How to Start Over at 50 With No Money and Little Hope (2024)

Is it hard to start over at 50? Is it terrifying to start over at 50? Is it frustrating af to start over at 50?

Yup, yup, yup.

It’s all of those things and then some. And I know. I had to do that at 52 years old without a penny to my name. I had zippo, zilch, nudda. Except for hope. I had a tiny shred of hope that I clung to for dear life.

I had to hang on to that because I had nothing else. Nothing. I had to figure out how to start over at 50 with no money and no job.

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When you have to start over at 50 with no money (and alone)

I never once thought in a million years that I would have to start over at 50. I mean, when I threw my husband out 31 odd years ago, I kinda had to start over, but it was a lot easier then. Or so it seemed anyway.

And then, when I left my abusive partner in 2013 after just closing up my salon and declaring bankruptcy, I had to start over again, but this time, it was hard. And terrifying af.

To be honest, I have never felt so alone in my entire life as I did then. Many people suffer from depression during this time. If you are experiencing feelings of depression, please seek professional help or talk to someone.

I had to scramble to find an apartment and find things to put in it, hopefully for free, because I couldn’t afford anything. I also had to find someone to help me move what little belongings I did have remaining at the old house with my ex.

I had to find a job, and I needed money, as well as a lot of things. I was starting over entirely.

I was fortunate enough to have a former boss who really liked me and was happy to have me return to her salon. Tail between my legs, off I went.

I had to start over at 50 with nothing. And to say I was freaking out a little is an understatement.

Trying to figure out how to start over when you have a small child is one thing, and that in itself is exhausting and hard. But when you’re over 50, and you feel like most of your life is over, and then you gotta figure out how to start over again?

Ya. That’s terrifying and exhausting, too, but in a different way.

Starting over at 50 with nothing is soul-crushing

People joke about having a midlife crisis. Honestly, it’s nothing to joke about at all; well, it’s not my crisis anyway. I was 52 years old and had nothing to my name.

I even ran out of pride, self-confidence, respect, worth, love—you name it—I had no self left.

To say you feel like an absolute loser is an understatement. Starting over at 50 and broke is soul-crushing and frustrating af.

You look around at most of your friends, and they are all still happily married or have good jobs they had right out of high school. So many of them are doing so well in life, and here you are, at 50, starting over with no money, no nothing.

It’s sufficient to say you kinda feel like a bit of a loser.

So ya, to start over at 50 isn’t all rainbows and lollipops. But once you get past the initial shell shock and fear, you realize that you can reinvent your life the way YOU want. How it pleases you!!

That’s the amazing part!

You can reinvent your life at 50 (or even older!!)

Once I left my ex and started to reinvent my life, I realized that the sky was the limit. I could do or be anything in the world that I wanted to. All I had to do was find out what that was.

I had no clue.

For the first time in my life, I was alone and had no one to answer to but myself. If anything needed changing or improving, it was up to me to do that.

It was up to me to change my life and start over at 50 (something-ish) and to stop living in the same misery I had been living all these years. My life was an insane roller coaster of ups and downs, highs and lows, and I needed it to stop.

I needed some stability.

I needed some kind of normalcy. When you realize you can reinvent your life any way you want to, well, girl, let me tell you. You kind of feel like a five-year-old on Christmas morning!

How to start over at 50

I had no clue how to start over in life, but I was about to find out.

The first thing I had to do was find out who Iva was and what made her happy. I needed to let go of who I used to be so I could become who I wanted to be.

I also had to forget how old I was. I mean, totally remove my age from this equation.

Too many people use their age as an excuse not to do or start something. I couldn’t do that. I had to throw my age out of the window. I had spent my entire life making excuses for things. Not anymore.

So while doing some life inventory, I had to stop and ask myself a few questions to find out exactly what the heck I was gonna do with my life now.

You might really enjoy this video from my YouTube channel. I talk a lot more about my story and how to start over with nothing.

Five questions to ask yourself when you’re starting over at 50

• What’s going to make me happy?
• What will give me the greatest amount of freedom?
• What can I do to help others?
• What am I really good at?
• What am I really passionate about?

Nowhere in there does it say, “Can I do this?” Do you know why? You can do anything you set your mind to—absolutely anything.

When you take some time to answer these questions and try to figure out your next step, you will see how things will unfold for you, almost miraculously, kinda like they did for me.

How to start over at 50: changing careers

I’m going to really try hard to make this a Reader’s Digest version of my life, but I share it with you now because I want you to see that if I can do it, so can you. And I don’t care how old you are.

So many people are worried or scared because they don’t know how to start over or if they can even change careers at 50 (or even 40 or 60!), but you most certainly can. It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible either.

This is how it went down for me.

