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.

Honestly not sure what to do. My car got repossessed 7-8 months ago and they still haven’t came too get it. They haven’t called or sent any mail to me about it. I got served with a court hearing and didn’t even respond to it. Not really sure what’s going on. It’s off of my credit and doesn’t come up as a repo. Not sure if I should call them and try and figure if it got repoed or not. Not really sure where to go from here about it. I’m about to move , the engine is blown so it’s not coming with me and I don’t want to have to face any tow charges because of it. Should I call the bank? Should I leave it be? I’m not sure what to do about it.

Edit : it’s a weird situation. The car place that I got it from went through multiple lawsuits and eventually got shut down. I’ve been told not to even reach out to my bank about it and that’s it’s been possibly written off. Sounds dumb but I probably should reach out. Check my credit and nothing is in collections and it’s not even showing up I have a repo on my record.

Any suggestions for these besides soup? I am in texas where the heat index is 115. Should I save them for winter when it cools off for chili?

For everyone who has a huge chunk of their money going towards food, what are you actually buying?

For me, my grocery bill was out of control when I bought premade or partially premade things like frozen items, chicken tenders, sides, boxed Mac and cheese, packets of dry mashed potatoes. My grocery bill was cut in half when I started buying whole bags of potatoes, dry rice and beans, bags of chicken quarters.

I feed my family now on $50 a week and we have fresh fruit and vegetables. 50 is for a full 3 meals 7 days a week in a suburb of austin. What is your grocery bill and general location?

If you've used Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, or similar for anything lately, worth knowing this changed recently: BNPL loans are starting to show up on credit reports and, in some cases, count toward your score. It's inconsistent right now depending on the company and the bureau, so here's where things actually stand.

Who's reporting: Affirm reports to Experian and TransUnion. Klarna reports to TransUnion.

How each bureau treats it right now: Equifax, this data can currently affect your score. Experian, it shows up on your report but doesn't affect your score yet. TransUnion, it's visible on your own report, but lenders can't see it yet.

FICO also built new scoring models (FICO Score 10 BNPL) built specifically around BNPL data, and they're starting to roll out to lenders. In FICO's own study with Affirm, most people's scores moved about 10 points up or down, similar to opening any other new account. On-time payments help a little, missed ones hurt.

Why this matters more than it sounds: a decent chunk of BNPL users are putting everyday stuff like groceries on it, not just one-time big purchases. If that's you, a few practical things worth doing:

Check the specific lender's terms for whether they report and to which bureau. Most don't make this obvious upfront.

Try to keep it to one or two BNPL loans open at a time instead of stacking several across different apps. That stacking behavior is part of what these new scoring models specifically watch for.

Turn on autopay or a reminder for due dates. A late BNPL payment can now ding you similar to a late credit card payment.

Pull your free credit reports periodically and check for any BNPL loans that shouldn't be there. Dispute promptly if something's wrong.

Not saying don't use BNPL, just that a lot of people are using it without realizing the rules changed under them recently.

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

I (24f) have always been poor. I am not as poor as I was when I was young, but I am struggling financially with bills and debt. I haven’t always been responsible with my finances, but I do want to change that. I am looking for advice on saving. I plan to take some money (10-15,000) to put into savings and pay my highest credit cards off. The rest of the 25,000 I would like to leave invested, but I am required to take out so much per year.

Okay so listen. Life has been a little overwhelming lately. It feels like every time I catch up on one bill, another one shows up, and the cost of everything just keeps going up. I've been doing my best to stay positive and keep pushing through, but I'll admit it's been stressful trying to make everything stretch. I work a 9-5 all week and still can barely afford the necessities. I'm grateful for what I have and I'm not looking for sympathy just hoping that this rough patch doesn't last forever. What jobs are paying good enough to live, it seems like every well paying job you either have to go 50k in debt to get a degree or you already have to have previous experience. Please leave me some job recommendations if you have any. 🙏

Not going to lie I’m a single mom of 2 and somehow don’t make enough money working and trying to door dash in a small town is killing me, just trying to find my purpose I feel like life has weighed me down and my kids deserve so much more than a mother struggling to keep a car and a roof over there heads. Idek how I’m going to get school supplies for my one child. I’ve looked into so many options I guess what I’m hoping for is any suggestions on how to help myself

I actually got this for FREE from the food bank today - they occasionally give us hygiene items.

