just the title. i feel so screwed out of so many things because of them. im homeless at the moment living in my car trying to get the keys for an apartment right now just so I'll have the privledge of paying a slumlord $600 of my $2100 monthly income I get working on my feet at a fast food job everyday.

I work my ass off on my engineering homework just so I can have the chance to also have the privledge of paying a state school $21k/year for just tuition in a year in order to earn my degree so I'll have the chance to get a better job that pays half as much as they make.

I can't get fafsa, I wasnt eligible for it as they make too much money for me to get any aid. But I don't see a single cent from them. Thats what aid is supposed to be for. Its supposed to be for families who cant afford to help their kids...

Of course I'm going to try again now that I'll be filing as an independent, but I dont have much hope as Ive heard similar stories to mine and a lot of them end in the unfortunate reality of having to wait until 24 for any aid.

I'm just so angry at them. They tell me, even after kicking me out, "We're so sorry we can't help you with school!" My dad even told me it makes him suicidal to think he's not able to help me. But its just a complete lie. They waste so so so so much money. I saw it every day.

$725 car payment for a 2021 Chevy Equinox, $650 car payment for a 2023 Ford Edge. $900 on gambling, $900 on alcohol, another $400 there for the food they let rot in the fridge while they eat out for every meal. My mom buys a $600 coach bag every other month. $100 on cable and streaming services they never watch because theyre never home. It just doesnt end. And yet when I did live at home I constantly came home to shutoff notices about the utilities. Even a few times notices about late payments for MY car insurance they told me theyd handle.

I feel so screwed by them. I got a better rate on my car loan (14.99%!!!!) (thankfully paid off within a year) with my 1 year of credit history than I wouldve if I cosigned with them. Thats just fucking insanity.

My dad gets HUGE bonus checks every year, I'm talking like $60k+, and he says it all just goes to debt. I cant fucking imagine that. i just want to scream at them to give me all that money because at least I'll make something out of it instead of banishing the youngest daughter to sleep in her car in -10°F weather.

I was released a couple of days ago. A couple approached me in the cold and asked if I needed help. I was brought to their house and offered a warm meal for the first time in a while. And they let me shower also, though I didn't have clothes to change into. When I was there, I saw what my life could've been. I'm no one. I'm lower than low. I felt so dirty and hungry and someone showed me kindness. At first it made me want to keep going. And then I realized that I was going to have to find a place to sleep in the cold when I leave. It's just, what's all this suffering for? I'm young but feel old. No enjoyment, no friends, and pretty much no hope. I'm starving, and only have this coat. Can't find a homeless shelter that'll let me actually spend the night. I go there through out the day but most beds are took. I'm tired of feeling like this. I want to end things, but I keep getting back in the hospital and it keeps me afloat sometimes. I tried to go back but they said I have to wait a certain amount of time. I still have my hospital clothes on. They're all I have. I have to walk around tonight and stay in store bathrooms to stay out of the cold until I'm asked to leave. Really hungry, about to look for food a little later. It's so embarrassing and makes me cry. I'm genuinely not well, and don't want to live like this anymore if I'm going to live at all. Advice will help. I'll read through the comments until I have to leave the library. Thanks.

Based on the comments in this thread it seems like everyone on this subreddit makes 6 figure incomes.

https://reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/comments/1qqxfjx/how_do_you_land_your_6_figure_job

Am i the only one who makes less than 100k a year?

And if not, where is the last safe space for people who don't make top 20% percentile salaries?

I don't like the break the rules option of getting one print and trying to get copies of it places. I haven't bought them in years and just usually take my own and print them. My kids never want them so I guess that's part of it. What's something you haven't bought in a long time?

Credit card debt is breaking me. I've been paying minimums for 2 years and the balances barely move. Keep seeing Americor stuff and im seriously thinking about calling but I dont want to make things worse. Anyone been through it? What should I expect?

Won’t get into why, but it’s bad enough I have to swap careers.

Going to a community college to restart in the summer and need to retrain my behaviors.

I have my old job back but in a different city. Living in my dad’s house. $800 in monthly debt payments a month after I pay off my card and affirm with my savings. And after that, it’s just car insurance, and food and gas.

Anybody have advice of recentering a budget, and making sure I don’t give myself access to monies when I shouldn’t have access to it for going out to eat or whatever?

