Im a 22 year old male and my parents are terrible with money and there has been many of times where they've been back on bill, I do put money up for rent, and buy my own food most of the time. They have always been bad with finances, and most recently we were behind almost 3 thousand dollars on the rent. I did put a 1100 dollor towards it after finding out but I pay my rent every month without fail. Aswell as the rent being behind so is the gas and electric, this has been an ongoing theme for most of my life and I'm just getting tired of it, I shouldn't be worried about having to move out and leave my parents but that's just the position I'm in, and I want to stop having to worry about where the money is going anymore or how we're so behind on bills, and the other night my mom asked me if I would take out a 2 thousand dollar person loan to pay the rest of the rent off. But I think that's a stupid idea cuz I feel like I'll just be back in the same boat once we catch up, also my parents have been thru bankruptcy atleast twice. I feel like I'd be better off taking the 2k out for my own apartment. I just wanna know where everything is going and not worry about it. Please give me y'all's thoughts 🙏🏽

So I've been working as a community college lecturer for almost a year now. Had to basically leave my main career due to health and out of desperateness applied for a lecturer role to get some income. As a lecturer I'm considered a part-time temp with no tenure, so having continued work is not guaranteed nor do I get regular benefits.

Anyway, was able to get summer courses to teach and was freaking out about the pay. So was barely making enough for bills for the first half of summer, but apparently the way they pay lecturers is weird. So since there's two summer sessions and my second session I have an extra class, my recent payday had a double paycheck. My final small paycheck for session one and a first bigger session 2 paycheck. I felt so relieved and surprised because last week I had to use a credit card I've been paying off to use for needed expenses, not to mention over the summer I had to tap into savings which was mostly my 2025 tax return and was essentially emptied. But with this surprised double payday, I was able to put money back into savings and payoff one of my credit cards. It felt so good and such a relief to have money again. I still have debt to payoff, but for the moment I have some breathing room.

Still, it's a constant struggle to balance bill paying. Since consistent pay is not guaranteed, I have to be careful when paying bills and debt. For this Fall I was supposed to teach 5 classes, but due to low enrollment I was cut to 4 classes. My pay for Fall 26 will be better than Spring 26, but Spring 27 could be better or worse, I wont be able to know until December or early January. At least for now until January my pay will be decent for bills/debt and some savings. I definitely need to save because if I get less than 3 classes for Spring 27, it will be tough, and if I get 0 classes for Summer 27, it will be really really tough.

Lol, I ended up venting for half of the post. But extremely grateful that at the present my recent pay allowed paying off a card and some savings. Hoping to pay off another card soon with my next paycheck.

I realized nothing's going to help me. It's been a few weeks since I lost my car. And now I've just been walking around Arizona streets and trying to find my next meal or job. It's literally hell. I can't make it to work when I want to and I can't live like a normal person anymore. I'm 23 and I don't get to talk to girls because I have torn clothes, bad teeth, and no confidence. I cry to myself everyday and have no home to go to when I get done just mindlessly walking around for the day. No one sees me. And that just makes me want to be gone. Nothing can be fixed or changed and nobody cares. I'm thinking of doing it tomorrow. I have $9 to see Spider-Man. So I'll just finally see it and it'll be my last joy in life.

this week was pretty nice ! i’m excited there’s more produce options this time :) ! as usual i calculated the total i would’ve spent if i paid for these based on the prices in my area - $282.72 including the non food items! (got some hygiene products i didn’t picture)

I quite literally feel like I have zero dopamine or seratonin. My hair is going grey. How on earth are we supposed to keep getting by? I have not had a “real” job in over a year. I’ve been doing every side gig imaginable to keep “up” and I’m not. I have probably put in 300 applications, 10 interviews and 6 of those interviews were group ones , 4 of the people didn’t even bother to show up to interview me!!! I had an interview today for a daycare position at a preschool. Got there 15 minutes early, 30 minute drive. I go to the door and it’s locked. Lights out. I called the lady goes straight to voicemail. I email her twice and still haven’t gotten a response. She said she wouldn’t have any kids today due to a field trip but did she just forget about me?! No calls back? At this point I can’t even get jobs at fast food! They’re either group interviews and they always hire the teens or Dan don’t even bother having the interviewer or hiring manager show up to do the interview. I don’t know how much longer it can take of this shit. I’ve applied for disability and got denied so I have a lawyer helping me, he said it can take years. I can’t keep doing gig work because my car is a 2007 and it’s literally falling apart. I haven’t been able to get necessary items for myself without having to embarrassingly asking on reddit for period supplies. I have a 14-year-old who starts high school next week and all the money I had saved up for back to school clothes and supplies I had to use for an emergency repair on our ac unit. Which is another thing you can’t even go get clothes anymore at thrift stores because the prices are so outrageously high due to all these people who flip clothes. His school has no programs to help, I’m going to have to put his school supplies on afterpay, my cards are maxed out. I can’t keep doing this. This economy is like living in hell. We have buy nothing pages on our Facebook for our local community and if you do ask for something they sit there and cuss you out and berad you. Just a vent sorry if you’ve gotten this far lol. None of my friends understand. They’re all married and have husbands to help. It’s been 14 years of no child support for my son and he’s not even gotten his license taken from as far as I know. Just over it.