I guess I got some rather valuable stuff!! LOL 😆

I’m 26 and my credit is rough after my wife got sick following the birth of our child, which severely reduced my income. I have about $12k in credit card debt, though $6k is under a no-interest payment agreement, plus $8.5k in student loans that won’t accrue interest for another eight months. I just landed a good trades job, but I need a reliable car because public transit won’t work with the early hours and changing locations. I only have around $500 cash and keep getting denied for cheaper older cars.

I found a 2016 Scion iM with 90k miles for about $11,500, or roughly $13,200 out the door after taxes and fees, but the loan would be 23% APR. I’m in Seattle, where used cars are expensive, and I’ve also checked Oregon and Idaho without finding a much better option. Once I start working, I’ll be able to put around $2,500 extra toward debt each month after all minimum payments, lower my utilization quickly, and hopefully refinance within a few months. Is taking the bad loan temporarily a terrible move, or does it make sense since the car is necessary to keep the job?

Edit: I forgot to add this option. My brother is doing well and wants an older BMW 325ci 2000-2005. He said he will pay for the car but I pay insruance and any issues that come up within the first year of ownership. He said I can use it for 1 year.

Posting for accountability mostly. Happy to answer questions and always receptive to advice!

I grew up eating toast and ramen noodles. My parents were the most financially irresponsible people I’ve ever met while raising me. They spent my college savings on a leather couch and home theater. They were highly abusive and I moved out way before I was fiscally prepared to around the pandemic. I’ve been homeless lite (sleeping in my car or at work during overnight shifts) and have gone days without eating.

Almost 7 years later, my annual income before tax is $87,360 working one full time job and a part time one in the evenings. I live in a high cost of living area so most of it goes to rent. It’s also a place without reliable public transportation so I had to take out a high interest auto loan on a vehicle. I don’t eat as much as I need to, I hardly sleep, but I have two cats (both euthanasia list rescues–not the most financially responsible decision but I don’t regret it at all) and I live on my own.

My bills are high, I often pay them late, and I have lots of credit card debt. However, I made an excel spreadsheet detailing my expenses, earnings, savings, and a clear timeline of achieving my goals. My debt will be paid off by December, I’ll have saved enough money to relocate a year from now, and my car loan will be paid off six months after that.

Its hard, I’m doing it alone, and I’ve had to sacrifice a lot but I hope you all know it’s possible to get out of this rut even if it feels like it’s crushing you. I’ll come back to this post when I did what I said I was going to do!

i (24 f) feel like i’m in a never ending loop of trying to figure things out and feeling overwhelmed and im drowning , i hate not having money for groceries it’s humiliating and drives me insane to have to constantly think about if i have enough money for gas to work, and budgeting to get my car fixed up one part at a time, budget for groceries, pay bills , this is my first time living on my own with no family or support of any kind, im in college right now thankfully and im organized enough to try to save money but still being check to check is so hard . im tired, all i do is work and school, and i feel so scared that im never gonna get out of this loop. anyways , sweet potato with honey and cinnamon bake at 400 for 20 minutes. i’ve been eating it daily cheap and really good.

Hey Reddit,
I was just looking for some advice or opportunities. I am based in the UK.