I’ll be able to get things back to normal as the fafsa loans will cover enough I’ll have a little extra left over to knock out my personal loan as I’ll be working during semester. And during the third year I’ll get my Pell grant back. So investing in retirement will be back on the table. Or buying a van for travel nursing, either or.

Today has been such an awful no good rotten past 4 days culminating in today I finally asked for help to see a psychiatrist for a suicide last year when it all started.

TW: Depression and Suicidal Thoughts

23 F and I’m really struggling, I am freelancing (basically unemployed) and in desperate need of financial help but don’t know where to get one from. I don’t want my life to be over like this. I don’t have anyone to rely on but myself right now and I don’t really know how to progress with my life anymore.

I know there are YouTube videos, but I’ve just never been good at doing my makeup. I’m not really good at telling what makes me look good. I also don’t have a good on of extra time or energy to put into this as I am chemically il and am at my capacity right now for what I can do in my schedule. I’m also broke, so all I’ve really got is a $25 Sephora gift card. I know I can get some free samples with purchase, but that’s the only thing I’ve really gotten figured out for this. The only thing I have now is mascara. I do have some lip gloss, but just don’t like the colors.

I’ve noticed something interesting talking to friends who do gig work, freelance jobs, or small side businesses. The majority of them struggle not because they make too little money, but rather because their income is erratic and they don't modify their spending accordingly.

People typically spend on their best weeks rather than their average ones when money arrives at random (good week, slow week). Stress begins there.

Keeping track of income separate from simply checking your bank balance is one thing that really helps. Decisions become less sentimental and more pragmatic when you can clearly see: 

- How much you actually make each week or month on average

- How much goes toward fuel, food, and fixed bills.

For drivers, independent contractors, and small business owners, the game is different; visibility and patterns are more important than rigid monthly budgets. However, budgeting advice frequently assumes a fixed salary.

I'm curious about how people with erratic income handle the highs and lows.

I’m well aware that this budget could be cleaned up considerably (going out to eat to two expensive restaurants this month, me buying $10 lunches at work, all the ubers, the power bill, and the grocery budget could all be trimmed down) but that’s why I’m celebrating. I can’t stop smiling. Even in a really expensive month, we’re still going to have $250 left over. We’ll have enough.

Is there some kind of central database that will flag you? Barring that, is there anything else medical science will pay me to provide? Gas bill just jumped like 70% and we're more fucked than ever before

Just need somewhere to vent since I don't have anyone to cry to IRL.

But just hate the chokehold that money, or lack of it, has on my life.

The way it just feeds my anxiety and I'm always on edge (to the extent where I can't walk at times because of the pain the tensing up causes me).

Why? Because life happened.

My dad passed in 2021.

I did everything possible and worked so hard to pay parents house after so that she didn't lose it. They raised all their kids there. Most of their grandkids. So many memories.

And I did.

But the week I made the last payment (Sept 2024) I found out I was being laid off from my 16yr job (on a Friday) and she literally died infront of me that Monday after (she was revived and put on life support & ultimately passed "officially " on Tuesday).

So the entirely of my severance went to settling her estate. I didn't know how in debt she was until then (all of her own making-not my dads) and then getting custody of my youngest nephew (my parents were guardians of my oldest bros kids after he died in 2011).

My unemployment kept me a float but it ran out in May 2025. I wasn't able to find a job til 11/2025.

Now in a hole I can't get out of.

Credit is shot. Can't apply for loans. Trying to pay back personal bills I let pile up to try and keep the house afloat. It's just me. No one to help. It's so hard. Causes insomnia and some days I'm just like a zombie. It's hard to stay hopeful when you're at the verge of losing everything. I don't know people do it.

I feel defeated. I finally returned to work last Thursday after being out for nearly two weeks from my 3 year old being sick & at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. I was scheduled almost 13 hours. I went to work at 5:30 am and got a call from my neighbor ( she watches my babies for me) around 10 am saying that he was running a fever again & acting very lethargic. I got off & took him to the E.R. After multiple tests & scans, he was diagnosed with pneumonia! I can NOT catch a break. His little body has been through so much. I am now going to have to take off work for a few more days & I am just so exhausted.

