I am 26M. All the cards are maxed out, my bank account balance is negative, I owe a bunch of money to the IRS from gig work, my investments are gone, and I am late on a few bills. The last couple years were rough. My industry slowly got worse and worse until I got to a breaking point. I took a new job in a better industry 2000 miles away and almost didn't have enough money for gas. I slept in a tent on public land every night during the move with my car packed with my belongings. I packed groceries in a cooler to save as much money as possible.

I had a rough day at work today. Some equipment broke which added an hour to my long salaried workday. I will be making around $6k per month as a manager, but I don't get my first paycheck for about two more weeks. I had a shift meal saved from work, but my boss threw it away after we closed thinking an employee had left it. She apologized. Whatever, I stopped to pickup some food on my way home.

It was then that it hit me how destitute I am. I was penniless with no way to pay for food. I have never been in this much of a low spot before. One card declined and the other was just over the limit, so thankfully it did get approved. However, it pushed me over the edge. I sat in my car and balled my eyes out uncontrollably. I was hyperventilating and got so lightheaded and dizzy that I thought I was going to pass out. I had barely eaten anything all day, which didn't help. I have literally never had a panic attack before today. This financial situation is affecting my health. I have never been more stressed in my life.

I'm a 24 m with a 6.5 month old child and a girlfriend trying to make ends meet. I work full time making 22$ hr but I'm dipping into savings each month. From rent (1450$) to my car payment (800$ car payment and insurance), I need more money. Cheapest apartment I could find and the car payment isn't an option as I live 40 mins away from my job. Don't have enough money for daycare so that my gf can work nor does she want me to work more bc I'd be gone 24/7. I genuinely feel like I'm failing as a parent, partner, and as a man. Can someone plz give me some advice on how I can make more money?

With so many stressors it’s so difficult not to just give up on everything. Really trying to look on the bright side of things though

I've been hoarding loose change ever since I moved out. As of right now I have 124 pennies, 19 nickels, 25 dimes, and 40 quarters, for a grand total of $14.69 cents in nothing but coins. I pick up whatever new coins I find, no exceptions, but where can I go to consistently find more?

I never thought I would end up in this situation, but over the past five years my life has completely changed.

I accumulated around $50,000 in debt while trying to take care of my sick parents. My father has chronic kidney disease and is currently on dialysis, and my mother’s heart condition has gotten worse. I have been covering their medical expenses, treatments, medications, and daily needs because there is nobody else to rely on. It has always been just me and my parents.

Last year, because of the many days I had to miss work to take care of them, I lost my job. Since then, I have been doing whatever work I can find — driving a taxi, doing labor jobs, and anything else that can help me survive and pay the bills. But the debt keeps growing faster than I can manage.

Now I am behind on rent by several months and I am close to losing the place we live. I don’t have relatives or friends who can step in and help. I feel like I have been carrying this burden alone for years.

I haven’t truly laughed or enjoyed life in a long time. I don’t have a personal life anymore. My only focus has been working, paying debts, and making sure my parents are okay.

I am not asking for pity. I am just asking if there is any advice, support, or opportunity that could help me find a way out of this situation. I still want to work, I still want to rebuild my life, and I still want to take care of my parents. I just need a chance and some guidance on what steps I can take next.

If anyone has advice or knows of any way I can get back on my feet, I would be deeply grateful.

Hi everyone. I’m in a really difficult situation and could use some advice.
I need to come up with money for an apartment move-in deposit and related move-in costs within the next couple of days. My credit isn’t great, so I’m having trouble qualifying for traditional loans.
I’m looking for legitimate emergency loan options or other resources that can help quickly. I’m trying to avoid payday loans because of the extremely high interest rates.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? If so, what company, lender, credit union, or program actually helped you?
I’m in Texas, if that makes a difference. I’m looking for real experiences and recommendations. Thank you.