It kinda happened like this:

• Went back to the old job, grateful but miserable
• I spent a year doing self-discovery
• Started volunteering at the homeless shelter while I was healing my own demons
• Found my passion there, helping and serving the homeless
• I decided I wanted to do this in Central America
• I went on a volunteer mission for three weeks in Costa Rica
• Came back home and decided I wanted to do more of that and move to Central America
• While still cutting hair, I read eBooks and blogs to learn how to become a freelance writer (it was the only thing I was really good at and could work online at)
• I spent almost a full year honing this craft (writing) and looking for jobs (while still cutting hair full-time)
• Finally found good jobs as a ghostwriter
• In July of 2015, I retired from hair, became a full-time freelance writer
• In October 2015, I moved to Guatemala with two suitcases on a one-way ticket.

See how that happened? While working on myself and helping others, I found my passion and did what I could do to do more of it. Just not in Northern Ontario where I was living at the time.

At 53 years old, I started a new career. I hung up my cutting shears, and I was now a freelance writer. Who would have ever thunk? Certainly not me.

But that’s how things happen. That’s how life changes.

I knew what I wanted. I wanted to leave Canada, leave winters behind, and help poor people in another country.

I knew if I wanted to do all that, I wouldn’t be able to do that as a hairstylist, so I had to totally reinvent myself and start a new career over 50 that would allow me to travel and still support myself.

And that’s exactly what I did. And so can you.

Some tips to follow when you’re starting over in life

As I mentioned earlier, it’s not easy (well it wasn’t for me) and it can be stressful and super scary but you most certainly can start over at 50, or even 60!

How to start over at 50: 5 Tips

1 Forget your age

it’s just a number. Too many of us think we are “too old” to start anything new or make any significant life changes, but nothing is further from the truth. Forget how old you are and do life the way you want it.

2 Find your passion.

What are you most passionate about? Are you doing that? What are some of the things that bring your heart great joy and happiness? Do more of those things. Your heart knows.

3 Do some research

Find out what it takes to follow your passion and what is required to do your “new thing.” All the answers you need are at your fingertips on the internet.

4 Make the decision.

You must decide to start taking the necessary steps to change your life (so many never make it that far). That’s by far the hardest step of all, but you have to do it!!

5 Stay focused.

Your new life and happiness are steps away, but it’s up to you to stay the course. Don’t give up. Be brave, determined, and courageous -you’ll need all 3 to succeed in your big life changes!

Look at it this way

We’re more than halfway through our lives (give or take a few years).

We don’t want to die with regret.

There are probably so many things you still want to do but have always been afraid to do them (go do them)

This is your only life.

Nothing changes if nothing changes and it’s up to you to make those changes

Don’t you want to be happy? Aren’t you tired of being stuck in a cage like you have been your entire life? Don’t you want to be free?

Of course, you do!!

Starting over at 50 with no money is very scary

It’s not going to be easy starting over at 50 with no money, and it’s so terrifying, but you can do it!!

Yes, what you are about to embark on may be terrifying. Do it anyway. Don’t you think it was scary for me to leave my country and move to a third-world country that I knew nothing about?

Of course, it was scary. I was terrified out of my tree. But it didn’t matter. I had to face my fears and shut them down.

I wanted this; I knew it would be ballsy and scary. And I was prepared to do whatever it took to make this a reality.

I was tired of my life. It had to change. So I made it happen. Alone!

How bad do you want it? How badly do you want to reinvent a life that totally pleases you? Take your age out of the equation and do what your heart calls you to do.

How to start over financially at 50

I get asked this a lot: “How do I start over at 50 financially?” I wish there was a clear, cut-and-dry answer to this question, but unfortunately, there isn’t. Everyone’s situation is so different.

The first thing I recommend is to try to find a job—any job. Go work at Walmart if you have to, but just find work. If you can’t find a job, create your own.

There are many start-up organizations that can also help you in a financial crisis or emergency. Talk to your local unemployment or welfare office for more information.

Another course of action would be to ask for help from friends and family. People do truly want to help, but they don’t know that you need help if you don’t ask.

Let’s face it: Being 50 with no money is embarrassing, but know that it’s not the end of your story. Things always work out in the end. You have to have faith.

Is It Too Late to Start Over at 50?

No, absolutely not! Many women over 50 are recently divorced or widowed and have to start all over again. It’s never too late to reinvent yourself or even start a new career. When they say 50 is the new 30, they mean it.

How Do I Start a New Life at 50?

The first thing you must do to start a new life at 50 is decide you want to. Many don’t make any changes and live mediocre lives. Once you decide this is what you want and you’re ready for it, start making a plan!

What is the Best Career to Start at Age 50?

We are in exciting times right now. So many people, young and old, are working online and even creating their own jobs. Find what you are most passionate about and get on the internet to find a way to do it and earn a living from it. So many already are!

6 Benefits of Starting Over at 50

Let’s face it, your life is about to become beyond amazing. You are going to be doing things you have only ever dreamed of. Yay you!!

Here are a few benefits of starting over at 50:

• Build self-confidence
• Boost self-esteem
• Have more pride in yourself
• Become unstoppable (yasssssssss)
• Have courage to do more life-changing things
• Become an inspiration to other women who want to start over at 50

This is the only life you have. Don’t live with regrets.

xo iva xo

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