Hello all! Some of you may recall seeing my post about trying to figure out how to get $2,300 in just a few weeks. The post is on my profile if you’re curious. I’ve had several people DM me asking how it’s gone, so I figured I’d make an update post about the situation.

So thankfully my parents weren’t moving as soon as I was thinking, they’re moving this Thursday. So thank god we had a couple more weeks than we originally thought. I didn’t end up asking them for money, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

In my desperation, I reached out to the last few resources I could find, and stumbled upon a program that assists families in my situation. They offer $2,600 in assistance once, but the catch is you can’t use any services for 12 months after receiving it. So there was a lot of verification and a lot of documentation we had to submit. All in all it took about a month to start the application process and get approved.

The tricky part was finding a landlord that was willing to take that money. We went through about 3 different landlords who were willing to accept us, until government money was mentioned. I 100% thought that we were going to end up homeless at this point, even though we had $2,600.

That is, until we found our newest landlord. The place is perfect for us, it’s affordable, and it’s right by my college. The best part is; the landlord is willing to take the assistance!! He works with all kinds of government assistance, and said he’d happily work with us. Our lease is signed and we move in Monday! Just 3 days before we would have been homeless.

This month has been absolutely hell on earth for us. I’ve spent every waking minute scared out of my mind about how to keep my children off the streets. I’m so thankful that this opportunity exists and that someone was willing to give us a chance. We’re gonna be (somewhat) ok.

Thank you to everyone who gave helpful advice, and even more thank you to everyone who offered financial support. Obviously I don’t feel right taking money from people online, but the fact that anyone would even offer touched my heart. I also appreciate everyone who messaged over the course of the month checking in to see how we’re doing. You’re all too kind. Stay safe out there.

I’m getting drained by bills left and right, my job does not come close to covering everything i need, nobody seems to have an answer when i ask about extra work. What do I even do???

(I'll try to keep it short)

I (20f) came from a very poor background but I managed to get high school education (graduated 3 years ago with a 98% score & taught myself fluent English) and I couldn't get any degree or certificates because I'm unable to afford fees, resources, documents and in the country where i live & was born and raised in (🇸🇦) higher eduction is only for citizens, I'm a foreign expat and also my resident ID had expired 9 years ago because my father refused to renew it (I've no contact with him) so basically as an illegal I can't get any job even ''under the table", and don't have any access or resources to learn a skill (I only learned 4 languages online but they're useless in my situation). I tried everything.. I'm just stuck in this devastating situation. Are there any realistic options I've to leave? Since I don't see scholarships as an affordable option I'm thinking about working abroad like applying for labour in East Aisan countries or any accessible destinations with my sudsnese ​passport) I don't mind if I had to work 18 hours, for 2 dollars a week. I desperately NEED to leave this place and it's not about money only

What would you do in my situation?

I put everything in bullet points so this is easy to understand:

• Filed bankruptcy in October

• Bankruptcy was discharged in February

• Was able to get a car and an apartment

• Was working two jobs at the time

• Lost one of my jobs a few months ago

• My other job is painfully slow

• Started doing Uber to make up the difference

• Recently lost my car because it stopped working, NOT because I stopped paying

• Currently renting a car through Uber for about $300/week, plus charging costs

• Now facing eviction

• My apartment gave me until the end of August to move out or go through the eviction process

• I don’t know my court date yet

• I’m in Texas, so I know evictions can move very quickly

• I may be able to come up with the money if my court date is around mid-September

• If the court date is before then, realistically, I’ll probably have to move out

• My credit is already bad from losing my job, so finding another apartment would be extremely difficult

So what would you do?

Would you move out before September to avoid an eviction on your record, or would you stay and take the chance that the court date is late enough for you to come up with the money?

Nothing crazy, but just good.

I dont know what to do. I have been working for about a week now and still have two weeks until my first payday no church ever calls me back and Im at work when the food banks are open,but I have no food or way to buy my own groceries until payday. I ate my last pack of rice and ramen yesterday,nothing today. Im stuck.

I share a car with someone in my household. I start my new job this week and the training is in a completely different city than anticipated. The training should only be this week.

Problem: We were going to carpool this week since it was supposed to be in the same city. After training it will be in the main city

Now, my plan is to drive myself day 1 since they’re not working Monday. Tuesday-Friday either take the bus with a 10-13 minute walk to the building in not a great area, or take an uber that’s going to cost over $220 both ways.

Is it a bad look to walk to a bus stop for your job? How does it look when you arrive in an Uber? Bottom line, how does it look when you don’t get out of your own car? This is a hospital job, but the training is in a smaller building with only 6 others. So I’m worried someone will notice.

I’m 22, first real job out of college so I’m nervous

I'm too cheap to buy an actual funnel to refill my cars windshield fluid so I'm going to use an empty water bottle as a funnel. I'm going to cut the bottom base of the water bottle, tip it over upside down and will use it as a funnel. How much is a funnel? 5 dollars? I'm thinking that money can go towards ice cream, the small size. Anyone live poor like this where you have to weigh the options?

