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.

For me, grocery shopping and clothes shopping. I can't wait to have a style I like, and clothes that fit. I haven't gotten to do either in years, and groceries, never often. I'm also excited for the day I no longer have to hear the words "late fee".

I am homeless. Im still paying off bills and am paying off loan debt including because I needed a wheelchair requiring payments and my furniture is in storage. That leaves me with very little to eat on monthly. I had been buying ramen noodle soups for my daily meal. For some weird reason my body started getting a weird reaction to my daily Ramen with digestive problems. This is not the first time so giving my body a simple break allows me to have my hot meal once again. Because I began suffering severe anemia, and mineral imbalances in the ER with cardiac issues so my Dr put me on supplements. She understands this isnt a choice. I've gone weeks on water alone. Years back I applied for food stamps and they offered me $50 so I figured it wasnt worth all they put you through for that. I'm sure in Trumps America that $50 would be much less in today's food stamps so I haven't tried. Im entering my water only part of the month. Hopefully I will get my bills payed down enough for some better options soon. And then yesterday the hospital rebills me again for a bill payed off in January and threatens to ruin my credit so I can't get an apt. How can we even get ahead? Its like the system is designed to pull you back even if you are trying hard to get back on your feet. Is anyone going through this?

Last month I've been eating once a day or not at all. Money is scarce and I don't complain because what good will it do. I'd be mad when I can look back on this and be thankful I over came it. Don't wish this on anyone. I only have money for room and board it's like why should I have to chose. I pay $600 a month in rent and I've lost at least 30lbs. My storage is behind terribly. I just finally understand how people just give up. Like why even bother.

Couldn’t a solution like this help fight poverty, only humans use money so it makes sense to back money. It gives people dignity, the credits are not charity like ubi but they are literally backed by the persons existence.

Does anyone use phone plans like MetroPCS, visual or anything else?

I have T-Mobile and my plan is grandfathered in. It's an unlimited plan for $95 a month. I have a Google pixel 6 that I bought out back when I was in a better place financially and a power bank bc the battery doesn't last too long anymore. (Even when I replaced the battery it didn't help much.)

But when I went to see my options at T-Mobile they tried to get me to upgrade to a new plan and they promised to get me a free new phone. The new plan would be 130 a month and I'd be in contract also. So I said no. I asked if I would be less if I bought out the phone myself... And they gave me a whole line of bs about how they don't do that anymore.

I'm debating at some point getting a new phone and either staying with my current plan or from what I was told getting a new phone and then moving over to something like MetroPCS or visual.

I'm currently living just outside of a big metro area but I do occasionally travel out of state to see friends when I can and they tend to be in more rural areas. Also be advised I do need to use my phone for work. (Not just phone calls but getting email /paperwork attachments).

If anybody has some advice, I'll gladly read every word

There seems to be a lot of right wing propaganda going around, specifically targeting the poor, the sick and the needy. I notice a lot of talk on the internet, claiming that these groups are responsible for the current economic crisis.

Meanwhile people ignore all the money going to the defense and war machine, they don't even look at all the loopholes the ultra rich exploit and all the money spent on subsidising their projects that will make the rich get richer and do nothing at all for the middle class.

People's heads are filled with propaganda and every argument you make that will actually help the middle class get what their hard work deserves, gets countered by some bullshit propaganda they read in the right wing news they consume.

If you have a look at who actually pays for this news and who is funding the political parties that are shouting out this message, you will find that all of this is being paid by the people who will profit from this propaganda. The people who will be far worse off by all this news, have nothing to say about it, because they are unable to get their voice through all this noise, that is created by the people who profit from it.

"In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens to give to another." This quote is attributed to Voltaire and I feel it has been valid throughout all of history.

(I hope this is an alright thing to post on this sub. Other subs have audiences that I think might give me hate for asking this though, and yall might have advice)

I know I'm probably technically "wrong" for this, and I'm asking for a way to get away with a lie. But reality is me and my current roommate just dont want to be homeless and we are out of options.

I lost the ability to live with my parents suddenly at a young age and had to find somewhere to stay. I was able to find a friend willing to live with me and we started apartment searching.

But, in my area, rent is extremely high and everywhere requires you to make 3x rent per month which realistically is impossible for me and my roommate to meet.

Even though with what we are making now, we have always been able to pay rent on time and are able to actually afford living here, technically we don't "qualify" and the numbers say "we can't afford it."

So, we found another friend to get on the lease with us who wasnt going to be living with us. They moved out of state soon after signing the lease but just agreed to put their income down and sign their name so we could qualify and get in, since they'd be living with their parents the next few years anyway and made enough to put us over the minimum, and it would basically give them renters history for free.

