How on-demand pay helped me manage medical bills

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. – Charles Darwin

As a PhD cellular biologist, and biology professor at Albany State University, I’m intimately familiar with the Darwinian concept of “survival of the fittest” – the idea that, in nature, only the most adaptable species endure. This can of course be as true in nature as it is in different facets of our own lives.

Today, we live in a high pressure economy. The cost of living has risen across the board, and many Georgians have leaned on debt, whether it be from personal loans or credit cards to make ends meet. My family and I have felt the same pressures, and it’s an area in which we’ve needed to adapt.

I was born and raised in Albany, Georgia, and live here with my wife and daughter today. I love my hometown and love raising my family here, but I’m also no stranger to witnessing financial hardship within my community. Albany has one of the highest rates of poverty in the state of Georgia, with nearly 30% of our residents living below the poverty line.

I’ve seen friends go through tough financial times. Family and neighbors, too. You can have a great job and still get hit hard with unforeseen expenses, or for us, simply live in a part of the country where it’s just tough to make consistent income. For my family, like many others, our challenges with money started with health issues and the costs that came with it.

The cost of healthcare is a common challenge for many Americans, but especially in Georgia –, it’s the 8th most expensive state for healthcare, and beyond that, the #1 worst rated state for healthcare in general. When it comes to our health, the last thing we want to worry about is the cost to keep it. Unfortunately, my medical expenses, and those incurred by trying to diagnose my daughter’s health challenges, put us into a difficult financial position. Making ends meet when you or your family is struggling can be gut-wrenching and all-encompassing. I needed to explore new solutions that could help us adapt to our real financial circumstances. 

This is when I discovered “on-demand pay”, sometimes referred to as earned wage access. As a professor and a researcher by trade – you guessed it – I did my research around the concept. Companies that offer it allow you to access part of your earned wages prior to your payday. I was not looking for a loan, and this was clearly not one. The app that I ended up using, called EarnIn, offered no membership fees, no interest payments, did not require a credit check, and no other hidden fees. It simply allowed me early access to wages I’d already earned.And because of the ease of use and access (it’s an app right there on my phone) we felt the effect immediately. When I was able to access part of my paycheck early, it allowed me to not just pay for unexpected expenses as they arose – like medical diagnosis, treatments, and therapies, but it allowed us to begin to plan and save for the expected- and unexpected- more effectively over time.

One of the things I’ve loved most about the app and on-demand pay is that it’s using my own money. I’m the type of person that prefers to solve my own problems without having to lean on others. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had incredible friends and family who have extended help, and I’ve done the same for them. But EarnIn gave me a way to adapt and solve my own problem by using wages that I’ve already worked for and earned. There’s no reason to wait for payday when I have earned the money and can use it now to facilitate treatment that is needed immediately. 

I’m happy to say that our physical health as a family has improved along with our financial health. I’ve been able to adopt other strategies along the way – using tools like EarnIn’s Balance Shield – to help protect from bank overdrafts, budget more effectively, and as a result, save and grow our money.

To my neighbors and fellow Georgians who may find themselves in my situation, remember, living to survive is different than living to thrive. And EarnIn has helped me thrive. Tools like on-demand pay have empowered me and my family to adapt to financial challenges and ultimately evolve our finances to an even better place today.