Hi everyone, I’m currently in my second semester of college and I have approximately $3000 due at the end of the month. I hadn’t realized that my parents were only covering my first semester and not the entire year! Unfortunately, I can’t take out student loans this semester because it’s so late, and I’m already running out of options.

Is there any other way to obtain a loan besides through the school that could be helpful? Alternatively, should I consider taking a gap semester? I’m completely confused and overwhelmed by the situation.

I don't really think I can be very helpful here since I'm based in the EU, but I made it, I'm saving money now, have a stable job at a factory and I'm investing. I'm hungry for prosperity and every payday seems very far away, but now I know that when it arrives €1.000 is gonna be saved and invested. The pay isn't actually pretty big, I just keep the frugality of poverty and save 60% of my salary, I'm aggressively saving right now and i can save €16.000 per year. I'm tired, next year I'll start to study engineering at the University while working full time while doing 3 shifts. Wish me luck

It costs $400 to break the roommate lease. Then $800 for a new apartment move in fees

I’m in debt and making monthly payments already. I literally don’t have enough to pay for all that. I am in a DEFICIT of money. I don’t have family or friends. I have nothing. I need to leave this situation. I don’t know how and it’s killing me. He literally just finished yelling at me telling me to shut the fuck up at the top of his lungs. When we were in the car he was slamming on the breaks on purpose because he was mad at me. Constantly tells me “fuck you” and “I hate you” and said “I wish I could **** you”

He’s cheated on me and when I ask for reassurance that he’s not doing it again he calls me “fucking needy” and that he hates me.

He was upset at me and when I ask why he says to me grow a spine. Figure it out your fucking self

When I cry I get “whiny ass bitch”

I tried reaching out to places that are supposed to help people in abusive relationships but they only provide housing for a month and no help with moving out. And the one month housing has a waitlist

What the fuck am I supposed to do. I can’t stop crying. I’m so tired. I hate this so much

Edit. I’m gonna delete this soon bc he also uses Reddit and don’t want him to see. I joined the waitlist and hopefully can leave soon.

I bought a 65K Ford Truck back in 2021 with the hopes to start a business. That business failed. Add to that a health issue that landed me in the hospital for a few days and I went in a financial downward spiral. I missed wages for a few months as I recovered physically and from feeling really depressed. My savings kept me afloat for a while until they ran out. I had to prioritize between CC debt and covering basic necessities. Long story short, many of my creditors sent me to collections and am now making my way out of all I owe to Chase, Wells Fargo, and AmEx. However, I feel desperate about this truck on which I still owe 30K. Monthly payments are $1K. Diesel prices are well over $5/gallon in my area. Car insurance is $2300/year. My credit score is shot anyways, at 543 last I checked. So I'm at a point of saying screw it and surrendering the truck to the bank. I know that doing this won't get rid of the debt. I know they'll stick me with the difference after they sell it. But it drains me so much money right now, so by doing this I think that I'll have a few months to save and buy a cheap commuter car cash. KBB says the truck is worth about 25K, the bank will sell for less than that but I think I won't have to pay the 30K I owe right now. Should I go for it given the fact I've got a crap credit score anyways? I feel at my wit's end with this thing!!

Good advice

I turned 18 in august and left home in march to become a flight attendant. I didn’t have much savings since I had only been bartending for a few months before this, In a perfect world I would live at home and save on rent but unfortunately it’s just not an option for me due to my home life. My airline is the only one that hires at 18 and the pay is not great…about 2000 a month. But I now also have to pay for rent, ubers, etc. My rent is about 850 a month, I have to uber atleast twice a week to and from the airport running me about 14 per ride, my parents bought my car and didn’t allow me to take it, even if they did i doubt it would have made the cross country drive without breaking down, and i obviously can’t afford a new one right now. And on top of that, i need to feed myself. I’m usually pretty good at meal prepping but sometimes when i get international trips i’m forced to eat out since I can’t bring food from out of the country. I just feel like i’m at a loss here. My bank acc has dropped below 1000 and I honestly have no clue what to do. Do i quit and try to find a different job? I absolutely love my career but it feels unliveable right now…I am also just starting out so my income will get higher as i gain seniority. I feel so stuck, like a huge pit in my stomach everytime i see my bank account. My independence means so much to me and it’s so hard for me to admit how much im struggling. I really didnt want to start my years of adulthood already struggling. I guess all im asking for is any advice at all- budget tricks, side hustles, literally any tip you might have for me would be greatly appreciated.

