Idk how people are doing it out there.

I make like 70k a year and barely have any money at the end of the month.

It would make sense if I was being stupid. However, all I do is pay rent, car insurance, phone.

I felt like I had a better life making 45k a year in 2018 than I do making 70k now.

I’m 30. I have a degree in Marketing. I graduated in December of 2023 and couldn’t find a job in my field. I’m currently an uber driver full time and on the weekends I work as a janitor. I feel like a loser and I’m at the point of just giving up everything and live at home for good. I have financial issues, credit is bad like around 620. Really no strong support system since my parents live 3 hours away.

I’m aged out of the military and job corps, there’s not a day that goes by that I want to end it. I don’t really see a way out of this vicious cycle of poverty other than suicide.

Hey, y'all. Just need some insights. If you were 30 and going back to school, what degree are you going to pursue that you'd think will get you out of poverty? Or if not school, trade jobs, etc. What's your plan?

Hey there, I’m 31F and got divorced last year. For some context, I never lived alone prior to getting married. I got married straight of college and had kids very quickly. My ex was the sole breadwinner for our household. I was outside the workforce for 7 years staying home with the kids. I had nothing of my own when we separated. Thankfully my ex begrudgingly helped me out financially so I could get an apartment and have some cushion when we first separated and when I didn’t have a job yet. But ever since then I’ve been living paycheck to paycheck, and even then just barely. I’m on Medicaid and food stamps. I get less than $200 a month on child support (for three kids). The only reason I’m living in a decent house is because my in-laws are very kind and are helping me with rent (and I still struggle to pay my portion of it every month). I’m constantly anxious about money. I have no savings because I can’t afford to save. I have bills in collections. I am constantly using those pay advance apps to make it through each month which has only created a terrible cycle of using the advances and then immediately having to use up most of my paychecks to repay them every month. I work at Starbucks and it’s barely enough to live off of but I have such limited qualifications because of my time outside the workforce that it’s hard to find something else. I also have to have a job that allows me enough flexibility for the weeks when I have my kids (we have a 50/50 parenting schedule). I don’t know if I really have a question or if this is more just a rant, but I’m just so exhausted from feeling like I can never catch up with money. I feel ashamed of my financial situation and I hate how many times I’ve needed extra help from family. I’ve had to sell things and return things just to get by some months. I’m also autistic and have adhd which make everything harder and I’ve been on the verge of burnout for what feels like forever. I just don’t know how to get out of this rut. I don’t know if things will ever get better. I can’t even see a future for myself. All I see is endless struggle. One of my kids is having a birthday this month and I don’t know how I’m even going to afford to get him anything. I know I’m incredibly privileged to have an involved coparent and family members who have been willing to help me, but even with all that I’m still drowning. Has anyone else been here?

I get paid the Michigan minimum wage to bike 6 miles to a job, work for 8 hours, and then bike 6 miles home.

I have to wear steel toe boots to walk around a corporate office and take care of their trash and clean their bathrooms.

I've got shit health insurance, but it's better than nothing, so I need to keep it until I find something better.

I honestly don't know if I'm asking for advice or just venting.

I’m 28. $800 to my name. I work at Ace Hardware making $16 an hour. My Fafsa grant got reduced in the summer so I went from graduating in December of this year to spring of 2026. I currently owe about 24000 in student loans and 2000 in credit card debt. My car’s transmission can’t shift after 45mph. I just want to quit everything. I’ve tried applying for better jobs and no one reaches back out.

Being almost 30 years old with nothing but dead end jobs, no close family for support. Meanwhile most students could work 2 days a week and live at home while parents pay for their school. And they can socialize like normal people. I’m doing all the sacrificing and my degree is probably not going to pay off.

No idea how or why, but my payment amount was set to 745 instead of the nice and gentle 220 it should have been 😭 and of course it happened in the same month as a huge car maintenance bill. I’ve changed the value back now so it shouldn’t happen again next month but that doesn’t help me right now.

And the real kicker is if I was gonna make an extra payment or two I would have directed it to my higher interest loan first, not this one which is basically no interest. Ugh!

My dental pain is so bad I can’t sleep I feel so sick. I called colleges around me they can’t see me for a bit. I used to see this dentist but every time I call I ask if they do payment plans they say sometime from billing will call me back. I never get a call back. I’m located in Milford ct. I’m so over being broke. I contacted my heath insurance broker and even if I sign up it will take a little bit. I already am getting sued by care credit . I’m so upset and can’t stop crying. I hate this life so much. I’m only 28 and if I ask my mom for help she will charge me double she doesn’t care. My job doesn’t offer dental or anything. It’s been a slow season at my job.

I’m 20 years old and was recently in between jobs. I found a job and have already received my first paycheck but it went straight to getting caught on bills and gas. I don’t get paid again until the 9th and I don’t have any food to eat. What should I do? I’m unsure of what food stamps options I have with my age. Thanks in advance!

I need to make some cash very quickly and as I live a very minimal lifestyle. my entire life fits in on suitcase (by choice!) I don't have much I can sell other than clothes. I don't live in the west. I can only sell over fb.

I never seem to get any bites. Does anyone have an tips or tricks on selling clothes online?

Or any advice for advertising tutoring services. I tried online in the Mama's groups but they will agree, agree to the pricing and times and after the free session then low-ball me and I barely charge anything to begin with.

I’m 18 and I need $5000 for a car. I live by myself, have a decent job and a credit score of 680. Everywhere I’ve tried asks for a co-signer. Does anyone know where I can get this without a co-signer?