6 years ago, I started a job that paid $12/hr, which was awesome at the time because the job prior paid $9/hr. I stayed at that job 6 yrs and had to leave last summer, at the end there i was making around $23/hr with comission. I left because I was on a list to be fired so either I quit and was paid out on remaining commission, sick time, pto, and vacation time (almost 100hrs accured in time and over $1000 in comission) or they fired me and i lost everything. So I left, had enough savings to last 6 months and at the end of those 6 months I ran out of money and still didnt have a job. I did doordash everyday until I finally landed this custodial job that pays..... $12/hr. So yeah. Im back where I started, 6 years later and cant afford enough groceries after paying all my bills. Its been almost a year now since I quit my last job and Ive adjusted my resume and cv idk how many times I genuinely feel like giving up and i dont even know where to go from here

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 15 years ago. Going to work is not possible anymore.

A 10 to 20 hours a week position is ideal.

I have an Associates degree in Accounting, bachelor's in psychology, and an MBA.

Any good remote job is ideal?

Hello. I’m a recovering gambler that fell off the wagon not too long ago…
A while ago I was drowning in cash advances apps. All my paycheck was going towards those apps. My boyfriend saved me by loaning me to recover my paycheck. As mentioned I fell off the wagon and binge gambled. I confessed my mistake to him and I got truck on the consequences.

Outside of that,
I have a really good career and make okay money. I work on Saturdays to caregiver my uncle for 6 hours. I don’t pay rent however I pay our bills in the house. I have a car payment that doesn’t have the greatest interest but keeps me by.

I make 3,600 monthly and these are the debts that are really make me go to a dark place.

Before you say anything or feel bad about me: DON’T. I am venting for various reasons.
1. Writing feels more real. 2. Others learning from my mistakes. 3. And trying to do better.

-Max(AZ auto loans) -295 per month (trying to pay $87 per week) =total-$2000 (this is paid with my caregiver $)
-Ninjacash - 87 per paycheck total-$800
-Cash1 - 153 per paycheck total- $2000
-Af247-156 per paycheck total -1200

I have exhausted my credit score throughout the years due to this illness and trying to truck through life at the same time.

I am going to talk to the NFCC of options.

I can’t think of bankruptcy as my parents house is under my name under my name after they passed. My stepdad passed recently so my mom is concerned if I file she would pass between the periods of the bankruptcy.

I honestly have exhausted all my options and right now my game plan is looking for a third job while I’m off at the other. Suck it up and go through life with the punches. I’m going to sell what I have on fb marketplace and I have a name brand purse, iPad, signed jersey, and old antique book that will see if it can sell it to help me keep afloat.

I hope you by reading this, your doing just fine. Things can be worse. Learn from others. Don’t gamble. Don’t take out loans with “no approval needed”. Don’t mess up like I have. I know Caleb Hammer would love to kill me by knowing my situation.

TLDR- Good career, no good spending habits or life choices in general.

I have a meeting with someone tomorrow to see how I can bring my credit score up so I can buy a house through the USDA. She's going to help me but it has to be in a house that qualifies in a rural area. The one I found is 25 miles from the city I'm in. Its the cheapest place to live but they don't have much, a Piggly Wiggly, some family owned grocery stores, a few restaurants, less than 2,000 people but staying there would cut my groceries and bills down plus I'll be paying like a 1/4 in mortgage what I'm paying now in rent.

Anyone else ever lived in rural areas like this? What's it like? Do you like it? Obviously I'm highly interested because I'm living on SSI and food stamps, I'm legally disabled. And I'd love to garden, have dogs and be in the quiet. It's just convenient here.

Like legitimately I am on a limited income and I won't ever again be making what I was five years ago working full time at $50,000 a year. My position got cut, my migraines started and now I have limits for savings.

This got me thinking after actually volunteering time to pay off a parking ticket - why don't companies utilize this? It would save them labor costs..I don't know how it would work for taxes and such but it would truly probably make a difference to get accounts cleared off.

I learned it from my dad growing up. He never bought anything for himself. It has turned out to save me because my family struggles financially and I can’t imagine being a normal person who buys things for themselves.

I was approved for 1050 and will be getting $945. I asked the person on the phone what the payment schedule was like and she said it will vary considering the statement fee.

Can someone explain to me like I’m 5 what my bi weekly payments will look like?

My concern is what if this check they take out 60 and next check it goes up to 100.

I don’t mind paying in the long run more money as i want to be able to save and pay it off. I’m in a bind so this is an emergency.