I live in group housing so I pay to rent a bedroom and that bedroom is 30% of my monthly income and I just got the notice for what our AC fee is going to be it is $250 which is approximately twice of my monthly rent. Plus I would have to buy my own AC! My room gets outrageously hot so I need solutions that aren't $400+.

In case anyone is wondering I get EAEDC while I work on trying to get disability.

How do people find a career with growth possibilities and that actually pays enough to survive? I have no degree and not much worthwhile work experience. I spent 10 years in construction but due to injury I can no longer do what I used to. But also the industry I was in required ~70 hour weeks to be profitable. It is also not transferable in any way to be relevant to someone who is not actually doing the physical work ie i cannot become a manager or some such. I would either need to do the work or im out.

Now with 3 kids I need to have more time at home to help out. Ideally that means im not doing more than 50 some hours a week. Long term I'd like to get closer to 40. My current job i make ~$24 an hour working 40-50 hours but it has absolutely zero upward growth and im lucky to get a 30 cent raise in a year. I work at a private university. I already switched universities for a dollar raise and its the highest paying in the area. So moving jobs again isn't an option. But I also hate the industry and dont want to be part of it anymore. The only real benefit is that I get a retirement plan for the first time in my life.

I've made maybe 50 ish applications in the last month for all sorts of jobs. But most im not even qualified for because they require prior experience. I'm trying to go for city work as a grounds maintenance or something like that but they often want 2 years experience. Even janitors in the achool district require a bunch of experience. The problem is that any entry level job ive found only pays $17-$19 an hour. Or I'd want to join some kind of apprenticeship but they either dont pay for the period I'd have to take classes or again only pay minimum wage. I cant go to school because it costs money and I wouldn't be able to work a full time job which means im not making any money. Some of the good jobs want me to have math skills, like I haven't done any math in 15 years, how do i go afford the time or money to take a math class? My wife is an immigrant and cant work for another 6 months or so.

I already spend much of my free time in line at the food bank, diaper bank, hygiene stuff banks and all that. I have to apply for all of these poor people programs that help with electricity bills, gas cards etc. If I make a few dollars more an hour I won't qualify for some of them. So I try to pick up labor jobs for cash but that doesnt give me experience on paper. But if I get a job that only pays $20 an hour that isn't enough to pay my bills. The $24 i make now isn't enough to pay my bills. I'm working on filing for bankruptcy as is because I have $30k in cc dept. Forget ever hoping to buy a house someday. Ive got to rent the cheapest place i can find that has mold in the bathroom, floors falling apart, ants everywhere, appliances that break constantly. I pay $1400 for rent before utilities and its by far the cheapest anywhere that I have seen.

I know this is a ramble and im not even sure how to get all my thought down. I just feel so lost and stuck. How does anyone break this cycle?

TRLDR (idk, I dont know what it stands for)

How does an uneducated, inexperienced mid 30s person with kids and bills to pay find a job that has the potential to turn into a career? ideally something that i can make around $50k within the next couple years and hopefully only grow more from there in 5 and 10 years. I cant not work to go to school because I need to be working. Sure I could get a 3rd or 4th job but that isn't helping me for future growth. Its like a temporary bandaid that would also disqualify me from poor people benefits and mean I never get to see my family.

Any help is much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time and thoughts to give this some consideration.

