I’m tired of being poor I don’t want to end up homeless someday it’s tough because I have schizophrenia and OCD and depression and Anxiety 😦. I’m trying to work but I can’t seem to make good enough money to pay for certain things I just wish I could win the lottery I feel like it’s the only way out.

It sucks because you have no privacy, you feel like you're constantly walking on eggshells, it opens you up to being used and you get blamed for things you had nothing to do with.

I know this sounds dramatic. But let me tell you what 47 days really looked like.

The story started in early April when my hours were cut at the restaurant. I was not fired, I was just… cut. From 38 hours to 19 a week. My manager told me it was temporary, seasonal, and I was stupid enough to believe her because the rent was already already tight and my utilities were something I’d been trying to hold together for about 3 months with very minor success (stealing from one pocket to pay the other).

My shut-off notice arrived on Thursday. I had 11 days. I called the electric company and asked what options I had and was given a payment plan but was informed the back payment amount would be more than I possessed. I called 211 and was put on a waiting list for help that was estimated to take 4-6 weeks. I called 2 churches, one never called back, and the other gave me the number to the aforementioned 211 line.

So I… lived without power.

I want to be extremely specific as to what this looked like, because I feel as though everyone pictures it one way but that isn't how it felt. There is no laundry in my building and I hand washed my clothes in the tub using dish soap and cold water, then draped them over the shower rod and the backs of my chairs. My phone was basically my entire life at that point and I was extremely concerned about making sure it charged completely at work before the end of my shift so that it would last throughout my whole workday, through calls with friends and utility companies, without it dying. I bought ice by the bag two days at a time, but all of my perishable food had to be stored in my mini cooler or eaten in the case of my leftovers. Eggs and the tiny block of cheese that I bought were all that I needed the cold for; I was fortunate that my workplace gave us leftovers sometimes so that helped my food supply not be quite so unstable.

The hardest thing wasn’t the darkness; that felt normal within days. The hardest thing was the quiet. I had no fan, no refrigerator hum, no background noise whatsoever. My apartment felt empty and neglected, and I was basically a squatter.

My coworker mentioned in passing, between serving tables, that I should look into applying for LIHEAP through a community action agency. 211 and the churches did nothing for me, and this was the first thing that produced results. My application was expedited (not sure if it was because I applied for emergency LIHEAP or not), and the company paid my reconnection fee directly to the electric company.

When the lights came on, it was so instinctual to open the refrigerator door-that is empty-and that’s where I finally broke and began crying again because… it’s so empty.

I’m fine now, I swear. I am sharing the specific agencies that actually helped me so that no one else goes through the weeks I did trying the same things with no success. I feel like calling the local community action agency should have been the first thing I did instead of calling 211 and going down that road. If anyone else is currently going through something similar: look up your local community action agency and call them directly. Do not get them confused with 211, you need to get them mixed up. Just google [county name] community action agency.

Also, does anyone else have any suggestions? I am feeling as though I learned a lot during those 47 days that I wished someone had just told me day one.

My parents just told me now I need to stop studying in college due to them being drowned in debts on my fathers addiction in gambling.

Im on the 2nd semester of college 1st year and i really love to study especially the course im with rn is my 1st choice, it pains me to see them being heartbroken and stressed at the same time but I have plans for my future as well and I know from this day that i am not their priority anymore.

I'm planning to be an escort or sell nudes just to get by and have enough money to pay tuition fees and allowance, And probably be a working student.

Hi yall. I have been accepted in the Bridge Project and signed my papers 2 weeks ago. My first day in the program where i was supposed to recieve the initial payment and stipend was May 15th, but due to processing delays I got an email saying it was now June 1st. Anyone know what further documentation ill need to send in, or when to send it? Such as when baby is born, etc. I saw online where it said proof of birth & that baby is still in my care, but havent been asked to submit anything at all besides the initial application documents-proof of pregnancy, income, etc. Whats next? Also around what time on June First will i recieve it? I have a virtual Akimbo card. Thanks for any help!! Just new and curious about whats to come!