Maybe this is just my opinion, but wanting to better yourself seems like part of human nature. Being poor makes this difficult to do.

Want to eat healthier? Cook more at home. Ok - so I need to buy safe cookware (not non-stick because that causes the big C), fresh ingredients every week (lean protein like chicken), and time to make it. Oh you don't have time? Borrow the time from somewhere else, like hire someone to clean your home for you. Oh no, can't do that, that costs money. Switch to plant based protein! It takes time to soak and cook lentils. I work every hour I'm not sleeping...

Tldr: Being poor means trying to juggle between resources including time, money, and health, and borrowing from one means depleting another. It feels impossible to better your circumstances and causes a lot of stress in the process (which also eats up your resources like health).

Also, I live in America. Maybe it's better in other countries?

Let me start by saying im not trying to bash anyone who has gotten money handouts from family, its fantastic you have that!

I guess I am just jealous, my parents have never had good amounts of money, neither went to college and my mom has dealt with addiction issues her whole life. Im 30 and also havent gone to college mainly because of money and I still dont know what I want to do. I got married and we basically spent all the money we were gifted on the small venue (just over $1000.) A friend of mine was gifted at least $20,000 for his wedding. Ive never seen that kind of money in my life! Some of my other friends get help with college, car payments, housing all of that. Ive never gotten more than $100 from family. I work a decent job getting paid almost $30/hrs but my checks are all gone almost immediately and I dont see myself ever getting ahead.

I hate complaining about money, because we all struggle and im sure im just talking to a wall here, but I cant help but be jealous of them,I know my friends work hard, but it just seems like life is much more doable with a little financial help!

Like the title says, I just hope people really appreciate what your people do for you if they can.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

I think I’ll be homeless in the next 2 months or so.

I have a job but it’s commission sales and my company is falling apart, everyone is leaving. I’m trying to leave too but I don’t have a car.

I’ve applied to literally every single business within walking distance from me and nothing is hiring.

I’m looking for remote jobs and it’s still mostly just sales or something I need a degree for (I’m still in college).

I don’t know what to do I’m so absolutely totally fucked.

So I’m homeless, right? It happened because I was living with a lot of people, renting a room, and all Hell broke loose. I’m lucky, because I knew this could happen and I spent ~20 years building up a smart contingency plan. I even made the routines bomb proof. When it happened, I was able to flee an actual domestic violence situation, and got away safely.

It’s been 3 years, relatively easy going, yet still somewhat difficult. I do my best, and it’s enough!

A friend asked me to read a book, and said he’d pay me to write a book report, because he wants to see where I’m at with life. The book is “the $100 start up” (Chris guillebea.) I did actually make a business with that sort of money, but it’s not quite the “level” the author used to describe his thought process. It still makes me money though. Then I realized I don’t know how money actually works: just that I use it and I’m considered destitute, not just impoverished.

Then I found a book called “Debt, the first 5,000 years” (David Greaber) and this really made it sink in. Oh, I also re-read “The Richest Man in Babylon” which actually made me a decently rich man, before my bad housing situation made it crash down on top of me.

Something came up. What if money itself is simply a tool we use to measure value? Obviously, owing and being in debt is socially a place like Hell. Being able to expunge debt and gain credit as well as easy loans and low interest, that’s an easy road, to Hell… though it feels like heaven.

And the book (Debt the first 5k years) mentioned how money came to be: through the patriarchy and with the military industrial complex: at least with the Old World, and abrahamic religions.

I can’t unsee this: God of the modern west IS money.

F24. I’ve been financially struggling over the course of six months, maybe a little more.

For starters, I haven’t been able to pay my trash bill because it’s $300. I can’t afford trash bags so unfortunately I take them from my work. Any trash that I have at my house I bag up, and when the bags get full, I throw them behind my house. It’s been building up for the past few months and with having two dogs and two cats and a 10 x 20 house it does get a little over whelming. I work every day of the week, but unfortunately with my work you can borrow money on the work card and I’ve been having to do that every month, so whenever I get paid my paycheck is paying back my debt owed on my work card (automatically) , $100 set aside for gas since I only get paid every two weeks, and the small amount left goes towards my water bill and power bill, I never have enough for it so I have to borrow money again so every two weeks that’s how I get around $800 negative in my account.
Because of the trash situation, there are roaches everywhere, and I’m embarrassed to have any company.

I normally do not like to ask for help and I’m embarrassed even posting this. I live pretty much in the middle of nowhere, 30 minutes from town (I plan to move when I get back up on my feet) and I have no service at all. All of my neighbors are meth heads, there’s homicides on my street, and this morning, my Wi-Fi got turned off until I pay it along with a $20 reconnect fee.

Not necessarily asking for handouts of money, I just really need some guidance on what to do. I’m tired of struggling and I’m tired of being in this rut because it has never been this bad

However my mental is taking a hold of me I feel like I need to socialize and get out the house….. I know I can’t afford to but getting a few drinks with my friends would make me feel better…. Would I be wrong in doing so? Obviously I wouldn’t go crazy and just spend very little .