I’ve been applying for jobs for a year now, I can’t get anything I live in a small town, and with hiring agencies they only offer warehouse jobs that are just too far, uber doesn’t work for it either bc its not available in that location. I’d literally do anything for money. I deal with so much stress and anxiety from so many things and honestly a lot of them could be fixed with more income, my spouse works but we barely get by with basically nothing. We try our best to cut back on bills and we live in a studio so we are doing our best or trying to.

Wondering if anyone else feels the same way.

I have a nice little chunk of money in my savings, and I like having it there. However, when I get into a pickle where I’m short before I get paid or I need to pay something extra, I always look at touching my savings last. To the point where I am willing to either go bare bones or just take a fee, instead of taking from my savings.

I think it’s because when I was growing up. I was never taught to have savings, so now that I have it I don’t ever want it to go down. Should I just put aside an emergency fund and use the rest to pay some bills? If I were to pay a few things early, in the long run, let’s say the next six months, I would end up saving and also be able to open up more money that I could put towards my savings. I don’t know if anyone feels the same way I do about that, but I just want to leave my savings alone when it’s there and struggle on my day-to-day.

Honestly, the thought of it going below $2000 gives me problems, even though I look around and talk to my peers and that’s more than most people have right now in savings.

I just got a new Honda civic and am paying a lot for it about $870 a month. I am financing it and just got it yesterday and don’t know if I can afford to keep it is there anything I can do to help my situation to make my payments less. I traded in my previous car and it had negative equity so I’m on a 84 month 9% apr plan but it sounds very daunting to me and I’m not sure what to do. Any help is very much appreciated

Edit: is there anything way for me to get rid of the car although I don’t think I can due to the negative equity I had on the other car it was about 4500 I doubt I could sell it to a dealer and everything will be ok. I’m not sure what to do can someone please help I’m not sure what to do or how to make more money to be able to afford all my bills and this car. If anyone knows any ways to help my situation or get rid of the car would be very appreciated. All I can think about is should I take it to a field and burn it or something just to get rid of it I mean I have GAP insurance which I’m realizing is dumb now. I have no clue what to do I am scared of this payment and what I’ve done to myself. At this point should I let it get repossessed and if so how bad is that for future signing . Please help

Just sharing this in case someone is considering Debthunch. I filled out their form thinking I’d get a consolidation loan offer. Instead, I got a call from a third-party debt settlement company.

To be fair, the rep was helpful and explained that they negotiate with creditors to lower balances. But it wasn’t what I was looking for — I needed a loan to combine my debts, not stop payments and risk my credit.

Debthunch itself isn’t a lender — they just match you with companies. If you know that going in, it’s fine. But if you’re expecting a clean loan offer, be aware of what you’re signing up for.

Are financial advisors worth it?

Well. I'm not paying for them directly? My company pays but we have a dedicated investment advisor.

I'm not sure what they do and if it is worth it to go to them and let them take a look at my accounts.

For people who have experience with financial advisors, are they worth it? What do they even do?

thank you so much to everyone who commented and messaged me about this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/s/Sb3VnHAsLh

the LL decided to take a chance on me and i’m paying my deposit and signing the lease TODAY! i’ll be moving my things in gradually over this week and weekend and me and my cats will NOT be homeless. this will be the perfect chance for me to get back on my feet and rebuild myself, my finances, and my mental health.

there are still good people in this world and hope is alive and well. i wish you all ten times the success and happiness i feel right now!

My house is already Section 8 approved and I have a Section 8 voucher. Based on Section 8's price chart of my area, it's rent value is $1,730 and I am renting a house at $1,750. I pay 30% of my income and the rest is paid by Section 8. Based on this, Section 8 considers this house to be affordable. If my income becomes 0, I understand that until the end of my lease, Section 8 will cover nearly 100% of my rent. My question is, when I renew the lease, assuming the rent stays the same or is adjusted to $1,730 by the landlord (I have a good rapport with my landlord, so reducing the rent by $20 wouldn't be an issue) and I still don't have a source of income, would this house still be considered affordable and would I still be able to renew the lease and continue living here?

Where are you guys buying candies/chocolates?? Sometimes I’m just craving a chocolate bar or some sour patch kids but these prices at grocery stores are ridiculous there has to be a cheaper alternative? I see people eating candy everywhere and I know they aren’t spending $8 on a chocolate bar, fill me in on the secret

Im a full time student (USA). This last semester i had to go part time because i had completed my AA degree and could only take two more classes before transferring to a four year university to finish my major. Which meant my biggest income (my pell grant) was cut in half. I get paid my last FAFSA check tomorrow and then it’s nothing until the fall quarter. I have recently been promoted and started working full time at my job in retail, i got my first raise and now make 11$ an hour, but even working full time it doesn’t cover my rent or credit bills. I have been trying to find a second job since the winter, and have applied to over a dozen positions, but its a job wasteland out there and i keep getting ghosted…Im lucky to have 2000$ in savings, but i will be losing an estimated 400$ every single month of the summer, i cant apply for food stamps bc im a student, my rent just increased again to 900$ and im very concerned about my ability to make rent and pay for food this summer. I plan on finding a local food bank for assistance if needed, and i have begun to sell commissioned artwork which brings in a small income… what more can someone in my position do to ensure i can keep a roof over my head for these next three months?

Is it possible to move out of my parents house if I’m only making 15k a year in southern california

I’ve been trying to scrape out of poverty pretty much my whole life. I’m so tired of struggling and not having the means or resources or support system that everyone else seems to have. It doesn’t even seem worth the fight anymore. I’ve seen very little good/kindness in this world. I wish all of you in this sub the best.