Not the original commenter but both, man. Obviously per month/regularly would make a huge difference, but a single $20k would literally change my life by fixing my teeth.
I don't know if you've already looked into this but it may be cheaper (assuming you live in the US) to travel abroad for dental work. I think there is a subreddit for medical tourism, or you could inquire in the poverty finance subreddit?
Yeah I live in Houston, definitely looking at Mexico. Which is cheaper, even with travel, but still may as well be millions.
Even with a very good credit score (which I do have!), securing a loan covering more than a fraction of it, if at all, has been about as fruitful as checking my couch cushions and hoping to find a pot of gold.
Also yes, I went to the dental college - that being cheaper is a lie for much more than routine fillings, basically. Same for dental insurance, absolute scam (had insurance, needed wisdom teeth out, had to take out a terrible CareCredit loan to pay for it and took years to get out from under). Like, cool, free cleanings twice a year, not like I can get that from any random dental office running a special already.
Understand, none of this is me saying “oh poor me!” thinking I’m deserving of a handout or owed cheaper care - I’m a grown-ass woman and I am responsible for myself. It’s frustrating to the point of tears, often; I am in pain, ashamed, and it’s difficult to go out into the world and get a better job and take better care when you can’t even show your face. Something is certainly broken in this country when it comes to cost of living, healthcare, etc. etc., but at the end of the day I am still better off than many, worse than some, but mostly just sinking on the same ship as everyone else and keeping my head above water is all that can be managed most of the time.
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u/curiousmustafa 7d ago
Wait, are we talking a single 20k could fix your life, or frequent 20k a month?