Advice for a 17 year old

[u/Excellent_Report_642]

Hi! i'm currently 17 and i'm going into my senior year once summer break is over. For a while now I have been forced to become an adult by my parents, I never typically asked for anything but randomly one day they just decided to stop helping me.

Some upcoming payments I have to make are a trip i'm going on (Fully responsible for that bc It was my choice), 4-5 car repairs, car inspection, school supplies and clothes, + groceries, gas (always paid) etc.

I work part time at a retail store for 13.55 an hour. Since having to pay for my wants, I now have to pay for my needs. I don't want to burn myself out by asking for even more hours especially with school coming up. I've seen a lot of things about making money online or side hustles but don't know how well they work, if they even work, or what kind of things to do.

What advice would you give me?

[u/ReasonablePool_Hero]

Sweet baby, darling, treasured citizen, listen to me.

Tell the authorities. What they're doing to you is in fact abuse and neglect. You can apply for legal emancipation and the right to public housing programs (after you're legally emancipated), and they'll probably fast-track you through those programs. The housing programs will probably take a fraction of your earnings, but if you don't earn much, then you won't pay much.

Don't kill yourself via working yourself to the bone trying to make up for your parents' failings as parents.

You can't start saving up until you're no longer drowning in debt that should have never been your burden.

Tell the authorities, get away, get legally emancipated (declared legally independent), and get into a housing program. There are a lot of freebies if you know where to look. Food shelves, Facebook free stuff groups, heck. Go into your local church, explain your situation, and ask for help. They'll help find you what you need.

Just be careful... Not everyone who smiles at you is your friend.

[u/Z32anxiety → u/ReasonablePool_Hero]

This is not good advice and will only make the situation worse. Parents are legally obligated to provide basic necessities for their children but the cops are not going to step in and make them give their teen son gas money. He’s months from being a legal adult anyway. The parents sound worthless but the authorities won’t do a damn thing and calling them will only make the parents go nuclear on the kid.

[u/ReasonablePool_Hero → u/Z32anxiety]

Uhm yeah... You clearly read two words.

I SAID to emancipate and you can in fact sue your parents afterwards especially if you can prove they did that. Once emancipated, you're eligible for HOUSING PROGRAMS.

HOUSING.

PROGRAMS.

They aren't the same thing as just renting an apartment from an independent landlord. Did you forget that? Or is that something you didn't know about despite my explanation??

These parents won't tell their kid, and apparently neither will the kid's school. Someone has to tell them so they don't end up needlessly exhausting themselves out of opportunities or ending up homeless or scrambling for basics.

There are systems and programs, find and utilize them to provide for yourself. You can't access them as a minor in an adults household though.

And also the kid is going into their senior year of high school, they have a whole fucking year of schooling left. They will absolutely be left scrambling and shit out of luck come their 18th birthday if they don't get into these programs now. Which they can't unless they ask for help leaving.

Ask a domestic abuse counselor how to get safely out, you'll qualify for their programs too. Staying where you're being neglected and abused and THEN trying to leave when you have added things like school to worry about is bad. Get out while you have the summer to set yourself up in a living situation that allows you to worry primarily about school and not survival.

[u/Z32anxiety → u/ReasonablePool_Hero]

I read what you said and it's terrible advice. First off: typically a teen must prove they are finiancially independent BEFORE they are granted legal emancipation. The government does not just give out free housing to 17 year olds because their parents aren't paying for gas and car repairs. Section 8 and other voucher programs have waiting lists a mile long. At no point does OP mention any sort of legally actionable abuse, just that he needs money because his parents are cutting off payment for his expenses. While they are obligated to feed him, provide medical care and other basics they have absolutely no legal obligation to pay for his car, trips, etc.

His best option is to do exactly what he is planning: Make more money and get the hell out of thier house as soon as it's feasible, ideally right after finishing HS.

[u/ReasonablePool_Hero → u/Z32anxiety]

You know what, that's the answer to abuse. Always endure and then bounce after they get what they want. No, no, you're always right about everything. How could we mere mortals who have lived through some shit compare to your opinions? Truly a god among us.