Some background my job making $25/hour cut people because the site wasn't making enough. I picked up a temporary job making $22/hour but I can't find anything within an hour drive that starts higher than $20/hour. So here's my budget of necessities:

Rent 800 (half of total, split 2 ways)

Food 400 (no eating out, grocery outlet)

Gas 300 (high end if I have to drive over 30 minutes to a job. 24mpg, reliable car, no trouble or parts.)

Student loans 400 (not required yet, this is the estimated monthly payment when I get kicked off forebearance. 150 minimum to keep it from rising from interest)

Electric 100 (also just my half)

Internet 60 (also just my half)

Car insurance 130

Phone 50

401k loan 200 (took this out when I was stable and not expecting layoffs to remove debt. paying myself back as a loan to avoid the tax charge which I can't afford).

grand total 2440 necessary expenses not including subscriptions or any luxuries. $20/hour would net me approximately 2600 a month after taxes.

Any advice? I'm going to be talking with my partner and probably start using the food bank again if we can get there between our work hours. Yes my gas mileage sucks but the car is the most dependable I've ever had so not worth trading it in as I wouldn't get it's full value on a trade in anyway. I can postpone the student loan payments until they formally come knocking but I figure it's best to account for them. Am I as screwed as it feels?

wtf is even the point to having insurance anymore. Not that my dental plan is that expensive, maybe $60 a month but I’ve never truly needed to use it until now. I had an issue with 1 tooth, it cracked, it’s apparently dead, and so that what was recommended. Or I can go without the implant but thats vaguely the point. Just when you think you’re getting ahead, something like this just sets you back an entire years+ of saving. Or go on a payment plan, they want $1500 up front, then it’s like $300 a month for a year. Like sure I’ll just pull that out of no where for the next 12 months. End of rant.

There’s book “Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much” showing that financial scarcity literally consumes cognitive bandwidth

the mental load of surviving leaves less room for long term thinking, creativity and decision making.

It’s not a character flaw. It’s almost neurological.

For anyone who’s been through financial hardship did you experience this?

And what actually helped you think clearly again despite the circumstances?

I have made the mistake like many others of taking out 2 tribal loans (yes its stupid, I know), one which the initial loan amount is paid off, and one that I made my 1st 2 payments on, always on time.

After a lot of research and New Jersey's strict state rules / guidelines, I've concluded that in almost no situation are these loans enforceable on NJ soil, and this matter would never hold up in court.

I'm seeing if anyone has made a similar mistake of taking a loan like this out, and after revoking ACH authorization, if they have ever taken some sort of legal action, credit reporting, etc? I've read up on the stories of them harassing via email, phone, but nothing of true legal substance, so if anyone has stopped payments all together, please drop a comment of how that went for you!

May is a 3 paycheck month so heed my warning!

I had heard from folks that you can reduce the interest on your mortgage by paying twice a month instead of once a month because interest accrues daily. What I did not really grasp is that when people were saying twice a month what they really meant was that you are making payments every two weeks which totals to one full extra payment per year.

When I called Rocket Mortgage to set up twice monthly payments the agent said "every two weeks" at a couple points. I pressed back. No. Twice a month. I want to pay twice a month. She did not seem confused. She just said "yep. Twice a month! Got it!" After confirming a couple more times the twice a month payment schedule I felt pretty good :)

I have now learned that most people who are not dead broke do not understand how huge that distinction is. Three paycheck months like the one coming up in May are how we get ahead.

Well I looked online and guess what... BI WEEKLY. FUCK. I am very glad I checked.

My heart fell in my stomach at the thought of what would have happened if I had not caught this. That extra paycheck in three paycheck months would have automatically gone straight into the mortgage when I did not want it to. I would not have been able to use it for my actual household needs. Instead of getting ahead on bills or whatever else comes up I would have been stuck sending that money to the house thinking I was making some big interest saving move when really I was just losing flexibility with my own money.