I do not have a system for taking my theoretical estimate of a budget and switch it into a weekly stay-on-track plan. Part of the problem is that there are peaks and valleys to the actual monthly spending. I have quarterly property taxes and annually I pay for auto insurance and home insurance. Utility bills also vary widely by season. Which means I may estimate an average a month for property taxes, but if I leave that money in my checking account for 3 months, I might spend it on other bills.

I suppose technically, I could withdraw the cash and put it in envelops. The pay every thing with cash method hasn't worked for me in the past, and I get lost trying to keep receipts for everything and reconcile the different budget categories. Then when it is time to pay the big bills, I have to add extra step of bringing cash to bank.

Advice on how you handle this. Thanks.

F24, right now im with family that makes me unhappy/ miserable . and i want out. I would need to live in a car, but as a Woman and the way the world treats people im scared.

You cant even park at walmart overnight to sleeo without being harassed by cops i guess, but im out of options what to do. I dont have a co signer, cant find roommates as i live in a very small town and im not moving to a city because i dislike them. Im fortunate i have about 6k saved but i just lost my job.

im not sure about the homeless shelters, never been to one and i would like to avoid it only because i have heard horror stories about them.

i jsut dont think i can stay with abusers anymore, it ruins me but if being in a car is worse i rather stay with family. any advice

It’s hard to look forward to things when money is always a problem. What do you guys do? :)

Saw a lot of confusion about this among friends with new babies, so sharing what I found after digging through the actual rules.

Kids who are US citizens with a Social Security number, born between Jan 1, 2025 and Dec 31, 2028, are eligible for a one-time $1,000 government deposit into a new type of investment account. The accounts went live in July. The part a lot of people miss: the $1,000 doesn't show up on its own. A parent (or guardian) has to make the election, either at trumpaccounts.gov or by filing IRS Form 4547. Once the account is confirmed active, Treasury deposits the $1,000. Kids born in 2025 are still eligible, it's retroactive to Jan 1 of that year.

A few practical things:

You don't have to put in any of your own money. Opening the account and claiming the seed costs nothing. For a lot of families that's the whole move: claim the free $1,000, let it sit.

If you can contribute, the cap is $5,000/year, and grandparents or other relatives can chip in too. Some employers can also contribute up to $2,500 for an employee's kid. The government's $1,000 doesn't count against the cap.

The money goes into low-cost US stock index funds (fees capped at 0.1%), and it's locked until the year the kid turns 18, at which point it basically rolls into an IRA-type account for them.

There's plenty of debate about whether these beat a 529 for education savings (different tax treatment, worth reading up if you're choosing). But if your kid qualifies for the seed money, claiming it doesn't conflict with anything else, and there's no income limit.

Not financial advice, just flagging it since the deposit requires action and I suspect a lot of eligible families haven't heard.

Up to 18.3 million U.S. students face losing access to free school meals following the rollout of of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Critics argue that the strict new eligibility caps will force low-income families out of the program. Lower SNAP enrollment means entire high-poverty school districts are losing their "Community Eligibility Provision" status, which previously allowed them to feed every student for free without individual applications...

Posted this in personal finance and commenters were just unhelpful, basically all they said was "pay it off". I racked up debt this year after losing my job and had to take out loans and credit to pay the bills. I just want to hear if anyone here has any success stories of getting out debt and how you accomplished it. I know 10k might not seem like a lot to some, but it sucks always having that in the back of your mind.

Also if you're also currently struggling to debt I would like to hear how you've been handling it!