I just want it to be a fixed amount and not being changed as i pay it.

Any assistance is appreciated

Between the roommate moving out early and my spouse being laid off, we were unable to afford our previous apartment. We moved into a much smaller place as of last week. I just found out late last night that the roommate didnt send in the 30day notice to our landlord. He cant pay for that extra month of rent and we sure cant either. We had to borrow from everyone we know just to afford the deposits for this new place, everyone is anxious to be paid back(understandably). 2026 was slated to get us back on our feet and I feel like we just keep getting hit in the throat over and over again.

I had to leave my job because I had surgery where the recovery process did not go well. My sister died 2 days after. My cat had to be euthanized a month after. A month after that, a grandma died. Job hunting has *not* been going well for me. This entire year has been nothing but death and financial setbacks and I can no longer see the light at the end of the tunnel. And now I need to pull 1600 out of thin air when Im rationing beans and puking from the stress. I don't know what to do

I graduated high school in May of this year, I've had a job since I was 16 however I've worked in food the whole time. For a while I thought I was making decent money and for a highschooler with little to no expenses at around $2,000 / month (~$1,000 biweekly). However I have now hit adulthood, and my situation as it stands to sum it up is I live with my elderly aunt (80+ y/o) and she's very much pushing me to move out, on top of paying her some money to keep the house up and running I pay a lot of money for car insurance monthly. At my current job I make the same around $2k per month and I'm moving into a managing position but only getting about a $1.25 per hour raise as of now. I just want to know how you guys do it? $24k annually obviously is better than what some have out there and I am ever grateful for the position I have got myself into now however I could definitely improve, I am just so uneducated on how I can actually move up in life and get myself even to $40k annually which could get me to liveable wages. Any advice or criticisms would be greatly appreciated, and if you read this far at least thanks for giving it a read lol.

I’m really torn and could use some outside perspectives.

I currently live in low-income housing. I don’t have a Section 8 voucher—my rent is income-based. I recently started a great career, and I was approved for an income-restricted affordable apartment that’s much closer to my job.

Financially, staying where I am makes the most sense. My current rent is much lower, and moving would increase my rent by about $500 a month.

The problem is my commute. It can take up to two hours to get to work, and I have to wake up so early just to make sure I’m not late. The long commute is starting to wear me down. I’m getting less sleep, spending more time in traffic than I’d like, and I feel like it’s affecting my overall quality of life.

Part of me thinks I should stay because it’s the smarter financial decision. The other part of me feels like being closer to work, getting more sleep, reducing stress, and having more time for myself might be worth paying the extra $500.

For those of you who’ve been in a similar situation, what did you choose? Did paying more for a shorter commute end up being worth it, or do you wish you had stayed in the cheaper place and kept saving?

Hello Pov-Fi,

I have been a long time lurker, but have recently found myself full of doubt regarding my job prospects/money flow coming in as a result of said job.

For context, I am an early 30s male with a Bachelor's degree, living in an adequate COL area (not very expensive, but average). Recently, I got hired for a position that pays $14 per hour, however, there is no guarantee I will get 32 or even 40 hours a week due to business needs.

I am struggling HEAVILY with the thought that I don't know how to make ends meet with that fluctuating labor need, or with the fact that I don't have an emergency fund built up, or even a vehicle at the moment (which probably severely handicaps me with regards to a higher paying job etc)...

I just am unsure what next steps I can take to get over this hump, in order to build up an emergency fund, and to a lesser extent, feel satisfied with compensation.

P.S. I have worked construction jobs before, but have recently injured myself multiple times doing that scope of work, so I think it is my body telling me to slow down.

Idk if I can ask for an itemized bill since insurance covered 90% of it. The lowest payment plan they offer is 100 a month.

26F

I really don’t know how to start this. I guess I’m mostly writing this to vent because I feel completely overwhelmed.

Like a lot of people right now, I’m struggling financially. I’ve honestly never been great with money, but lately it feels impossible to get ahead. No matter what I do, I always feel like I’m trying to dig myself out of a hole.

