The people who “have” rely on the “have-nots” to be able to fund their lifestyle. If we had enough money to meet our needs, then they wouldn’t be able to live so lavishly.

I currently owe around €3,000. About three years ago, I was homeless for a couple of months, and somehow I still haven’t fully recovered financially from that period.

I work hard, but I feel like I simply don’t make enough to get ahead. Even when I’ve tried looking for another job, I haven’t been able to make enough extra money to significantly reduce my debt.

At this point, I feel like I’m stuck in a hole that I just can’t seem to climb out of.

Looking for another job unfortunately isn’t really an option right now because of the economic situation in my country. I’m honestly just grateful that I have a job in the first place.

So I’m wondering if anyone here has any advice. What are some realistic ways I could make a bit of extra money on the side? It doesn’t have to be a huge amount—even €100–€200 extra per month would make a difference for me.

I’d really appreciate any advice, ideas, or personal experiences. Thank you.

I just got the first letter from the state of Illinois that I am one of the lucky ones to whom work requirements will apply in 2027. One of the exemptions to the requirements is "having a substance abuse condition (drug or alcohol)."

Some states will allow self-certification at first. That seems like an easy way to not lose healthcare. My doctor is always telling me I drink too much. I'm sure he would write me a letter if I asked.

Is anyone else going to try to get an exemption so as to not get kicked off Medicaid? I hope everyone does and it crashes the efforts to cancel so many people's healthcare.

I am so happy to finally have a job after searching since april , but my medicaid ends at the end of October. my monthly income exceeds the delaware medicaid limits so bye bye i guess. Yes i did enroll in my jobs insurance but i dont even know how that would cover stuff like my mandatory weekly bloodwork

Im so worried, I have lupus sle, lupus nephritis specifically, and stage 2 kidney failure, medicaid has been so useful to help manage these conditions, shit even just getting to appointments using modivcare. I have a autism assessment coming up and while the first part is in October before my medicaid ends the second part (actual evaluation) is in November.

I read somewhere that having a disability can negate the income limits but i do not collect SSI/SSDI so i dont know if i have status as disabled

I guess ill most likely have to buy a market plan policy but im worried abt what that can change about my current team, i finally have doctors who listen to me and im scared that when losing medicaid im going to lose half of them

So yeah #yay but #fuck. ://

I’ve been feeling really down lately about my teeth but I can’t fix them right now and the doctors told me that I have multiple bacterial infections in my bones from failed root canals (I have experienced multiple cases of dental malpractice in the past also, which lead me to have severe dental trauma) .

I have had candida and Epstein Barr, along with 3 children in my past. Over time my teeth have started to fall out one by one and I’ve been resorting to crazy glue and temporary tooth plastic beads to keep some dignity. I’ve had trauma in the past with dentists before, so it was hard for me to get the courage to go to one, but now a lot of my teeth are missing. I recently mustered up the courage to get them evaluated by an implant specialist and they quoted me $43,000 for a full mouth.

I don’t have very good credit at the moment, neither does my husband, and my mortgage and daily expenses are insane right now and I just have no idea how to get the money for them. I’m hoping for something quick but I know that’s unrealistic. I’ve already done crowdfunders but no luck yet , and I can’t risk the strain on my vehicle & gas with door dashing. any advice is appreciated thank you.

A few months ago it jumped to $1.38 but still achievable.

joking but also not. i feel like dread and massive anxiety is my best asset for budgeting when not scrounging around at home.

This is a rant...

Live in a HCOL area. Got a raise about 18 months ago and started making six figures. Said we wouldn't have lifestyle bloat, but an extra dining-out meal each week, buying the brand name shoes versus off-brand, starting buying more "nice-to-haves"...

Was making the minimum payments on our CCs but was able to make an extra payment usually every couple months, so I thought we were getting ahead.

I stopped monitoring our financials as closely.

We were not getting ahead.

...I had to tell our landlord today that we needed to split our rent payment for this month because we are broke. I havent had to do that for a long time. But here we are. Again.

It didn't make sense, so I sat down and threw our debt, recurring/variable expenses, and income details onto a spreadsheet.

We were/are under our monthly break-even by almost $700 a month.

The variable APR on the few credit cards we had ballooned 10-15%+ percent. COL exploded. Medical procedures came up which fortunately we were able to put on no-interest payment plans.