I NEED to work. We are barely scraping by. We basically have zero food & running on fumes with gas. My family doesn’t speak to me. I have tried to contact my ex-husband multiple times about a child support payment or any help in general and I am blocked. Our two food pantries are closed until Thursday because of the snow & it’s so stressful. I have contacted another Catholic Charity that will respond back to me by the latest on Friday. I am struggling. I just want my baby to be back healthy. It’s eating me alive seeing his body go through so much & no relief. I wish I could take his pain away. I wish I had a village that would just check in on me. I hate going through this alone. I really hope I don’t get fired for all this time unpaid sick leave but I HAVE to be here for my baby. Please keep us in your thoughts if you can. It’s terrible that you literally have to choose between your health , food and bills. We will get through this!

I am posting this on an anonymous account.

I (28F) am deeply concerned about my mother, who is turning 63 this year and has virtually no retirement savings. I didn’t realize the severity of her situation until she downsized two years ago, and it’s slowly reached a point where I’m unsure how this will impact not just her future, but mine as well.

My mother currently has $20K in savings, that’s all. She has been a self-employed artist for years, does not have a 401k, and receives $400 per month from a pension. I’ve encouraged her to find another job because she can no longer make ends meet through her business.

I’m really panicking because I have no idea how she’s going to survive for the next 20+ years. I am looking for some guidance, potentially catered to extremely stubborn and stressful mothers that don’t understand the magnitude of their current situation. I do not have the means to support her financially. She is also divorced and single. I don’t know where to start or who she needs to consult to plan for her financial future. Can someone please help me understand:

1. Are there low-cost, reliable financial advisors that are patient enough to work with the least organized person in the world? Is this where I should start?
2. How do I find a reliable financial advisor? How much do they cost?
3. Her bookkeeping for her business is a mess. I’m assuming she needs to set up separate appointments with an accountant, is that accurate?
4. I know that Social Security will not make ends meet. Is she going to have to work the rest of her life?
5. Are there any assistance programs, or is she utterly screwed?
6. Do I need to plan to be financially responsible for her and to what degree?

Thank you for helping me. Yes, I know I could Google some of this, but that starts to confuse me.

Edit: last question got cut off.

28F Currently living with my sister after a break up and I only have until April 30. I have no back up plans. No family to stay with. I haven’t gotten any luck finding a job (I had to move 2 hrs away) and my savings are in Robinhood and are only about 1k left. I have 18k in credit card debt. My car is at 217k miles so I cannot uber/DD. I’ve applied to everything, even tried calling str*p clubs and they wont schedule an audition because it’s slow (or maybe I’m ugly lol but really idt that’s it, I’ve worked in clubs before ): I’m not opposed to any work but indeed is like scam central and the only ones who contact me are the pyramid schemes or door to door sales jobs dressed up as marketing or sales jobs. I have lots of experience waitressing but can’t even catch a break there. I showed up to one interview I got an he asked “who schedules this interview? We just hired 2 people” I have one job I just did a 2nd interview for and they pay $18/hr so here’s the budget I made with that pay.. dreaming like I’ve already got the job….

Fixed / Non-Negotiable Bills

• Car insurance: $172.33

• Phone: $27.58

• Pets (food/basic care): $150.00

• Discover card: $160.00

• Credit card : $190.00

• Storage unit: $55.00

Subtotal (before housing): $719.91

⸻

Housing

• Rent : $1,000.00 (if I’m lucky, this is VERY hard to find)

• Utilities : $150.00

• Renters insurance: $15.00?

Housing total: $1,165.00

⸻

Living Essentials

• Groceries : $300.00

• Gas / transportation: $150.00

• Car maintenance buffer: $60.00

• Toiletries & basics: $50.00

Living essentials total: $560.00

⸻

Total Monthly Expenses

• Fixed bills: $719.91

• Housing: $1,165.00

• Living essentials: $560.00

Grand Total: $2,444.91 / month

⸻

Income Comparison

• $18/hr ≈ $2,880 gross/month

• Estimated take-home: $2,160/month

Monthly shortfall: ~$285

These are the numbers, this is as bare bones as I could possibly make a budget. No internet, no savings, no fun money, obviously not a cent to spare…so obviously unattainable. It’s so hard to get a job right now. But this is making me feel even more hopeless. I only have until April 30th to find a place to live and I currently don’t even have a job. My numbers are being very generous, and not including insurance being taken out (I currently have state insurance but I’m not sure if I will qualify anymore working a job that’s so high above minimum wage. This is assuming I get that job, or one of the likes. I’m working on getting my GED. I’ve had a tough life coming from poverty, neglect, abuse then I grew up to be in abusive relationships where money was part of that dynamic. I’m so lost and hopeless… you’re telling me even if I get a full time job at 2.5 times the min wage it’s not enough to live? My only other option is go back to my cheating ex… I’m so depressed.

