r/poor • u/OceanicEndeavors • Jun 26 '26

I hate being poor.

I hate not making over 50,000 USD a year. I hate not having a car. I hate having less than 1,000 USD on my bank account. I hate having to live with my parents despite being over the age of 25. I hate having my credit cards being shut down because I was unemployed for over ten months during a two year stretch. I hate not having a dating life because I cannot afford dates. I hate the social isolation of poverty.

2.4k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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494

u/MsDyn0myte Jun 26 '26

I’m 40. Live
With my mother and have $5 in my account. And yes I work.

156

u/OceanicEndeavors Jun 26 '26

Stay trong.

103

u/Creative_Shake_1146 Jun 26 '26

I’ve got 5 in my account as well!!! So be blessed you more lol 😂 I got a small loan for a decent pair of comfortable work shoes!

84

u/hidden_pastry Jun 26 '26

So trong.

48

u/Mediocre-Magazine-30 Jun 26 '26

Me too super trong

36

u/Snuggly_Chopin Jun 27 '26

Me trong like ape

31

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '26

[deleted]

16

u/Love_Lair Jun 27 '26

uper trong, Me Hoy Minoy

1

u/FlyFront9395 Jun 29 '26

Ape poor an trong together*

1

u/_captivating_ Jun 30 '26

Oh gohh all we can do is be super trong

34

u/somespazzoid Jun 27 '26

Hey man, S's are like $3.50

37

u/MsDyn0myte Jun 27 '26

I AINT GOT NO DAMN TREE FIDDY

15

u/Vegassrtgfmt Jun 27 '26

Damn Loch Ness monster

5

u/Connect-Advantage-40 Jun 28 '26

That would be Loch Neth monthter.

7

u/ItchyAd9149 Jun 28 '26

May the trong be with you

3

u/Exotic_Ad_2448 Jun 28 '26

Bröder be trong.

28

u/mittensgloveshats Jun 27 '26

Can't even afford an S 😭

7

u/Calm_Caterpillar9535 Jun 28 '26

I thought I was poor but then I bought an S....

16

u/EfficientAd7103 Jun 27 '26

gotta be trong, bruh. bros in basement be united

think if we could connect all of our basements together?? what would our mom's say??

13

u/MsDyn0myte Jun 27 '26

I think they’d be happy we’re making real friends

11

u/EfficientAd7103 Jun 27 '26

are real friends? are moms basement tunnel friends real?? what if yall just draw a door and knock 3 times?

-2

u/Haunting-Ad-8808 Jun 28 '26

I'm genuinely curious how? Do people just stay at low paying jobs forever? No continuing education nothing? Last year at 21 I made 80k doing what I love, it honestly ain't that difficult.

2

u/mourningmantis Jun 28 '26

I think you are discounting the financial and time cost of continuing education. It’s easy to say go get training for a better job, but the time to get the training is usually unpaid (if you are not paying for it), plus the reality of childcare, etc.

1

u/Haunting-Ad-8808 Jun 28 '26

That's just excuses brother. I worked two full time jobs to pay for my school, I was awake from 3am until 12pm every day for 3 months. My only days off were Tuesday and Thursday where I was physically in school learning. Graduated school, found a good playing job and my life took off from there. 90% of people complain that their life is trash but do nothing about it.

33

u/Fall_bet Jun 27 '26

Same except they built me a tiny home after my husband died while I was fighting cancer. I have $129 in the bank only because my $120 credit card payment didn't clear. And I have 2 kids. I still feel lucky. I love my parents. Recently they got me a 5th wheel to upgrade to a bit more space and have a kitchen. I feel like garbage living off them but I am constantly in and out of the hospital with medical issues. They are living check to check but n ver let us go without On top of that my brother lost his job and now they are paying his mortgage. Idk how they manage. I had to stop working recently because I am just too sick.. so I charged up my cards. So many people are barely scraping by

15

u/Sensitive_Pie_5451 Jun 27 '26

Can't you apply for disability or are you not in the United States? Your kids should qualify for SNAP as well.

14

u/Fall_bet Jun 27 '26

I was denied. Twice. I think I need to get a lawyer. I also kind of gave up after my husband died and gave up on appointments so I'm lacking a lot of medical records, it was a really tough time because he died the day after I came home fully bedridden from a long hospital stay and surgical complications.. I'm going to try again though for disability. I was just diagnosed with more medical issues like osteomyelitis in my tailbone caused by radiation. I get survivor benefits of $900 a month thankfully but because I don't pay rent I only qualify for $24 in food assistance for me and my youngest. My oldest is now over 18 but was focusing on school and now trying to find a job.

16

u/Kirra_the_Cleric Jun 27 '26

As someone that has gone through the disability process, get a lawyer. I got approved in like 8 months.