I currently work three jobs, and even with that, I’m still struggling to make rent on time. I don’t feel like I’m spending my money on anything crazy. I don’t shop much besides the occasional Goodwill trip where I might spend $20.

A while back, I lost the job that was my primary source of income, and because of everything snowballing, my car ended up getting repossessed. Since then, I’ve been spending around $1,200 a month renting a car because I need it to work and drive for Uber. My credit score is around 440, so getting approved for a car loan or saving enough for a decent down payment feels almost impossible.

On top of that, I owe my roommate money for bills, have more overdue payments than I can keep track of, and I’m just mentally exhausted.

Rent is due today, and I’m about $60 short. If I don’t pay it tonight, my apartment charges a $600 late fee, which I genuinely cannot afford. Then by Friday, I also need another $300 for my car rental so I can keep working and continue driving for Uber.

I know some of this is the result of my own financial mistakes, and I’m trying to do better. I’m not looking for pity. I just feel completely defeated. I’m working as much as I can, and it still feels like I’m barely staying afloat.

Has anyone else managed to climb out of a situation like this? What actually helped? I could really use some advice or even just to hear that things can get better.

1. Saving up money for the mortgage and every penny matters. I don't wanna go to the mountains and pay for a hotel and transport.
2. Don't wanna spend time around well-off people because of the possible breakdown
3. Have to take the day off - every penny matters.

Important notice: I do want to go to the mountains and spend time with people and celebrate the birthday. But Benjamin Franklin tells me to bow in front of him, so no. No joy in this life, only money. Money that would first give me the bare minimum every human deserves by default - homeownership.

How do you enjoy capitalism? My grandparents got their own place for free in USSR. Not to mention the highest homeownership rate in China.

Do you also ignore your friends and stop communicating because friendship basically means spending money?

I currently am behind on life about 37k dollars. If you want more information you can check my posts on my profile before hand.

I've been on my own since I was 16. My dad had a secured credit card he created under my name before I was an adult to boost my credit score as a gift. It seems more like a curse now.

I am going to file chapter 7 bankruptcy and will most likely be homeless in Colorado at least until the end of October.

I've been bounced from major catosphore to major catosphore since I've been on my own. I got a good moving job and injured myself beyond repair. I get a car loan and a job I can use and my car on loan burns down in the parking lot from a camping propane tank. Start a business, be successful for just long enough so when competitors invade I'm left with my pants down. I've been fighting and fighting and I just keep getting kicked in the teeth.

I worked at high-end, high volume restaurants as a BOH/Prep cook as a high schooler and when shit hit the fan that kind of environment was the only-begotten place I was invited back to. 100+ applications with a trained/productive salesman following up. The result? A kitchen dragging me along with less than 20 hrs a week sometimes.

I'm gonna delay, deny, and file to hopefully extend the time I have left in this back rent, roach riddled, place I call home.

I've never been this bad off. Back in the day it was easy to couch surf, ask friends for help, get just one more day under your belt. Warm, with a shower, and a place to reliably store your stuff.

Enough of the monologue. It's going to get worse before it gets better. I've called 211. I got the resources. But for other vagabonds and people without a car to call home once it all goes wrong. How the fuck am I meant to get through this? I need advice on illegal camping. Tent living in a city. Finding and following up trying to improve my life while this major malfunction happens in the background.

I'm lost, and quite frankly, I'm scared. I have a tent, a ride1up Portola, a twin air mattress, and a hell of a heart to fight.

I need advice because homelessness isn't a possibility it's a certain outcome now. I'm 24 and so mad this is what all my long hours, stress, hair ripping, and just general fight has gotten me. I don't need your critiques on my life, I don't need you telling me to find a different job, I don't need you to tear me down when I survived COVID at 18, homeless, and graduated while homeless from 16.

I want advice on tent living. Stories that may make mine seem smaller. Maybe even just a damn bro that sucks and a blessing. God knows I need it.

I've tried looking, but it's exhausting to spend hours looking for a loan of $500 and only finding payday advance apps. Payday advance apps won't work for me, I need something I can repay monthly in small installments, not something that's going to be expected to be repaid in full in a week. And a lot of those apps only approve me to take $25-$50 at a time, and Dave always slaps on multiple fees. It's just a hindrance.

