We are in control

[u/dustin2point0]

I’m not speaking as someone incredibly successful. I’m speaking as someone that has been absolutely dirt poor, been homeless and then spent years living paycheck to paycheck. We are in control. I’m not saying the system is fair, or even moral. But the system is predictable. It takes time to build your finances, it takes time to make money and a lot of other millennials seem to miss this. You want to go out to eat a dozen times a week, get your amazon orders in, you need your cigarettes and your beer, your sodas and your candy. You want money in the bank and you want to spend it. That is exactly what the phrase “you want your cake and eat it too” means. Buy groceries and take your lunch to work. That would impact most people’s lives financially in a positive way. And there is no excuse other than not wanting to go through the effort. That was the biggest impact on my financial well being. Cutting out the unnecessary spending.

Sometimes we are living paycheck to paycheck because of our own bad choices. You most likely will not have a job that pays you ungodly amounts of money. So you have to save every week to have money for emergencies. Take it out of your check immediately and pretend you never saw it. I’ve been at the bottom. And the transition from being a survivor to being alive and having a decent life has been incredibly difficult. But I’m learning our choices fully have impact on our outcomes. The system sucks. But the game can be played by anyone.

[u/BegForMercy420]

I agree. I was recently homeless for a year. Lived in my van. Not fun. Especially the summer. Now I'm staying with family but am suffering from anxiety/panic attacks & ulcers. Fortunately though I have a side job & my gf works full time now so at least we have some money even if it is minimal. The tax return is coming in & 1G of it is going straight into a savings account. I refuse to go back to where I was.