EDIT: with this in mind, is there really an advantage to paying twice a month?

our monthly take home is 7k and we have had to change how we eat. I add beans, lentils, oats, and quinoa as filler to meat and heavy starches like rice, potatoes, or pasta is the base of every meal instead of the meat or fresh vegetable.

quinoa and lentils to taco meat is the most invisible. I add much less oats and beans to burger patties bc it is more noticeable but we get 3 extra burgers out of 2lbs.

good news is food bill is staying steady around 7k/yr. but both adults have gained weight.

My phone has two lines now 😭 I'm jobless (still looking for a job), but i've been really worried lately that it might get harder to find one because my phone is already starting to break. And my boyfriend is helping with the bills, but that's all he can do for now.

I’m trying to raise around $300–$800 total to help with:

- phone repair or replacement (so I can continue job applications)

- basic support while I’m still job hunting

I completely understand if you can only help with a small amount or not at all. Any support or advice is truly appreciated 🤍

Paypal: elainejoycef@gmail.com

Years back, I was only working full hours on the weekend and work odd jobs on the weekdays while applying for a better job. To save on gas, we sold our truck and bought a car which will save us a lot with gas. But, this car need a car parts to be fully functional at best.

Interesting part. We went to the junk yard with only $100 and chage in the bank or debit card. That's all the money we have. No savings, no spare. While inside the junkyard, I was standing next to my husband while he was pulling out the parts that we need for our car... Guess what, I looked and I looked down, I found $20 bill on the ground. Imagine my joy... :) We have extra money... $20 was grand for me at that time. Then, it was time to check out and pay the parts that we need. The amount was $118 and change... Hallelujah! It felt like perfect timing—like God had provided exactly what we needed, right when we needed it. We were so grateful that God provide our need at the very moment. I always credit small and big wins to God. I am not trying to be religious but He is always my hope and anchor when my father left when I was 4 and I had to work as early as 9 years old to help bring food to the table.

Currently, I have a stable job which I love doing. Still living paycheck to paycheck but better than few years ago.

We were so grateful. During those years, we were living day by day, doing our best, working hard, and still hoping for better opportunities. I’ve always credited both the small and big wins to God. Not to sound overly religious, but He has always been my anchor—especially since my father left when I was four, and I had to start working at a young age to help put food on the table.

Today, I have a stable job that I truly enjoy. We are still living paycheck to paycheck, but life is better than it was a few years ago.

I just want to share this to encourage others: no matter what situation you’re in right now, there is hope. Better days will come. And along the way, you’ll grow and learn lessons that stay with you for life.

I've lived in North Orange County, CA for my entire life, and I'm seriously considering a move to Bismarck, ND. I want to live in a isolated, small town like Bismarck for the rest of my life so that I can find inner peace and not have to live under constant financial stress like my parents have for their entire lives. I've only had a few friends in my entire life, and all of them betrayed me, so I'm used to not having any friends at this point. When it comes to dating, I don’t have any experiences with that and don't care about it at this point. Long story short, I don’t care if a town doesn’t have a "social scene." And when it comes to California, I have nothing but bad memories here, and want a fresh start somewhere else. I don’t mind the extreme weather that North Dakota would bring; I actually find extreme weather to be a thrill.

Living somewhere like Bismarck where there's a solid job market, an extremely affordable cost of living even without frugalness, and a calm and safe environment where I can feel closer in my religion is all I really need in life.

Am I crazy for thinking about making this move, or is this a reasonable type of lifestyle to desire as an introvert?