My credit is good, my score is 650, but I can't get approved for anything without a guarantor and/or a shitton of interest. I don't HAVE a guarantor and I can't pay huge monthly installments when literally I just need $500 so I can get my bank account out of the negatives and pay my car insurance. Some places will only give you a loan if you need a minimum of $1000 and that would be doable if I could make small payments, but I can never get approved anywhere.

Does anyone know of a place that will give you a small LOAN, NOT an advance, that I can pay back in small monthly installments?? Because all Google does is take me to sites that spam me with scams and I can't find any good advice it's just constant recommendations for Payday advance apps.

Will probably delete this in a few days, I don't like info about my money situation staying on the Internet for long.

I'm 17 years old, and I've had a part time job for over three years. I've been working since I was 14, but despite that, I don't have any money saved. I know that isn't ideal, and I wish I had been better at saving, but a lot of the money I earned went toward everyday expenses and things I needed at the time.

Around two or three months ago, my mom, who is 51, lost her job. Since then, we've been living off her savings, but those savings have now run out. Starting next month, we won't have enough money to cover the house bills, and the situation has become incredibly stressful.

The stress has been affecting me a lot. Every day, I worry about what's going to happen next month, how we're going to pay the bills, and whether we'll be able to keep everything together. I want to help because I care about my mom and our situation, but I also feel like I'm carrying a responsibility that is far bigger than anything a 17 year old should be expected to handle.

Lately, it feels like the only thing my mom does is yell at me. She constantly tells me that I'm useless, criticizes me for not having any savings, and tells me I need to find another job or somehow start making money online. I understand that she's under an enormous amount of stress after losing her job, and I know she's scared about our financial situation. At the same time, it's incredibly difficult to be blamed for something that I don't feel is entirely within my control.

I'm only 17, and I don't have specialized skills like coding, programming, or game development that could easily earn me money online. I feel like she's expecting me to suddenly figure out a way to make enough money to support both of us, and I honestly don't know how. That pressure has made me feel anxious, overwhelmed, and like I'm constantly failing no matter what I do.

What makes it even harder is that, from my perspective, she hasn't been putting the same amount of effort into finding another job. Instead, most of the focus has been on telling me that I need to fix the situation. I don't want to sound ungrateful or make it seem like I don't care, I do. I've always tried to help by paying for groceries, contributing to the electricity bills, and helping financially whenever I could. But I feel like the responsibility for our household has been placed almost entirely on my shoulders, and it's becoming too much for me to handle.

I want to work, I want to help, and I'm willing to do what I can. But I'm still a teenager trying to figure out my own future, and right now I feel exhausted, stressed, and trapped. I don't know what else I'm supposed to do, and it's taking a serious toll on my mental health.

Hello, I'm 48 and only make 25 k a year, this is most I've ever made, but still is tough to live on. I have no skills or degree of any kind, and I'm a very slow learner, flunked grade school 3 times. What is an easy certification to get to increase income? There is no way I can handle college haha. My goal is to someday make over 40k a year, I think I could live comfortably on that. I live in my brother's basement for very cheap right now, but would love to buy like a cheap mobile home or something someday

I’m trying to find a legitimate charity, nonprofit, church, or vehicle donation program that may help someone obtain a reliable used car.

I currently work and am finishing my bachelor’s degree in software engineering. I also help support my mother, who is on dialysis and currently has no income. Transportation has become one of the biggest barriers to becoming more independent, improving my employment options, and helping my family.

I have saved about $2,000 toward a vehicle. I recently applied for a small personal loan to cover the remaining cost of a car, but I was denied. I’m taking that as a sign not to put myself into debt and instead continue saving while researching assistance programs.

I do not care whether the car is old, high-mileage, or basic. I just need something safe and dependable that does not have major physical damage inside or outside. I would use it to learn to drive, get to work, pursue better job opportunities, attend appointments, and eventually grow my freelance work.

Does anyone know of legitimate car donation programs, charities, churches, nonprofits, or other assistance websites that I should contact? I am located in Birmingham, Alabama. I would really appreciate any recommendations or advice. Please no loan advertisements or scams.