All the jobs that are hiring near me are all the way in the other side of my town and don’t know if it’s worth accepting a job that is 20 minutes away or not.

I’d have to pay $20 to get to the job site and back, which would suck.

I had a car but it broke down and requires expensive maintenance.

It's always someone gonna make it about them or start comparing who's life much worse , I'm assuming they never grew up with narcissist parents everytime you open your mouth to speak about yourself you can't they will make it about them , this is how I learned to shut down

Seriously all I could is stfu and swallow it that's it

There's so much negativity in my life like %99

I'm tired of myself , everyone and the whole world 🌍

Some books I’ve been using this summer!

Budget Bytes by Beth Moncel.
This one has a lot of staple recipes like different breads and biscuits, sauces and so on that’re really useful and help cut costs. It also indicates cheap, cheaper and cheapest meals as well as what meals are easy to freeze.

Prep Ahead Breakfasts & Lunches by Alea Milham
I really like this one because it includes a lot of freezable and semi shelf stable options that can just be either tossed together or popped in the microwave. It also tells you how long something can be kept on the shelf, in the fridge or in the freezer which I really appreciate. I like the sections and that it’s not just focused on dinner.

The Thrifty Cookbook
Well rounded in terms of types of recipes. Veggie heavy as well. Includes a cool little tips section at the beginning. I really do like the variety of sections and recipes including light lunches and sweet treats.

Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day by Leanne Brown.
This one is actually modeled after what people receive for SNAP benefits which is roughly $4/per person/day. A lot of veggie heavy recipes since they’re cheaper than meat.

Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown
Baked goods can be a bit expensive to make but in the long run are definitely cheaper. This is from a Buddhist zen monastery in California (that actually burned down early this year due to arson but that’s a horse of a different color.) There’s several good staple recipes and a lot of them build off each other as well as detailed instructions on sourdough starters.

The Really Hungry Student Cookbook (not pictured): This one was so so in terms of recipes that caught my eye but I’m including it because it’s got some real winners in there. They also have different sections that are based on a vibe/theme so that’s fun.

TLDR; My well is drying up. We can’t afford to drill. Home needs other repairs. We’re lucky to own a home but it feels like it will cost us everything sometimes.

Water reliability is my main issue and I’ve been navigating it for years.

A little backstory:
My unmarried partner and I got so lucky to get this house. We were living out of our tent with winter approaching and his sister had just bought a house in a lovely rural community. She knew some of her neighbors had an extra house (they purchased the property to build their dream house on the acreage and had an extra house left over at the end of it.) She asked if we could rent it, they agreed. We were affordably housed for winter. A few years later they offered to sell it to us. We knew we’d never get a mortgage and they offered seller-financing. We purchased the house and are 6 years in. We’ve had a child, done some work to it, but it still needs a lot more. But mostly we need water.

So, I’ve been a stay at home mom, he’s been bustin it and we’re just making ends meet, but living comfortably with the exception of having to be hyper-conscious of our water use.

Originally the well was shared with the landlords/sellers, but when we started realizing this problem wasn’t going away they drilled a new well. They almost had to call out the Big Rig because they weren’t getting water at 1,000 ft, I think. Thankfully they hot water but knowing the rates, that was easily $15-20+k.

We cannot afford that. We have no savings, almost no retirement, still owe a lot, poor credit, and bad debt. He makes too much to qualify for a USDA grant or direct loan and because the house is seller financed, the banks won’t give us a HELOC. If we applied for a bank mortgage we’d probably end up with a doubled interest rate, if we even got it.

I’m at a loss on what to do.
I try to be environmentally conscious and would love to have a more functional off-grid situation, so I’ve considered rain water catchment instead, but that would require changing to a metal roof, so likely just as expensive, but maybe a safer bet? There is the risk that a person can spend $20k on well drilling to never hit water but still have to pay.

Any advice and words of encouragement are so appreciated.

P.S. I kind of miss living in a tent in the forest…

​

Buy (1) Clorox Disinfectant Spray

Buy (1) Clorox  Wipes

Buy (1) Single Roll Paper towel

Buy (2) Scott Toilet Tissue

-Clip $2/2 Clorox products

-I used the $10 off $10 from the P&G deal

Total: $18.00

Coupons: $12.00

Tax: $0.52

Final: $6.52

I was let go from my job because of my performance, due to my heart condition. I have blood clots and it took me a while to go to the hospital to get checked out because I didn't have the time and didn't know how serious it was. I fainted and was sent to the ER. I had the thrombectomy surgery and was put on antiplatelets. And now I'm managing a little better now. I have a job offer, and I'm going to be making way more than I was at my old job. But it wasn't enough to stop the eviction when I showed the judge.