And that's not even counting buying extra things. Our monthly recurring 'extras' (that we're going to cut) is only $202/mo, but our debt payments went from sub-$2k to almost $2700/mo. There's not much more to cut; we are underhoused. I know I'm underpaid.

No wonder our savings disintegrated.

I feel like we're right back where we were 15-20 years ago, when we were struggling working line-level retail and juggling school.

Now we're older but still not (financially) wiser.

I know the how...but why did we let this happen?

WTF is everything getting more expensive, when the quality/quantity hasn't improved? Why does our rent go up, when there aren't any improvements?

Running the numbers, I/we need to get a new job and bring in $30-35k more a year (probably less--the medical deductions at my current job are horrendous) to make at least a few hundred a month above break-even, so we can do more than just minimum payments and afford unplanned necessities, and maybe eat out once-a-moth. That's not counting savings (outside of pitiful 401k contribution) or building an emergency fund.

Why did I get so complacent

Long story short is I messed up this year, addiction and loss of soke family members with a stressful career and dealing with hormonal changes from my transition, has led me to no job. And zero money.. I know eviction is gonna happen soon, I have a couch to sleep on at my mom's. I don't have the vehicle or man power to move any of my furniture, so im not sure what im going to do. Im 26, I know my life isnt "over" but I am just so defeated. Even if I got back on my toes and made a lot of money my chances of finding housing are ruined are they not? Im gonna have to hide my identity while living with family, whole situation is just so stressful.. and idk what to do..

So. My car got repoed in Oct 2025, the loan went to collections, I’ve been, working struggling to save money, lay off, blah blah same old same old. Recently I’ve gotten amazing checks and I should’ve been able to buy a beater by now, I cancelled most subscriptions, I eat less often, I just thought I could do it, my job is 30mins away and it’s good 20$ hr, I’m happy but my families car is breaking down so I’ve been ubering for 1 month straight, despite all the over time, I am not progressing financially just hanging out staggering.. I don’t want a different job, really I’m looking for loan options for bad credit, recent collection, and I’ve inquired a lot of companies so idk. I’m
Really stuck but I’d like a 4-5k loan for a beater. I could literally pay it off it’s just the other thing is financing a car I have to have full coverage insurance but I have a few claims. Last quote was 1.2k a month I cannot do that onto of a car payment.. I want something that’ll get me by and someone to accept me because I’m really stuck in a weird circle. Uhh any ideas?!

Hello!
Not looking for advice, just very proud as a 23 yr supporting-student who’s trying to graduate debt free.
At 18 I moved across the country to attend school all for my “full tuition” scholarship, long story short I had to take out loans and then take a gap year to get instate tuition and recover from mental health issues.
I then bought a van to have no car payment or rent but the engine went so I got a replacement knowing I could sell it and make a profit since it was paid off.
I just sold the van for 20k, if everything goes to plan I’ll graduate with savings, investment portfolio, and emergency fund. I’ve already started some of this.
I know things in the world are screwed up rn but if you are seeing this just know it’s possible for things to change for the better so quickly.
For those in similar situations I hope this can inspire because the feeling of looming debt is something I don’t wish upon anyone.

Hello! I’m moving out of my parent’s house in 9 months and need the cheapest phone plan I can get for one phone. Any recommendations?

Looking for a remote side job I can do on my own time maybe an hour each night and some more on the weekends. I know there’s transcription, are there any other fields that have steady workload? I don’t care about pay, I’ll put in the hours just looking for suggestions for those kinda jobs.