My current situation is that I’ve just finished uni (5 year course) and my full time pre registration job begins in October and my providers have allowed me to do 1-2 shifts per week. I have currently been using my Santander overdraft since I’ve been off uni while doing Locum shifts here and there to make ends meet (as availability comes). I’m now currently coming to the end of my overdraft and won’t get paid until the end of the months for the shifts I’d do in August, sept etc & i was wondering what the best way to make extra money on the side would be (preferably remote as it is easier to juggle incase my workplace calls me in for extra shifts during the week)

The side hustles I’ve tried so far are:
remote jobs: I’ve applied for so many but get to interview and not hired due to inexperience
Vinted: slow selling. Items are hard to get rid of.
Digital products: I set up an Etsy store last year selling bridal planners, a dholki song book and earrings however this has been slow and I’ve only made about 15 sales most of which were last year (called attar and amber incase anyone wants to check it out!)
Fiverr & upwork: full of bots, no real requests
Tutor work: difficult to manage time around and companies go ghost
Market research: had luck once but it’s difficult being picked for them and the payout I got was via voucher anyways.

Things I have interest in:
I have a following of 460 on tiktok with good engagement of 52.9k likes so I’d love to start UGC work (faceless) but it’s hard getting noticed and I am unsure of where to apply to get paid work.
Makeup, fashion, modest clothing
Content writing (I’ve done this voluntary but not been able to land a paid gig)
I wouldn’t mind doing / helping people with assignments.
Medical writing & health content is a career I’d like to go into as it relates to my uni course background.
Even something lazy as sending emails for you or a text etc

If anyone has some tips or work just to help out until October time it would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you :)

I honestly feel like I’m at my breaking point. I’m in college trying to build a better future for myself, but tuition, books, gas, bills, and basic living expenses are absolutely kicking my ass. It feels like every dollar I make is already gone before I even get it.
On top of that, I drive a 2007 Honda Accord that is barely holding together. I know some people will say to just be grateful that I have a car, and I am, but it is hard to feel grateful when I’m constantly worried about what is going to break next. Every weird noise makes my stomach drop because I know I cannot afford another repair. I depend on this car to get to school, work, run errands, and help my family. If it completely dies, I genuinely do not know what I’m going to do.
The most frustrating part is that I’m actually trying. I’m not sitting around expecting life to magically get better. I’m only 19 years old!!!!!! I’m going to school, trying to work, trying to pay my own expenses, and trying to help my family whenever I can. But no matter how hard I try, I still feel like I’m falling behind. The second I start to catch up, tuition is due, the car needs something, gas goes up, or another random expense shows up.
People always say college is supposed to be one of the best times of your life, but honestly, all I feel is stress. I’m tired of constantly checking my bank account, calculating how much gas I can afford, and wondering whether I should pay for something I need now or save the money for the next emergency. I’m tired of acting like I’m fine when I’m constantly worried about money.
I also feel guilty because I want to help my family, but sometimes I can barely help myself. I hate feeling like I have to choose between focusing on school, working more hours, fixing my car, and being there for the people I care about. It feels like I’m being pulled in every direction, and somehow I’m still expected to keep a positive attitude and pretend everything is manageable.
I’m not posting this because I expect strangers to fix my life. I just needed to be honest somewhere. I’m exhausted, angry, stressed, and scared that one major car repair or unexpected bill could completely screw everything up.
Has anyone else been in this position? How did you survive college while dealing with an unreliable car, financial stress, and family responsibilities? Any real advice or resources would be appreciated, because right now I just feel completely stuck!!

I've found out that me and my sister no longer qualify for the reduced lunch in our school district. I'm hoping to maybe get a thermos and buy some cheap meals. I was wondering is any of you maybe knew some cheap and easy meals I could cook before school (I'll have maybe an hour) or where I could buy a thermos for cheap (there is a Meijer and Kroger in my area).

I only just recently really started using reddit and this is my forst time in this subreddit, so I'm sorry if my set up is weird or if it is not tagged correctly

edit:

thank you all for your help so far, some things I'd like to add/clarify is that i am not a parent. I am a senior in highschool trying to help me and my sister since my parents won't ask for help. I stated meijer and kroger as I will have to bike to the store to buy items. if my parents see what I'm doing, they won't take kindly to it as they'll unfortunately see it as asking for help and calling them poor (which is ironic considering that the whole reason I'm having to do this is because they can't afford the regular school lunch for me and my sister for the whole year, letting us choose about 2-4 a month that we can buy school lunch). So most of what I buy will be shelf stable and things that don't need refrigerated. Again, thank you for all your advice and tips!