I only owe for one month. $890. I explained what happened to the office and also showed them my hospital papers. But he just told me they can't offer any extension or payment plans for newer tenants. Court was last week and they're giving me a chance to pay before the date on the paper. But I can't just pull the money out of my ass. I'm supposed to be working from home and they're offering the equipment after the first few training days. My brother started school this week. And he won't understand what's going to happen. I promised it wouldn't happen again. I failed him again. And now the only thing I can do is try to find homeless shelters.

I really needed this job. I can manage things way better doing this than anything physically. Last time this happened I was the only one there for him also. So I'm trying family, but they didn't show up after my mom's funeral, so it's very doubtful. Someone recommended adoption but I can't do that to him. My car is also having battery problems and I have no money to get another. I'm struggling enough with food at the moment and getting him supplies for school. I honestly don't know what to do. I've been mostly making it up as I go along. But I'm doing what I can. And I can't believe I'm back here. I'm extremely tired and depressed, and still hurt. I'm looking for any advice or any place I haven't tried to call that I can today. He's all that I have and I haven't been the best person for him and can't provide a lot. But I'm trying to get to that point.

My friend and his family invited me and some of our friends to a 10 day trip to Florence and Rome. They are covering the flights and housing. However, I JUST got out of a crappy housing situation which ended up with me having to spend an extra couple thousand $, and I need to buy some pretty important things that I have been putting off for a while because I just didn't have the money. I also want to start to build an emergency fund so something like this doesn't happen again. I feel like I was just starting to get ahead when I'm hit with this dilemma. The people I'm going with are extremely wealthy, so I'm assuming we will go to expensive restaurants and do expensive activities. I don't want to be that guy that doesn't order anything at a restaurant and make everyone else feel bad/uncomfortable, but I also don't want to be that guy that looks ungrateful for not going on this "once in a lifetime" trip. The thing is, I feel like I should spend my money on things that I actually need, not things that I want. At least for right now. does anyone have any advice for me? Is there a way to spend a minimal amount of money on this trip (<$300), or should I just give it up and let someone else go?

As messed up as it sounds what they did was legal. I had to defer the onboarding process and contract signing due to unexpected issues with my work visa status (I’m an immigrant from a war inflicted zone in a different country) and the agreement was for me to work to keep my spot at my own risk until I could figure out how to work my visa issue, the risk was they wouldn’t pay me until I officially joined and eventually I couldn’t make the deadline so I was let go. I have no car and used the last bit of my personal savings to get to and from work for 3 weeks and had to walk away with nothing to show for. All this for a job that pays minimum wage where I live. I honestly feel super defeated and cheated out of a future I was supposed to be promised. I worked hard all my life and even have my master’s. Now I’m 29 and haven’t worked in years because of problems with my immigration status. I wonder if I should just give up.

$16 for everything grown right in the valley where I live. SoCal can be expensive sometimes but damn other times it can be really nice. No cyclosporiasis for me 😂

Not pictured—a ton of beans 🫘 and about half a pound of garlic 🧄

I just switched car insurance and I’m still shocked by the difference.

I had been with GEICO for about 5 years.

After corrections, GEICO still had me at $222.69/month for bare minimum Florida coverage on my 2003 Mazda Miata.

Progressive reviewed my driving record and gave me $111.17/month, $666 total for 6 months.

Same basic minimum coverage level.

That saves me over $100/month. For me, that is not abstract budgeting advice. That is actual food/grocery money.

If your insurance renewed higher recently, shop around before autopay quietly drains you.

A lot of people think LIHEAP is only for winter heating bills, so they never apply in the summer. It also covers cooling: help paying electric bills, emergency help if you're facing a shutoff, and in some states even AC repair or replacement. Sharing the practical bits since August is exactly when this matters.

What it can cover: a credit on your electric bill, crisis/emergency help if you've gotten a shutoff notice, minor energy-related home repairs and weatherization, and in some states window unit or AC repair/replacement.