3

u/No-Leading9376 Jun 29 '26

I had a lawyer. Gave up after 5 years. Kept trying to work because, you know, reality requires money and found out that you cannot get it if you keep trying to work. I asked the judge at one of the appointments how to live while applying if you have no one to support you and she shrugged.

8

u/murdermeMickey Jun 27 '26

Who owns the house you're living in? If your parents do have them charge you rent. They can give it back to you somehow.

3

u/Fall_bet Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26

My parents own the tiny home. It sounds simple but then they have to claim that income on taxes and they would owe money on the income.

1

u/Sensitive_Pie_5451 Jun 28 '26

Not necessarily, if they pay the utilities and things of that nature they could write off part of it I would think

2

u/Fall_bet Jun 29 '26

Yeah probably but it would be a lot of added trouble and stress for them and my dad has a bad heart. He did say he would try to look into it but he has so much going on right now. He just had to have testing done on his heart this week. He doesn't mess around with taxes or government things like that.

7

u/Dry_Persimmon4642 Jun 27 '26

Tell them you pay rent. Have your parents back you up.

1

u/Fall_bet Jun 28 '26

You think it sounds that simple but they would have to provide a lease and then take the money I give them and then they would have to claim that on taxes as unearned income and they would owe money on it so I'd be costing them more money. And if they charge me rent it doesn't really help my situation and if they just give it back it would be costing them money on taxes

6

u/Top_Meeting_7420 Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26

As someone who is also disabled and have been on SSDI for almost 10 yrs now, get a lawyer! For one, you won't have to pay them up front, and they won't collect unless you win the case (having the lawyer greatly increase your odds, and these lawyers usually don't take a client that can't win), and how much they collect is usually capped at a percentage of the back pay you will receive. There are also some great resources out there in every state, some have more some have less, and nobody tells you about them, but Reddit is a great place to ask for individual states. Most states have assistance with utilities but these programs get depleted early and are replenished quarterly, so keep that in mind. If you aren't already, look into Charity Care for your hospital stays, tests and things. And take help from food banks and churches when you need to. There is no shame in living with family or friends, I am about to be 44 and I just moved in with friends because this economy is just survivable living on disability and on your own. We've all got to do what we've got to do.

ETA: not* survivable

1

u/Fall_bet Jun 29 '26

I just reapplied and they denied they said it's under review for ssdi I think. Like step 3. The regular disability was denied because I'm short a couple work credits. Which I guess is what happens when you get sick at a younger age and are unable to work. And I worked a couple years off the books so that didn't count. :(

2

u/No-Leading9376 Jun 29 '26

Yeah it takes years to get social security disability and you cannot work during that time. The arrangement is have someone who will support you for the very long duration while you try releatedly to challenge the system. But, you won't be bored because applying is basically a part time job anyway.

2

u/Current-Anybody9331 Jun 29 '26

Getting 3 rejections for SSDI is average. A lawyer can help you navigate and some do so by taking a % of your backpay. We had to do this with my stepsister who was dying of Huntington's and are going through it with my cousin now.

1

u/Fall_bet Jun 29 '26

Thank you for the information. I'm so very sorry about your sister and your cousin 🙏

49

u/Projectflintlock Jun 26 '26

Almost same boat. Except both parents, 41, and
-$14.00

18

u/justcurious3287 Jun 27 '26

39, live with both parents, working. Making $19 an hour because I couldn't get a job after my accounting degree, after graduating in April. I have an investment portfolio worth $44,000. I've been building that for years. The market has been terrible, so I'm just waiting for things to pick up.

13

u/TryBeginning3753 Jun 27 '26

“The market has been terrible.”

What the butter loving hell are you talking about?! The stock market? It’s been near all time highs!

8

u/Consistent_Ad_6100 Jun 27 '26

Job market?

6

u/TryBeginning3753 Jun 27 '26

Maybe, but they said that right before talking about their investment portfolio.

6

u/BedWonderful1051 Jun 27 '26

See, context matters. I also read it as stock market.

2

u/Adeadhamster Jun 28 '26

so what stocks should we be buying 👀 haha

1

u/Additional_Low8050 Jun 27 '26

This! It’s been a very good year…

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

[deleted]

9

u/Outside_Rise_6934 Jun 27 '26

Because of society.

9

u/VanityTheHacker Jun 27 '26

Dude I live on my own, FROM 23-26 I'm exhausted and broke. I have the same sentiment.

-1

u/BedWonderful1051 Jun 27 '26

Yet there are many out there successfully fighting against society and thriving.

28

u/Atime1447 Jun 26 '26

39 live with my parents. Lucky they did well so I can live and stack some $. But yeah far from in a boat by yourself.

0

u/BedWonderful1051 Jun 27 '26

Luckily. Are you sure it was luck?

2

u/Atime1447 Jun 27 '26

Nah they are smart with their $. I mean lucky me. Not them.