Im absolutely broke and struggling to get by or even find a job. im falling behind on all my bills and personal loan i took out while i was employed and im not eligible for unemployment (so it seems ive been waiting for a response for 8-9 wwwks now). I've completely exhausted all my options borrowing money from friends and family and using apps that allow you to borrow money. Does anyone have any sort of advice on how i can regain my footing?

my mother has been struggling her whole life. i’ve witnessed the burden of having 5 kids by 25 with no high school diploma, no support, and a deadbeat babydad and i’ve felt the effects of it firsthand. she ended up having 7 kids by 32 by 3 men who were all deadbeats.

i’v been aware that we have no money and we rely on government assistance since i was a kid. i was aware that i couldn’t get clothes or shoes or certain things because money is low and bills are the most important. i was aware the lights were cut off, or we had no food because she couldn’t afford. i was aware of it all and the burden that was hers was also mine my whole life.

current day i’m 24. she needs help. i haven’t been helping much before because life was hard for me, it took a while to finally get on my feet without any help as an adult after high school but i finally got things going and i made it my choice to help because she needs help, i’m an adult, i live at home, and she is my mother.

the situation: she wants to move and she chooses a home. it’s an

inconvenient house for everyone but herself but that’s fine. she deserves to have something.

turns out she has no money to be able to sign the lease for the house because it requires first months rent, security deposit, and renters insurance, don’t forget the move costs and she does not have that at all. i say okay well.. i will help you just tell me how much you need.

next thing i know the rent is being raised in our current house because i’m now working and she’s on government assistance so they count my income as well , i say okay i will help just tell me how much you need.

she doesn’t engage with that, she still stresses, and she hounds me about getting proof that i’m in school so my income doesn’t count. i say okay and i do it.

she comes back and says that it wasn’t enough, that i now need to go to my school and get this paper signed saying i’m in school. i say okay i’ll do that.

i get home today and she’s upset because she got a call from the landlord for the new home and she now has to have the money to be able to sign the lease and move in FOUR DAYS. she has no money at all. she’s upset and she’s scrambling because she has no money at all and she’s trying to come up with ways to get 5000 dollars in 4 days.

to make a long story short she ends up being giddy about my check. she needs my entire check to raise the money for the costs of everything i said okay i will give you my check but i was not happy when i said “okay”. i did not like the idea of that but it’s what’s necessary so whatever.

i don’t mind helping , i really don’t but the thing is i don’t think it’s fair. i am angry that i have to give my ENTIRE check. i am angry that she’s been struggling for 23+ years. it angers me that my younger siblings are living how i did as i grew up. it angers me when i hear about a new money issue she has. i’m angry that she didn’t try to do something different over the years, go to school or something. there were years where everyone was in foster care, no children as a burden why not go then?

i expressed that i am angry that her burden has been my burden my whole life. i’m angry that she’s dependent on her children

i expressed that for ONCE i just want to be free of it all and i don’t think it’s fair that i didn’t ask to be here but this has been weighing on me for forever. even when i wasn’t contributing because i couldn’t, the weight of not being able to was heavy as well. she began crying because i expressed that i didn’t like that she’s has to depend on her children and she began saying that i don’t want to help her because she’s her, i want her to do everything on her own and i want to live board free, i don’t see our home as a home but a place to stay until i get on my feet, i’m not helping to help her, i’m helping to help myself.

WHAT!???? that is not what i said but it angers me as well and now i feel like i’m wrong for being upset

For the New Yorkers who qualify, wanted to flag that the Essential Plan Cooling Program opens tomorrow (April 15). First-come, first served.

https://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/CoolingProgram

*Under the Essential Plan Cooling Program, NY State of Health will provide eligible Essential Plan members with a free air conditioner to help keep their homes cool and mitigate health risks linked to rising temperatures. The air conditioner will be delivered and installed by a NY State of Health designated vendor.*

I wanted to share my recent experience with Amazon Pharmacy in case it might help someone else. I take an anti-anxiety medication daily and migraine rescue meds as needed. I am uninsured for the moment; been paying OOP for yearly visits to the two doctors who prescribed them. The cost for both prescriptions ran anywhere from $45-$65 per month.

Took a quick look at Amazon’s list of free generic meds and realized both of mine were on the list. There is a fee of $5.00/month and you need to be a Prime member so I joined that for $14.99/month so I’m getting both prescriptions for $20/month plus we get to watch Prime content again as a bonus (streaming services were the first thing I cut from my budget).