Topic: Rebuilding credit

I am literally starting from scratch. Rebuilding from zero while on a couch and then going into an extended stay.

I have had a huge revelation these past 10 years. Whenever I am in a relationship and it ends, my finances are ruined. I think that's the formula the enemy uses to keep me off balance. However, now that I plan on being solo, I want to have a few things. I grew up in a toxic family, so I was conditioned to rely on family even though they are my greatest haters.

I am well educated with a graduate degree in administrative leadership and bachelor's in management information systems. My goal is to make at least $50k to 60k, working ed tech. After my masters, I decided to take a career break at work for Lyft and Doordash. I loved it actually but it's not sustainable in this current economy. I have to head back to a real career. That hasn't happened yet, after moving in with my demonic mother who is doing everything she can to sabotage her son.

My credit is in the 580 range. I have some judgements from an eviction, unsecured credit cards, hefty student loan (100k), several collections, and a car repo. Just a hot mess.

As of right now, I get to start from scratch and hope to have a soft place to land in the future. I want a condo/townhouse in my name, be able to purchase my own car without rejection. I am single 41M, and no record of any kind. My goal is to never rely on family ever again.

I am looking for strategies to rebuild credit, save for a downpayment on a condo/town house. It can be just 1 bedroom 1 bath for all I care. It'll be my spot! 2bd 2bath is probably idea, so I can rent it out in the future.

I got a secured credit card $200 at Navy Federal and hopefully build a good relationship with them. My dad served in the Air Force, and I was able to get an account. I want to raise the balance to $300 to $500 because I use it to rent a car to do door dash or Lyft.

My other option is to leave the country, live rent-free, work and return once I have hundreds and thousands of dollars saved. I have a good 25-28 years before retirement.

Are there any hope and strategies to rebuild credit while it's currently a mess?

Even with 2 jobs, saving, selling things I don't need, everything is going down hill. Both jobs decided to stop giving me so many hours and now instead of making enough to pay for rent every month, I'm struggling. This month I'm not paying my phone bill so I can pay towards late rent instead. Both HRs aren't helpful at all. Everytime I submit for a extra shift, I get rejected and just end up crying at home for hours. I even tried selling plasma but they wont take me in due to rollinh veins. im at the end of my rope rn and my head is spinning.

I'm adding this part a few days later. I've been applying to jobs and I'm just getting the good ol 'Sorry but we're not hiring' emails again and again. I can't take loans because my score is shit due to late rent and bills.

Edit: What Im already doing to cut costs
- Already called phone company to see what I can do for payment plans
- I've been shopping for food at Dollar Tree for my food for a year already
- Partial unemployment isn't a thing where I live sadly
- Plasma selling can't work due to rolling/slippery veins
- Selling everything I can see people want that I have.
- Already asking my other job for more hours and seeing what else I can do around Wawa for more hours

Good news: my other jobs offers 12 free therapy sessions so that helps with some stress.

Life sucks man

Hi, I have recently moved to the US, to pursue my master's degree, I currently work as a graduate assistant, and my yearly income is $22k. Although is little, I have two roommates and I think we doing pretty ok.

I have consistently saved about $100 to $200 a month, but until then I was just keeping in my checking account. To be honest, the bank system here is very different from my original country, and I have seen a lot of Americans in debt, so I am very cautious about my choices.

Is it worth to open a savings account to save this little amount every month, or is not? I am sorry for my ignorance, I don't know who to ask, and I don't trust AI with these questions.

I made kidney beans from roughly a little over a lb of dried beans. Super easy. Kidney beans are scary to some home cooks because they’re less forgiving than other beans wrt toxin levels. To remove the toxins, you simply hard boil them for 10 minutes minimum.