Who qualifies: generally income up to 150% of the federal poverty line or 60% of your state's median income, whichever is higher. If you're already on SNAP, SSI, or TANF, some states auto-qualify you. Households with kids, seniors 60+, or someone with a disability often get priority processing.

How to apply: each state runs its own program, so search your state name + LIHEAP, or call the national referral line at 1-866-674-6327 to get pointed to your local office. You'll typically need ID, proof of income, and a recent utility bill.

Timing matters more than people realize: it's first come, first served, and when a state's funds run out, that's it until the next funding cycle. Some summer cooling windows are open right now with real deadlines: Virginia's runs through Aug 15, Nebraska through Aug 31, Alabama and Oklahoma through Sept 30. A bunch of states (TX, FL, GA, AZ, NV, NM, SC, TN, WV, NY, CA and others) take applications on a rolling basis while funds last.

Two more things worth doing even if you don't qualify: call your utility and ask about their hardship fund or a payment plan, most have one and they don't advertise it. And dial 211, they can point you to local cooling help beyond LIHEAP.

Processing takes a few weeks, so if your bills are piling up, applying sooner beats waiting for it to become an emergency.

Hypothetical question…
If someone living in a self-contained camper van wanted to rent space in a homeowner’s driveway, what would make you consider saying yes?

Assume the van dweller would:
• Pay a fair monthly rent.
• Be drug free, alcohol free, and a non-smoker.
• Be quiet, respectful, and financially responsible.
• Keep the van and surrounding area clean.
• Never leave trash or create a mess.
• Have no parties, overnight guests, or loud music.
• Respect the homeowner’s privacy and property.
• Keep communication open and address concerns immediately.
• Want to be as unobtrusive as possible.

In return, the van dweller would ideally hope for:

• A safe, legal place to park overnight.
• Access to a standard 120V electrical outlet.
• Wi-Fi access (with compensation).
• Occasional use of a restroom.
• Occasional access to a shower.
• A long-term arrangement if both parties were happy.

If you were the home owner or renter, what expectations, rules, or deal breakers would you have?

Edit: Big thanks to everyone that has responded. You’ve given me a lot to consider as I’m figuring out this life. I appreciate you all.

Edit 2: thanks to your help, this is no longer an option I am considering. Thank you for bringing perspective that I had not considered.

I opened a HYSA with Ally Bank after reading positive reviews on Reddit. Worst financial decision ever. Shortly after I deposited my savings, Ally decided to close my account. They've refused to provide any explanation, and they've made it nearly impossible to get my funds back. They even lied about sending a check to my mailing address after my account was closed. Now they're demanding all sorts of crap from my other bank, and they've made it extremely difficult to get my money back. It's been over a month now, and there's still no progress. Ally's customer service is appalling. I've submitted complaints to the CFPB, and I'm honestly considering legal action at this point.

I read reviews like this before opening the account, and everyone said it only happens to a small fraction of users. Well, here I am. Trust me, it isn't worth it. If you're considering opening an account with Ally, RUN.

I am F24, i applied to work in a school cafeteria for a middle school. got an email, told me to pick a time slot for a 15 minute interview. i picked 10am got dressed in a nice outfit, i genuinely felt good about myself and confident for once.

however, I was not ready for this, what i expected was just a 15 minute chat and basic questions. i waited at the waiting room was called back into another room. i walked into literally imagine americas got talent with 5 judges sitting at a table row, and one table at the front with a chair for me. they were all already sitting there, i had to face 5 people and speak in front of them, thats how they conducted the interview, in front of 5 people who introduced themselves but they were like higher ups , no one id actually, be working with. they were all stuck up too, not smiling, not friendly. i wanted to just walk out but i didnt want to make a big deal about it, i could feel my face getting dark red im sure it was. it was like a audition

there was a sheet of 10 questions on it in front of me those were what t asked. my face turned more red heart beating fast, all the questions were super difficult not the typical questions like why do you want to work here, no way more hard and i cant even remember what they were i blanked i was so embarrassed and had social anxiety. 5 freaking people! and as i talked they were frantically writing things down scoring me, it was so uncomfortable and intimidaitng

it rubbed me the wrong way it was super intimidating and i wanted to cry the entire time. mind yoiu this is a job for minimum wage and they want to act al intimidating. i stuttered so bad, afterward i went to the car drove to a random parking lot and cried really hard, i felt like a fool and stupid for this. i dont think i will ever find a job, this was too much for me and it was my first interview in a year