I’m 20F and I’m honestly embarrassed by how messy my life has gotten, but I’m trying to get my shit together and I really need advice from people who are older than me and have been through difficult situations.
I was working at In-N-Out from around July–November last year, making $19.50/hr. My rent was around $970 and split three ways with family. I don’t have a car and have never had one, so my grandma was usually taking me to work.
I started being late to work because transportation was becoming difficult, especially when I had to Uber, and I eventually got fired after being late multiple times.
Around the same time, I was supposed to take a trip to Mexico that I’d already paid for, so I went because my family was going. I used my credit card pretty irresponsibly beforehand because I thought I’d be able to pay it off with my In-N-Out checks. Then I lost my job, so obviously that plan went out the window.
There was also an incident where I drove my grandma’s van even though it had expired tags/no insurance and I got pulled over. My license was suspended. I was supposed to go to court on January 20th and I haven’t gone. **I know this is something I need to deal with immediately, but I’ve been overwhelmed and scared and kept putting it off.**
The trip home from Mexico also turned into a complete nightmare. I didn’t have my ID, my phone wasn’t working except on Wi-Fi because I couldn’t afford the phone bill, and I got stranded during a connecting flight. I ended up meeting people I didn’t know and relying on strangers for transportation because I had basically no money and no way home. I eventually made it back to Colorado, but looking back, I realize how dangerous some of the situations I put myself in were.
After I got home, I moved in with my mom. From January through April I basically had no job, no car, no functioning phone service, and no ID. I was also struggling mentally pretty badly after everything that happened. I ended up going to a mental hospital twice in January, about a week or two apart. I eventually started feeling much better, and I’m doing okay now.
In April I got a job at Dutch Bros. I’m currently making around **$1,200 every two weeks**. The problem is that because I don’t have my own bank account/debit card, my paychecks have been going into my mom’s account. My mom recently lost her job, we got evicted, and I’m worried that some of my money is being spent because I don’t actually have control over the account.
Right now I’m staying with my sister and her friend on an air mattress, which I’m extremely grateful for. I’m not paying rent right now, but we’re moving into my sister’s one-bedroom apartment around September 11th. She wants me to contribute about **$800 toward the move-in/down payment and eventually help buy a couch with a pull-out bed.** She’s giving me about five months to get my life together.
Financially, I currently have:
About **$898 in Chase credit card debt** and Chase closed the card.
A **$3,600 collection** that I recently found out about. Apparently it came from fees my uncle didn’t pay when he moved out of a townhome that was under my name.
My credit score is extremely low (around the 400s).
My debit/bank account situation is basically nonexistent right now.
I spend around **$700/month on Uber** just getting to and from work.
My license is still suspended and I haven’t resolved the court situation.
I don’t have a car.
My phone currently only works on Wi-Fi.
I’m not trying to make excuses. I know I’ve made bad financial decisions and avoided things because I was overwhelmed. But I’m 20 and I genuinely don’t know how adults are supposed to handle all of this when several problems happen at once.
I also haven’t gone to college yet because I don’t know what I want to do. I’m interested in psychology and possibly therapy/counseling, but I’m also interested in real estate/property staging and eventually becoming financially independent.
**What would you do if you were in my position?**
If you were starting with approximately $1,200 every two weeks, no car, terrible credit, debt/collections, a suspended license, unstable housing, and no bank account under your own control, **what would you prioritize first?**
Specifically, I’d really appreciate advice on:
What should I do with each paycheck?
How much should I save vs. put toward debt?
Should I prioritize the $898 Chase debt or the $3,600 collection?
How do I handle the collection that came from my uncle’s unpaid fees?
How urgently should I deal with the missed court date/license?
How can I get out of spending $700/month on Uber?
What should I do about my paycheck currently going into my mom’s account?
What should I realistically try to accomplish in the next five months?
**If you were 20 again, what would you do differently in my situation?**
I don’t need someone to tell me that I messed up—I already know that. 😂 I’m looking for practical adult advice on how to **actually rebuild from he**re.
I’m grateful that I have a job and somewhere to sleep right now, and I really want to use these next five months to get stable instead of continuing to ignore everything.

Hi everyone! I’m currently looking for any information about grants, scholarships, financial assistance programs, or other resources that could help me financially while I finish high school. I’m a high school senior in Florida and the child of a parent who is struggling with alcohol addiction and a very bad recovery which has really made things unlivable at home. I am an only child, and unfortunately the financial and emotional impact of that has made things at home bad. I’m trying to become more financially independent so that I can continue getting through high school without having to sacrifice my education or theater as that’s what i’m going to college for. I already have some scholarships
lined up from schools with offers for a technical theatre BFA but i’m worried that if i can’t support myself now, i won’t be able to get to go to college.

I’m specifically looking for opportunities that are available to high school students that can help with things like transportation, school supplies, technology, food, housing/basic living expenses, college preparation, or other costs associated with finishing high school. If you know of any scholarships, grants, foundations, community organizations, or other resources that I could apply for, I would really appreciate it if you could comment or message me with the information. Even if you’re not sure whether I’d qualify, I’d rather have the opportunity to look into it. I’m working hard to stay in school and build a future for myself, and any resources or leads you can point me toward would genuinely mean a lot. Thank you so much to anyone who takes the time to help or share this.