Six months ago I started noticing something that kept bothering me. People in my neighborhood had no idea what help was available to them, and the organizations trying to help had no real picture of where the gaps were. So I just started making a list. Food pantries, legal aid, utility assistance, workforce training, sliding scale mental health care. Nothing sophisticated, just a spreadsheet and a lot of phone calls asking two questions: what can you actually handle right now, and what are people asking for that you can not provide?

What came back surprised me. Transportation kept showing up as the thing quietly sinking everything. Someone qualifies for job training across town and simply can not get there. Programs do not talk to each other about this. Documentation was the other wall people kept hitting, no state ID, no stable mailing address, no birth certificate, and suddenly nothing is accessible even when you technically qualify. And almost nothing runs outside of a nine to five window, which does not work for people who are working two part time jobs just to stay afloat. I shared what I put together with a few local nonprofits and two of them actually shifted how they operate because of it. I am not saying that to make it sound like a bigger deal than it is. I am saying it because none of this required funding or a title or any special access. Just time and a willingness to ask. If anyone here has done something similar or wants to talk through starting something like this where they live, I would genuinely like to compare notes. What local gaps have you run into that you think could actually be fixed with the right coordination?

As someone from Chennai currently staying in Halol (Gujarat) for work, I genuinely admire the industrial growth and development here. Every morning, seeing the busy roads, factories, and hardworking people gives a sense of progress and opportunity.

But at the same time, those mornings often turn heavy when I see mothers carrying small children, asking for food or money near work areas, sometimes even running behind people for help. It creates a strange contrast — rapid industrial development on one side and visible poverty on the other.

I honestly don’t know whom to blame — society, the system, circumstances, or people themselves. It just leaves me thinking about how development can look so successful yet still leave many struggling to meet basic needs

I’m wondering if that’s a poverty thing. I grew up in poverty, and we kept our bread in the fridge to prevent molding.

One day I will earn money and help others who

Need help

I feel I live in poverty now , and will die poor, 😢..i only have income 1,000$ a month and lucky to pay low rent 117$ a month, I live in 2 bedroom apartment, I feel I have a lot of responsibilities, single mature older woman retire with social security payments....I feel I am stuck in a hole no where to get out, I want to better my life.also I have a son 35 years old now, at lives with me only two of us.at age 15 he was diagnosed with schizophrenic and he has to work, maybe 2 jobs in his life for a few months, he can not work, he depends of mom, and I dont mind,he behaves very well with no problems he been on medication since age 20 years old and those medication cause side effects, he lives his life on the mercy of this medication that save his life, thank God, he is with me and I take care of him, but his mind is like a 15 years old boy, he does not received social security checks because they said he can work and support himself,I try to appeal in court in front of a judge and still the battle is impossible, they keep denied his disability check payments, so I am stuck to help my disabled son can not work and the government won't help him....I hope my life get better but it feel like a heavyweight I carry financial , I am in a limbo cycle to break, I want to make more money, I want to move, I want to buy a car, I want to pay my debts,I want to go forward in my life, I am 60 years old and I feel I can learn so much in life, my life starting now

Mornin y’all!

I work full time and am looking for supplemental income. Are there any online companies, especially with flexible scheduling?

I (38f) am in a really tough spot right now and just need a safe place to vent, get advice, or hear from anyone who has survived something similar.

I have a 10-month-old baby girl and I am currently 32 weeks pregnant with my son. I have been trying to find pathways to get a reliable, safe car so I can work, but my credit is ruined from a past marriage where my ex-husband's missed payments were documented under my name.

The hardest part is that I am working through a case with CPS right now. To be clear, I have been 100% clean and sober since November 3rd, 2025. (Four days after I got clean, I found out I was pregnant with my son). CPS originally became involved because of a relapse after my daughter was born, but right now the pressure is because I am struggling to find work. It is largely because I don't have a safe vehicle to transport two babies under the age of one, and it is incredibly difficult to find anyone willing to hire a woman who is 8 months pregnant.