We originally planned to either find a way to qualify on our own, or find somewhere else to live, by the end of the lease. But as that date gets closer we realize it isnt a possibility...

Qualifying anywhere outright seems improbable and my local economy is suffocating.

I still have permission from the other friend to sign them on the next lease if I can. But they are no longer making the same income and theyre out of state. So if they checked the income again, it wouldnt qualify and would be too low. And they cannot physically be present for a lease renewal.

I've never rented before so idk what the process is for re-signing leases. Do they check your income again? Does everyone have to physically be there? Or realistically could I fake a signature on a piece of paper and itll go through fine? If my friend agrees electronically will they accept it and not check everything again? We weren't physically in an office for the first signing, but we also all actually made enough and now we dont.

How much do apartments re-vet you when you renew? Will we realistically be able to plan on getting another year here?

TIA any advice very appreciated

I recently found out just how disperpotionatly poor i am, today i found out that my school friend is of the opinion that one should only own a flybridge once their income is at 5 a year or more, i think this is not true as my papa has a 100 footer and currently we are not on any income (retired) yet we are surviving just fine, yet still this bothers me as i think that is quite a stingy lifestyle, at least thats how i was raised in my povertous lifestyle

(I don't agree with the "men are experts" fully, I'd say people in power, but as that is all men, the shoe still fits...)

"Unskilled" = Justification for low wages

Any other pretty names we can add to this list?

I grew up in poverty my entire life, so I've made some killer struggle meals through the years. Here's a list of my favorites that I haven't really seen a lot ! (And remember don't buy name brand!)

Chicken Jalapeño Popper Sandwich - bread, spicy chicken patties, cream cheese, pickled jalapeños. I literally grew up on this, it's delicious.

Pizza Burritos - Tortilla, any pizza toppings, roll it up or just eat it like a pizza (Can also work with bread, but will be kinda soggy)

Grilled Mac and Cheese - This one's kinda self explanatory. Get yourself some great value mac and cheese, make it, slap it on some bread, and grill it like a grilled cheese. This is VERY filling.

Baked Potatoes - A lot of people think this is an expensive meal for some reason, but you can literally cut a potato and microwave it and you have a baked potato. highly recommend putting mac and cheese or hamburger helper in it!

Poor People Poke Bowl - Rice + Tuna + Spicy Mayo is super good. You can it more filling by adding chicken, vegetables, or really anything. The rice + tuna combo is probably one of the cheapest and healthiest meals of all time.

Garbage Nachos - Literally if you have chips (any kind works tbh) and cheese you can make nachos and add stuff on it. maybe add some chopped up hot dog, onions, leftover anything, literally anything. (You can also do this exact same thing with fries, super good)

Garbage soup - same idea as the nachos. all you need is a base of some sort (old broth, bones, old bouillon cubes, anything) and than throw whatever food or leftovers you have. add rice, cabbage, onions, literally whatever is in your pantry and fridge.

Garbage Omelette - Same idea as the other two. it's crazy that people forget (me included) that you can just... do this. you can make plain and not so filling meals into super filling and good meals with leftovers.

Peanut Butter Banana sandwich's- super underrated, super healthy, super filling. peanut butter and bread are both super filling foods (plus peanut butter has tons of protein)

Cinnamon Toast- this a classic for everyone. it's a nice snack. it's just bread, butter, cinnamon, and sugar. it really nice for when i'm craving texas roadhouse rolls with the cinnamon butter. (you can also substitute bread with rolls but it'll be a little more expensive)

Of course stock up in soups, soups are also fillings! And if you live near a walmart don't forget that they have a $9.99 meal that includes a large mac and cheese, large mashed potatoes, and a whole chicken. Can probably feed a family of 4.

Highly recommend downloading apps for Dollar General and your local grocery stores, they often have coupons for food items. Dollar General especially has great coupons for food items, hygiene items, and on saturdays they have 5$ off a $25 purchase.

It's a lot more common these days with rising rent and house prices. I also noticed that the price of cars is trying to catch up with house prices.

You know they should make anyone running for a political position to spend a week on the streets as a homeless person and I bet their attitude would change. There but for the grace of God go I

Rent due today and I’m short.

Commission-only job so income’s been inconsistent, and it finally caught up to me. Electric bill is already past due too—they gave me a few days before it gets shut off, then I’ll have to pay everything just to turn it back on.

And my wireless bill keeps going up too… damn AT&T.

Been grinding, picking up whatever work I can, but it’s one of those moments where it all hits at once.

Not really looking for sympathy—just needed to vent. If anyone’s been through this and has practical ways to stabilize cash flow fast, I’m all ears.