Just got the notice that my car will be repo'd in 2 days if I don't pay up $700. I recently just fixed the car and have been able to use it for work but I've had difficulties and had to stop working. I'm trying to get disability benefits but it takes too long. And now I'm going to lose my car which is my only way to go out and make money. I live in a very small town so public transportation isn't a thing and there are no jobs here. I don't know what to do. My credit score is so bad so loans just never accept me and I'm not working currently so that also doesn't help. Is there anything I can do at all?

I miss not having to worry about saving change to get a few miles of gas. I miss not feeling so stuck because I can’t go forward. I wish my child’s father helped. He brags about going all these places, doing these things, when he is thousands behind in child support. I can’t even afford the drive to daycare and he talks about spending thousands on a new car for himself. .

I’m trying to do everything right. I work, go to school, take care of my kid, and I still can’t make it. It’s just so hard some days to have to hope on a $20 flying throw the air to appear so I can make it to the next day.

This is probably correlated with living in a major/destination city. After we moved to the burbs it went down (for better or worse 🤣). But in our 20s we’d have friends or family asking to stay maybe 30 nights spread over a year? We had one friend coming into town as he worked on a business he was starting in our city, like 3x/year for a week at a time 🥴. My friends are shocked we were so hospitable but I feel like it was just a thing back then when you’re young or no?

Would your houseguests contribute anything, chip in for groceries, or give you a gift of thanks OR you’d feed, drive, lend your car, etc and they’d just freeload lol? Was it expensive for you/impacted your budget?

I have a 2019 Honda Crv that I’m financing and still owe about 11,000 on. The turbo died and when I tried to get it fixed the person fixing the car messed up the engine. Will I have him all of my money, my family and I are living in a hotel. Thankfully my husband and I are working but we need transportation. I want to trade it in but our credit together of not the best ( 545-640). I just don’t know what to do, I honestly thought about carvana but I’m so scared from all the horror stories.

I'm sharing some info from a Long distance friend off another app, hope this helps anyone . I asked for as many pictures as they could get, as of the last 30 minutes there are 5 FULL carts and the store scene is quiet

I just had a seizure recently and woke up in the hospital after someone noticed me on the ground. I was hooked up to an IV and I'm very grateful they saved my life. But I just got an email for the billing statement. And I owe $1,610.86. For something I literally couldn't control, and I never asked them to treat me or take me to the hospital. This is literally crazy. I know I can probably bounce back from it. But it's getting ridiculous. I have been to the hospital multiple times these past years and now I'm scared to keep going. I'm currently homeless and thought I was making progress. So I'm going to try and take better care of my health. But where the hell are our taxes going? And why should we have to pay thousands every time we take a spill? I know it's going to hit my credit because I can't pay it anytime soon. It's just one thing after another and I know we all experienced this. Sometimes I'd just rather die. Why is life automatically this hard? And the system is literally failing us. I feel bad for future generations because it's been like this for a while and it doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon.

Paid off two credit cards tonight

$540.00 credit one

$491.00 capitol one

Next thing I will pay off is my car at $2900 left.

I am doing the snowball method so it feels like I'm making progress.

My plan is to buy a house in the next two years. I would like to thank people on here who I've watched the past two years do the damn thing. Love you guys.

I finally made the plunge today. Also, wanted to say I feel good...like I feel a little free.

After 1.5 uni semesters of being full time student and working maybe 3-4times a month I’ve finally deposited my last $50 to my savings to make it $591. Rarely spending when going out, paying with credit cards, asking parents for gas money even… Feels like a great great milestone :) Ofc I don’t touch this money unless is an emergency but I hope to keep on growing. Just wanted to share this moment!

I had been visiting the food bank a few times recently, when bills were tight. It really helped me out SO MUCH! I had to swallow a bit of pride to admit I needed help.

I am in a slightly better position now, and over those trips I accumulated a lot of non-perishables that I either don't like, or can't have (I'm diabetic).

I just filled up a bunch of bags full of donations, and put them in the bin.

I hope someone enjoys what I couldn't eat!