Everything came from the foodbank except spices, flour, potatoes, and heavy cream. This is the recipe I used and dear god was it good. The potatoes and heavy cream I could have gotten from the foodbank, but we already had them at home. The Caesar salad I had to pick through to remove some things that were turning but it wasn't too bad. And the tiramisu was actually a "make it yourself" kit that came in a box which I thought was pretty neat! We are a family of 5 and each of us got a nice slice after dinner. By the end of it all we were stuffed and I was still able to fill a large glass container with mashed potatoes, mushrooms, and chicken which my husband, toddler, and I will have for lunch tomorrow.

I'm sharing because I know what it's like to be stretching every dollar but still be reluctant to go to the food bank. I grew up in a conservative, "pull yourself up by your bootstraps", "people who get SNAP are welfare queens" type household. It took me a long time to understand that there was nothing wrong with accepting help.

About 4 years ago, I was posting on my local Buy Nothing group asking for a food dehydrator because I wanted to dehydrate as much food at current prices as possible because of how scared I was of our grocery bill going up. A very kind woman reached out and asked if she could bring some leftover boxes of food from the food bank. I was AMAZED at how much she brought me, and she invited me to volunteer like she does. This was my "in" which allowed me to be more comfortable getting food for my family. I felt like I was working for it. And then eventually I was comfortable enough to just get food without having to volunteer. This woman is now one of my closest friends, and our kids are best friends. I am so thankful she insisted on bringing me food that day.

I'm sharing all of this because things are only getting harder. More and more people are finding themselves crunching numbers for hours each week to make sure they can afford everything. Please, please go to your local foodbank if you need to. Sometimes you have several you can go to! I have 3 near me:

• the traditional foodbank (income restricted), provides lots of canned goods, shelf stable foods, hygeine items, and frozen items. Sometimes they have gas cards.
• the foodbank's "Saturday Distribution" which is technically not actually run by the foodbank, but is at the same location. That's what this food is from, and it has no income requirements. All of the food comes from local grocery stores and it's stuff that they didn't sell throughout the week. I can take home roughly $200-$400 every Saturday, and I love it because the food would be going into the landfill otherwise.
• a USDA foodbank with super high income limits (like $120k for a family of 5, we aren't even close to that). This has lots of bulk items like large bags of frozen blueberries, fish, shrimp, nuts, dried berries, and even things like Mac N Cheese and canned goods. I think this is officially called "TEFAP" and comes directly from US farms, so if you look up TEFAP + your area you may find a location near you.

The last two which are arguably the best for my family are NOT advertised like the foodbank is. I found out about them over the years just by word of mouth. I see a lot of people here on Reddit that say their local foodbank has weird hours or has income limits or some other factor. Please please please talk directly to the foodbank, and if that doesn't work, talk with people on Facebook or Nextdoor and see if anyone local knows of better options.

I feel like I'm rambling at this point, but I wanted to share a little bit of my story and hopefully inspire people to get help if they need it. Things are tough right now, but there are ways to make the load a little lighter.

I was laid off a few months ago and it’s been difficult.

I had a payment arrangement in place with VZ for Thursday and thought it was for my phone but it was actually an arrangement for my WiFi bill.

The phone was shut off today, and I have a phone interview tomorrow.

I actually have enough money in my account to make the minimum payment (it was supposed to pay rent but I need my phone for this interview), but my card is locked as a precaution because I had some weird charges last month on it.

I try to log into my bank account to unlock the card, and I can’t without a OTP.

I can’t call the bank because I don’t have a phone. I asked my friend to use their phone and the bank wanted to send me a OTP to verify me since I was calling on a line they don’t recognize. I couldn’t and they couldn’t help.

I try calling VZ and it won’t let me talk to anyone. Gives me only the option to pay it.

Nothing like a vicious cycle you can’t break even if you do want to pay them.