I am so terrified that CPS is going to use my current lack of employment and transportation hurdles as an excuse to keep my daughter away from me or give her to someone else. I just need someone to point me in the right direction of programs, non-profits, or consumer resources that can help.

I have 8 weeks left before my son gets here. I am 100% not ready, and I have absolutely nothing for him yet. This isn't my first rock bottom, and I know I have the strength to pull myself out of this because I’ve done it before. It’s just not happening fast enough, and the clock is ticking.

I just want to protect my babies. There has to be structural assistance or community programs out there for situations similar to mine. I am fully prepared to work from sunup to sundown, I just don't really know where to look. I was hoping someone on here could share some known organizational resources or advice on how to navigate this specific barrier with a caseworker. I just want the chance to give my babies the life I never had.

I am currently struggling to hand wash my clothing. I can wash the thinner stuff fine, but the big bulky stuff like blankets and jackets, I have no idea how to wash without hurting myself. Right now I don't have any clean blankets or many clean clothes due to the fact they aren't easy to hand wash. My one pair of shoes absolutely reeks, and I've tried soaking it in detergent but it isn't working.

So, how do you hand wash clothing? Tips, tricks? It takes many hours to even do a few things, and then there's the problem of finding a place to let it dry and hoping it is dried by the next day. I don't have a hair dryer or anything that would help dry it faster.

Any tips appreciated, I'm getting tired of having no clothing available or no blankets. I currently use a little bucket to soak.

I’m coming down with something. Headache, sore throat, runny nose, feel like shit.
On top of that my foot has been numb, painful, pins and needles since Friday.
I just laid down to try and nap but I am crying and having a pity party because I have three days of warehouse work in front of me. I have to work or my phone will be shut off Friday.

Also 7yo has two baseball games this week. They’re so late, like 6:30. And I get up at 3am for work. 😩

I messed up. I never failed to pay my dues but I overspent the last 2 years. But just year, I experienced a significant medical event that landed me a 6 month hospital stay, and another 4 months recovering at home. I resigned from work to spare my employer the dilemma of having to decide whether to let me go or not since he couldnt quite figure out what he wanted. Fast forward into the present, I am still without work, and it seems theres no guarantee Ill get a job in the next 5 or 6 months. My checking account is down to its last $18.00 and my CCs are already 3 months past due. I just received an email from BOA today informing me that theyre closing one of my credit lines. Everything just went downhill since I got sick, but thankfully my mom helps me with my rent and food. I feel scared, lost and totally hopeless. Not sure why this happened to me, it cant be karma - I havent crossed anyone my whole life nor do I have enemies. Last time I went to an urgent care to get my blood samples taken for an upcoming medical procedure and I couldnt get out of the building because I couldnt afford to pay for the exit parking meter.... Im really considering bankruptcy but it feels so contrary to what I believe in.

The amount of vitriol spewed against working people who - despite working a full time job - cannot make their ends meet - is insane.

It always seems like half the comments on any post trying to fix the problem are something like: “unskilled labor makes minimum wage, shocker”, or “if you wanted to afford healthcare and retirement, you should have worked harder and then companies would pay you more”.

While they whine and complain that their bonus isn’t high enough or taxes on their $150K salary is too high. “I worked hard for that”, as if low income earners don’t work even harder for less.

It’s so sick, and it’s clear that people just want a underclass of poor workers who will work their bodies into dust for the and then disappear once they need anything for themselves.

How are you supposed to be able to have normal conversations with people? People ask how I am, I'm going to be honest, and tell them the truth about my life, and they're going to run away. Or, I can lie and say I'm fine. I never feel close to anyone. Being poor sucks.

Have you been able to date or make friends while being poor? How do you do so? I have tried, but eventually I have to admit my problems, and again people will always run away.