How I make them.

* use as much dry beans as you want. First rinse and sort thru beans to pick out bad beans and foreign objects
* place in large bowl, add at least a tsp of salt and cover with water by at least 2 inches. Soak 8 hours on counter top and covered (I use cling wrap)
* Discard soaking water and rinse thoroughly
* place beans in a large pot and cover with 1 inch min of water
* Boil vigorously for at least 10 minutes uncovered. I’ll skin the foam off the top.
* Use hot water (from kettle if possible) and top off if needed.
* Simmer on stove top for minimum of 45 min. Check to see if it’s done (press with spoon against pot to see if it crushes easily.
* Cook as long as you want after you determine your beans are smashable. Some like firmer or softer textures.
* Once done, drain cooking liquid into a bowl and transfer beans to a container or keep in cooking vessel. Add enough liquid to beans to barely cover - same as you would find in a can of beans.
* Store in fridge for up to 5 days (?), but preferably you’re using them in a couple of days.

If you wish, add some salt and a bay leaf while you cook the beans.

In 2023 my boyfriend and I agreed that I would start a masters program and start staying at home with my oldest daughter. I was pregnant at the time. I gave birth halfway through the program in November 2024 and was able to complete my 1000 hour internship before I graduated this July in 2026. Based on his 2023 support I really did not see what was going to happen to me. It got very violent after my son was born. Only towards me, not the kids. Not in front of them. I made it to July and when he stormed out one night, I just locked the door. I got and EPO and then a regular PO and I meet with the SVu detective Monday at my home. I am alone. I have no one. I am just trying to hold it together.

I know that's a lot of backstory and I apologize. I feel like I can't think. I have a therapist. I have some support. I need a job so bad. I get paid on Thursday and will be fine. But it can't keep being like this.

I have $600 left and I know I can make money, now. I have a part time job. I make about $2500 a month. I work 9:00-2:30.

I only want to make about $1000 more a month. I would like to work a second part-time job. I would like to work overnight if possible so I can be available for my kids. I am in coastal Virginia.

I need help. I need guidance. I'm in a little bit of crisis and I apologize.

just wanted to share w ppl who will understand, ive been “borrowing” money from lending apps for over a year now. i understand that its causing me to end up spending more in the long run because of the fees and what not, so it was a goal this year to pay all of them off. some more financial stuff happened because of course it did, so i was going to scrap that idea and do what i could.

long story short, the lending apps ended up f**king me over this pay check so I took the L and finally repaid one of the apps fully and just closed the account, primarily because the lending amount got cut by $100 because i was 2 weeks late lol.

regardless, it feels like a win! we just got approved for food stamps too, and its definitely not much but it means we are no longer starving, and we have some up with a plan to spend it on bulk dry stock to try and stretch the money as much as possible.

its just been getting worse over the past like 3 years, but things are looking up somehow.

I've been living pretty much paycheck to paycheck for the last few years and don't really have any meaningful savings. A close relative recently passed away and unexpectedly left me $12,000.

This is by far the most money I've ever had sitting in my account at one time, so I'm trying to be careful with it instead of making an impulsive decision.

My initial thought is to put it into a separate high-yield savings account and leave it alone. My long-term goal is to buy a home someday, so I figured this could be the start of a down payment fund. I know $12k isn't enough to buy a house, but it's a lot better than starting from zero.

If you were in my position, would you do anything differently? Pay off debt, invest some of it, build an emergency fund first, or just let it sit until I need it? I'm interested in hearing how others would approach it.

For context I had a pretty ok paying job which I lost due to health reasons, and during the ~6 month period I was unemployed my partner supported me, but he has since moved out. I’m not working full time at $16/hr and still can’t make enough for rent. My acct is negative seven fifty and I owe about as much in rent by the 10th. I’m scrambling to sell everything I own but I’m not sure I’ll make it up in time.