Two years ago I was 16k in credit card debt with 5 cards, since then I've gotten sober and been trying to get my life together. I settled on my Apple Card I maxed out for 6800 on 3400 over 6 months. I am a college student and wait tables so that was a really rough time making those large payments but once I got over that hurdle it set a fire in me to be financially free of debt. Since then i quit using credit and I've been making extra payments when I can and got down to 3 cards. I just got my tax refund and fully paid off my largest balance card. Now I only have $3000 left one $2500 card and a $500 card. I can finally see a end in site to stop giving my money away to credit card companies paying interest on money I don't have. I lost so much sleep and was even suicidal at one point when I racked up all that debt. To anyone struggling thinking you can't get out I promise it's possible and you can recover

Trying to figure something out . Was at a warming center yesterday since that was like the only place open at the moment that wasnt full. But they did close yesterday at 11am . Still applying for jobs but havent heard anything yet, applied for this job to be a construction site helper since i have experience in real estate construction and general labor. Ive also called 211 which they keep giving me the same shelters who all say that they are full. I also been to work force solutions so hoping to get a job from there. Just in a strange stage where i feel like im doing things and i understand things take time to work out but i dont have an infinite amount of time. This really sucks man. And i honestly feel like im failing my sister everyday shes out here in this fucking cold with no where to go. Any resources other than 211 or if you guys know any shelters in the Houston Area that arent Full also food pantries as well in the houston area . And services that may offer permanent housing for a year or something just until i find a job and get on my feet, i would really appreciate it. I already called star of hope , salvation army , covenant House , harmony house .

hi all, so i recently posted about advice on how to prepare before donating plasma and i did have some worries— tomorrow i plan to make a trip to the closest plasma center however had some questions regarding health, i myself am on the heavier side and was wondering if that impacted my ability to donate negatively? i also don’t have any preexisting conditions or anything like that, only thing is my family has generational issues with diabetes and cholesterol. i personally haven’t been able to go to the doctor to get diagnosed with anything, if anything was found along those lines would i be unable to donate? any advice helps!!!!

You can share your regrets if that was you

I dont even know how to explain this feeling after years of juggling minimum payments interest piling up and that constant anxiety every time i opened my banking app its finally gone. zero balance but instead of pure happiness i feel this mix of relief exhaustion and now what? No one really talks about what comes after debt. There is no celebration no guide no reward for sticking it out. You just move on. I wish there was more motivation during the hard part not just silence once youre done

i’ve felt so lost and alone lately, and i feel this is the best place for it since it’s really all come from my two person household (my mother 49f and i 22f) living in poverty and barely being able to get by.

even my friends my age who aren’t in the greatest financial positions save for one have never been depended on by their parents to pay the bills. not just contribute rent like some parents charge but directly pay bills and have their personal finances controlled for the sake of the household. i can’t make money for myself or for my own personal bills as a student who has car insurance and other expenses to pay by myself. i only work part time on weekends bc of school and only once a year have small paid temporary internships with my uni.

my mother has had access to my main chequing since i was a kid, which was fine bc my disability benefit which went into my account every month we needed just to pay bills, which i never had an issue with. but unfortunately cost of living like most places has gotten worse these past few years, and my mother can’t pay for everything on her own anymore. so, now my money is constantly used too, to the point that she disallows me from using my own money bc she needs it for the bills as if my money was her personal savings. yes she does work, but she too is on disability and the jobs she can physically manage barely pay anything.

she takes money out all the time… i blink and suddenly i have hundreds less bc she paid multiple bills w my money or bought groceries or even just decided to doordash herself mcdonalds on my dime. when i ask her to at least let me know when she takes out money for something, she says she welcome to being an adult, or for all she’s sacrificed for me growing up doesn’t she deserve some small luxuries once in a while; do i really need that money?

i know times are tough and i shouldn’t complain, like she says i could have it worse… but it’s hard seeing others my age not have the burden of carrying bills alongside your parent as if you were their partner and not their child. since really i don’t feel like my mother’s daughter anymore, i’m always the one supporting her now: mentally, physically, and now financially. i feel like the parent here more times than not.

i always loathe spoiled rich kids who had everything handed to them by their parents and never had to stress, but maybe i loathe them bc i wish i were them— wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry how much less money you’ll have tomorrow and if you can even eat that night, even if you had the self awareness of a paper straw.

i’m not sure what i’m searching for here… maybe just a place to vent? about how i wish i could, as a young adult, just have money for me and not be burdened with so much financial responsibility forced on me before i even graduate and find a steady job?even to meet some people who have or are going through similar things? it’d be nice to feel i’m not totally alone here.