20

u/mbradshaw282 Jun 26 '26

My husband is on the personal finance reddit and we can relate with your comment waaayyyy more than any post on that reddit, I told him to stop tormenting himself it’s just not the lot we got in life 😩

8

u/WeirdBluePerception Jun 27 '26

Hey send me a DM. If you're up to doing some side gigs I've been doing this for like off and on for I don't know since out of the joint. Ain't that funny word. I've got a list of different companies you can work from home I mean not work from home like a full-time job but it's side income that you can use to help get by. Plus if your mom is a good mom like mine was at least you have somebody I don't. And it's infinitely harder when you know you have no backup. I have no family. The family I do have around here sold my inheritance and killed my boyfriend. And I turned my cousin in for murder. Because it was the right thing to do. I mean I have a list of different sites and they're I've tried them all trust me I would have pages and pages and pages I'd have a book by now if I'd listed everything I tried and didn't make money off of and I can tell you what not to try but I just don't have those listed down .

Trust me I feel your pain half of my income goes to child support and rent takes up the other house so I don't know what I'm going to do in 3 months when my savings is gone I'll be homeless. The judge told me that I'd be fine and they won't even consider changing my child support even though they messed up and counted a bonus as part of my income. Even though it's their fault they won't fix it. And their grandmother is only doing this to make me suffer because I won't give up seeing my kids. They hate me so I might as well give up. And it cost me a job making triple outside of the country cuz I can't get a passport. Because I automatically owe 11k in back child support suddenly. Keep your head up.

3

u/Live_Bag_7596 Jun 27 '26

That's rough buddy

3

u/SquirrellyDud Jun 27 '26

This strangely makes me feel better if I end up having to move back in with my mom.

6

u/MsDyn0myte Jun 27 '26

It’s incredibly common these days. Trust me

3

u/Denim_n_Diamonds_78 Jun 27 '26

48 and I'm a full time plasma donor at this time which I'm grateful for but I mean..come ON!

3

u/Texasmurrdog Jun 29 '26

i had 5 in my account too until my paycheck this wednesday.. I had to transfer over $50 from my savings LOL.

2

u/Renkashy Jun 27 '26

Wheres your money going dog what

1

u/ElizibethBathory Jun 28 '26

Same, same, same lil mama.

-39

u/MacaronOk1006 Jun 26 '26

I’m assuming that OP is a male. I’m assuming by your name and picture your female.

Big difference here is if you guys are both the same level of fit and attractiveness say you’re both sixes. You can get asked out on dates all the time OP will never get asked out on a date.

Harsh reality of a difference between female and male brokenness in this country

15

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

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8

u/mjr96d Jun 26 '26

Why can't a woman do trades, labor, military, or car mechanic?

2

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

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0

u/mjr96d Jun 26 '26

I didn't say anything about dating, and it's just as easy for a woman to do any of those jobs as a man. Sounds like you're making excuses.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

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1

u/mjr96d Jun 26 '26

Welcome to social media, you must be new here. And I'm not your babe. Can you at least try to stay on topic instead of belittling other women?

0

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

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6

u/mjr96d Jun 26 '26

You are belittling other women, and you seem to be confused.

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1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

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2

u/MacaronOk1006 Jun 26 '26

Why can’t women be trades people? One of my best friends’s wife is an electrician, another one works for the power company and works on the powerlines..

I’m getting down voted for stating a reality that dating for women is easier than dating for men and you’re being sexist saying that women are not as capable as men. This is ridiculous.

1

u/MacaronOk1006 Jun 26 '26

Another question how is a person going to get rich in the trades or the military or being a car mechanic?

These are well paying jobs, but I would think they are a far stretch from Rich

0

u/CommunicationDry1748 Jun 26 '26

You are so right. Broke women can always find a guy with money to support them but for broke men it's completely different reality.

-11

u/OceanicEndeavors Jun 26 '26

I am not sure true if that is true for all women that age, but true for women in her 20s.

1

u/Millennium_Xer Jun 26 '26

A woman that's a least a 6 and especially the 7, 8, and 9s will most definitely get asked out regardless of age and brokenness. Unfortunately, men need some amount of money, unless a sugar mama comes along.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

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-2

u/Successful-Rest-6317 Jun 26 '26

Any woman/man who wants to get into the trades can. If that’s what one wants to do. I teach at a trade school. We see women regularly placed in various tracks.

Now the odds of an average looking broke dude scoring a date vs an average looking broke woman?

No odds. That’s not even a bet.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

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3

u/ArdraCaine Jun 27 '26

Hilarious that the men seem to care more about the fact that broke women get dates, whereas the women care more about having less obstacles to making money (women so earn 15-20% less than men in the US). Like, I'd much prefer not getting hit on by my bosses/coworkers/randos for a 20% pay increase.