risk and how much my brain is telling me to play it safe, I’m taking a chance and uprooting my entire life to move out West. Normally, I’d sell everything I own, hop on a plane, and start over fresh in the new digs – but this hobby and my own investments up until now, make that option less appealing. You see, I have items that are irreplaceable that need moving: all of my gaming gear, my self-built PC, my hand planed, stained, and waxed table, the new bed I’ve just finished paying off. It would cost three times more to purchase these few things after the move than it would to pack it up and move traditionally.

The only problem is – disposable income is a luxury that unemployment does not understand.

I’m turning to all of you in this late hour to help me raise a bit of money in the next 13 days – enough to help cushion the blow of this gargantuan, life shuddering step I’m taking.

Where’s The Money Going?

Good question.

I’ve managed to secure dozens and dozens of packing boxes from my store – but since things there are closing down, it’s been a struggle as well. Renting a truck and a car harness are not cheap at all. I didn’t even schedule to buy insurance on anything because the price shot up beyond what I even had in savings. Driving three days, I’ll have to stop at some point and rent a hotel – those costs factor into things. The absurd amount of gas that I’ll be pumping along the way can’t be ignored, along with food, emergencies, storage at the new place, plane ticket for my co-driver back home . . . there’s just so much to pay for.

• Truck Rental – $1,442.00
• Gas – $225.00 (13mpg truck, plus pulling my car)
• Hotel Stay (2 nights) – $100-$200 (varies widely)
• Food, supplies for 2 people – $110
  
• Plane Ticket Home for Co-Driver – $90

Add On costs (if I can afford them)

• Insurance – $413.98 (full coverage)

Total Cost

$2,430.98

It makes me SICK just thinking about that much money…

Why Do I Need Help?

I live well within my means. It allows me to pay people for art, ship packages, hold giveaways, give to folks who need it (Like my wonderful chief editor in her time of need). I try to keep money on hand in case of those emergencies… The problem came when my original plan to leave in September was cut short by the store closing a month in advance. Essentially, I’ll be short almost 4 paychecks behind my budget for this move. I’ll be emptying out my bank account, 3/4 of my savings account, selling off all of my furniture that I can, and still won’t have enough to cover the cost of insurance on this massive trip. If one small thing happens – if someone gets in front of us on the interstate and THEY crash but part of their car hits the truck? I’ll be held completely liable. Not to mention if a big accident happens, it’ll total my car, the truck, and everything I own.

If the truck is stolen?

If the harness comes loose?

If… if… IF…

And even if the trip is perfect – no problems what-so-ever, i’ll be moving into an apartment with two close friends as a jobless, penniless, high-stress oaf. Without help from you guys – that’s a best case scenario for me, and that’s humiliating to say the least.

Some of you have asked me “Can your parents help?” Well, here’s the truth of it: my parents would sell off their house to help me if I really needed it, and I love them quite dearly for that level of

support… but several years ago my father was shot in a hunting accident. It left him partially paralyzed from his chest down. We pushed through and he’s walking, talking, and cutting jokes all day – like normal.

But just a few years ago, he also discovered he had a growth in his brain – the size of a marble. After a 13 hour surgery, nearly a year of recovery, and another year at the least of recovery in front of him – he’s still the same happy guy he’s always been! But i’d be lying if i said it hasn’t taken a toll on both of my parents. Dad’s a work-aholic, he’s a craftsman and an outdoorsman – he cuts lumber and wires houses, he plumbs apartments and fixes oil rigs, so sitting for most of the day and struggling with not overworking is murder for him. And I just cannot take from them right now. I refuse.

They’ve got my sister and her two children to look after, they’ve got each other to handle, and don’t need anymore burden from me, regardless of how willing they’d be to help.

It is my goal to take any money left over from this trip and put it into savings/investments. I hope to hire contractors to go repair the soft, spongy floor in my parents’ house before someone falls through!

What Can I Do?

It’s very easy – donate the cost of a soda to me. ($1.67 average). That’s all I’m ASKING for from you guys. That’s it. Anything more and I will be exceedingly grateful, but I know what it’s like to struggle to make ends meet – I’d never take from you more than you can safely give.

Ko-Fi offers one-time donations and you can track how much money I’ve raised there for this venture I’ve undertaken. I’ve never used it before, but I’ve set it up just to make things easier on you.

Paypal (or paypal.me) is a direct, no joke, way to put money in my hand for this. It’s no nonsense, no frills, just direct support – you can donate any amount you choose, very easily. 

Patreon is a good place if you want to help support me monthly – every single dollar helps fund all this crazy shit we’ve built together, and having that passive income makes the world seem a safer place to people like me.

No matter what happens or how much we raise, I just want to say THANK YOU!

Final Thoughts

The idea that I can actually do this at all, boggles my mind. You’re all so amazing and supportive and I don’t feel like I’m asking for hand-outs, I feel like we’re all invested in this together. To give back to you all, I’m going to spend September lining up job interviews and trying to “hustle” as they say, but i’m also going to try my best to pump out PDFs, online games, supplements, anything I can manage to earn what you’re all doing for me this month.

No matter what happens or how much we raise, I just want to say THANK YOU!