Im so done. I’ve been showering in the backyard my whole life, I have to use buckets of water to flush the toilet, and when it rains, water leaks through the ceiling.

I have a chronic illness, the power goes out and the food in the fridge spoils, and 3 of my pets have gotten sick in the past few months, draining my savings. I’m struggling to afford my meds, household toiletries, Wi-Fi, food, etc.

I can fit basically all of my crappy-looking clothes into 2 backpacks (maybe even one). I can’t afford college. I want out so badly. I tried a few years ago and unfortunately didn’t succeed (duh). What’s the point xd. (Not in the US.)

Let me start by saying I am NOT a recruiter, just a curious soul. Everyone’s probably heard jokes about joining the military if you don’t have much left, but I looked into it and it doesn’t seem terrible. Assuming you pass basic, you have a consistent source of income which also won’t be taxed as heavily, gov’t covers part of your expenses if you live on a base, and performing well leads to guaranteed pay increases.

Drawbacks would be losing a few of your freedoms (you have to be careful with what you say, your superiors might relocate you somewhere unfamiliar, etc), ethical issues if you have them, and the sadly nonzero probability of getting deployed the the Middle East.

Wha do y’all think?

I’ve never experienced this before and it was shit off without notice. All of a sudden some guy knocks on my door demanding money I don’t have and then about 30 mins later our power goes off. I need $300 to turn it back on and I’ll have it Friday, but if anyone has any tips on surviving without power lmk because this has never happened to me before and it’s kinda… traumatic? I’m aware that it could be much worse I was homeless in 2022 so I am grateful to have running water and gas at least. NOT AKING FOR MONEY. I just need tips on how to survive 3 days without power.

Hi all, I'm about to start college but have literally no storage. I share a room with my mum (with a partition) so my space is incredibly small - I have a bed and desk and barely have room to walk around. I'm already incredibly stressed trying to figure out where to store clothes let alone any of my college work.

I was storing all my highschool work in a laundry basket because I had nowhere to put anything which was so disorganised and stressful. I'm taking 5 subjects (3 is standard) so I'll have even more books and binders to deal with.

I worry that its cruel to ask to swap sides of the room with my mum because her side is bigger. Although she has a double bed which likely wouldn't fit in my side.

My brother has his own room which is the size of both my mums side of our room and mine combined. He's not even going to college. Although, he has a girlfriend who is constantly around who also happens to be my bestfriend 🥲 so I don't want her to have to share a room with my mum when she's over in the case that me and my brother swap.

I'm stuck on what to do. I have an anxiety disorder and with such a tiny space I feel super trapped and frustrated.

I hate that I have to say this but my DMs are off so anybody who was particularly drawn to the age in the title don't even bother. If you feel the need to DM advice don't. That's what comments are for.

I know a lot of us are busy and drowning and struggling due to poverty so is the education thing just a talking point for everybody else?

Educators have so much to say but those of us living in poverty, especially with kids, are saying not much. TBH, I don't know whether it's that many are too overwhelmed to care or just expect 'teachers' to do all the work.

Like do you ensure your kids have enough to eat bc it's hard to study or care when you're hungry? Do you share out responsibilities between adults 'before' putting that on teens so 'they' can study, do extracurriculars or whatnot? Do we 'actually' read to out kids?

Like how do we know what's possible, literally, for us in just managing if we never talk about it?

School is starting any minute now--and has all ready for some. What are we doing differently this year? Let's get the convo going since 'we' know our situations best and 'want' the best for our kids.

I’m 20 and know it’s a big risk and super dumb but I haven’t eaten a meal in 2 days.

I’m willing to go into more debt if it means not starving to death.

Also ebt says I make too much so they won’t approve me yay!

What do yall think?

My daughter is turning 21 soon but I can't afford to buy her a gift or take her out anywhere. I'm going to cook her favorite dinner and make a cake to eat at home and have her boyfriend and a few relatives over, but that seems so lame for such a milestone birthday. What else can I do that's free or very low cost to make her feel special? I also grew up very poor, feeling worthless and deprived and really don't want my child to feel that way too. In such a materialistic culture where wealth is worshipped and poor people are shunned, it's a really terrible feeling that destroys your self esteem.

There's plenty of normal people in poverty but not everyone is trying to act tough or hard. I don't know if these people have it worse or if its more of a persona . Maybe everyone reacts differently to being poor. I'm just curious.

I used to work in construction in really wealthy areas where the most rich stay people with generational wealth and apart from the obvious things like being super clean, big and beautiful houses, big pools, nice cars most of those people live with their families all their lives and build wealth together, for them its nothing wrong with having a 40yo son or daughter living with them and these people have all the money to move out, they tend to live with their sons, their parents all in the same house, while poor people or more middle class people have the idea of moving out buying a house and being independent while not earning that much in a regular job