I’ve been a SAHM for over 5 years so we’ve relied on my husbands income. He’s recently switched jobs and is taking an income hit. Hopefully over the next 6mo-1yr, his income will pick up though. Me going back to work full time isn’t a great option since arranging childcare for my youngest that isn’t in school yet (and oldest that would need daycare during school breaks) I’d probably lose money since most of my experience is in the not high paying social services field. I do work part time at a gym daycare and there is a possibility I can get more hours there? I wasn’t sure if it would be worth picking up another part time gig? I can’t sell plasma due to a blood clotting disorder, our area isn’t great for Uber/Door Dash/Instacart (I have a cousin who did Door Dash and it didn’t work out for him). I’ve considered waiting tables, but I don’t have any food service experience since high school. I’m definitely not against it though if I could find a flexible restaurant. Maybe something seasonal? I’m also not great at baking or crafting so selling something isn’t probably ideal for me. The other part is, my availability is limited due to having my kids during the day, and working around my other part time job, but I do have some evening and weekend availability. I’m just feeling anxious about our finances and how to make extra cash without putting my family on the back burner.

Some so many people become victims of predatory payday loan companies. There’s a minimal list of companies included in the lawsuit, but I hope some people get their money back.

https://www.classaction.org/payday-loan-lawsuits

Need suggestions for making any type of income while being a student, stay at home mom, and pregnant with my second. Considering leaving my partner and father of the children, so need ways to make an income on my own and quickly. Any recommendations please?

This isn't something that I have every considered seriously. But rather its something I've come across often in my attempts to learn more about finance and it just amazes me how often, supposedly financially successful people advise people that you need to quit your job and put all of your savings in a singular dream/passion project in order to become rich.

A lot of them push the idea that working a 9-5 job is the worst thing ever.

Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with working a 9-5 job provided that the salary is enough to allow you to save an invest in something.

I find it is such a silly, self fulfilling advice. Why would you tell poor people to quit their job to become rich ?

If you quit your job, you're going to be in a worse situation financially.

In fact, anytime I see a video or advert that starts with "I quit my 9-5 job" or "you should quit your job" I already know what follows is nonsense.

How do people keep falling for this?

EDIT:

Err, yea, I realize I posted a similar thread 2 years ago. Sorry. Not trying to be spammy. If anything, I find it irritating, that despite trying to block all of those videos everytime I catch one...I am still getting those nonsense videos when I try to educate myself on business.

No wonder its so hard to strike out lucky. It's almost impossible to get genuinely useful advice. If anythng, in the 2 years since I made that last thread, youtube has become EVEN MORE SATURATED with scam ads.

Well, I got my prescriptions taken care of today and on my way home my empty light came on. I thought I was in the hole for my prescriptions, but my church group took care of that but now I’m down and out for gas to get to work. I asked my church group and they said my prescriptions were enough. I live off a bus line and drive pretty remotely to work, so I can’t bike or walk. It’s just one thing after another. I really screwed up this month, but have a big paycheck coming in.

Can anyone give me advice on how to obtain gas money for tomorrow so I can get to work?

I tried cash advance apps but they don’t connect with my local credit union. I don’t have an account old enough to qualify for r/assistance or r/borrow. I’m at a loss.

Can someone please advise? I feel so stupid for not being more responsible last month with my money but rent, car payment, and bills all add up so quickly. Thankfully I’ll be in the green again soon, but I still need to get to work until Friday.

Someone please give me suggestions on how to pull this off. This community really pulled through when I was struggling with obtaining my prescriptions earlier today so I’m praying for the same results.

God Bless

I have a small amount of money saved, but as time goes on inflation keeps on eating my savings. The local economy isn’t very healthy & inflation is pretty high here. I earn majority of my money via freelance work, so I was thinking of just keeping the money in usd instead of converting to local money asap, to act as a hedge against inflation. Wanted to know what options i may have in my circumstances. Thank you.

Looking to see if anybody has any advice on apps (surveys, reviews etc) that are legit would be able to withdraw as soon as possible. Just looking to make a couple bucks so that I can make it back and forth to work until payday at the end of the week. It's a very short commute so would rather not need to go to a cash advance place and think they only do a bit larger of amounts.

TN. I know daycare vouchers are a thing but how easy is it to receive them? I never hear people mention getting them so I assume it’s not easy.

I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to you in a time of dire need, seeking assistance to overcome a series of unfortunate events that have left me in a precarious financial situation.

Just over a month ago, I invested my entire savings in purchasing a reliable vehicle, crucial for my daily commute to work. However, less than two weeks into ownership, the hood latch malfunctioned while I was driving, causing the hood to fly up and shatter the windshield. As I only had liability insurance, the cost of replacing the glass alone amounts to $400, with estimates for full repair reaching $487.

The sudden loss of reliable transportation led to frequent tardiness at work, ultimately resulting in the loss of my job. Despite efforts to secure alternative employment, I found myself unable to cover basic expenses, including rent and electricity. With no savings left, I was forced to prioritize paying April's rent, leaving me unable to settle my outstanding electricity bill. As a consequence, my power has been disconnected, and the account closed by Dominion Energy. Reconnection requires payment of the past due balance, fees, and a new deposit totaling between $400 and $530.

In the midst of these challenges, I have secured a new job at a nearby restaurant, but await my first paycheck on May 9th. While this will cover May's rent, it leaves me without the means to address the pressing issue of utility reconnection. The prospect of enduring weeks without power, despite working over 46 hours per week, is daunting and threatens my ability to sustain myself.

I have explored various avenues for assistance, including local resources and community programs, which have provided valuable support and guidance. However, the financial burden remains overwhelming, and I am compelled to seek additional assistance to bridge the gap and restore stability to my life.

I humbly appeal to your generosity and compassion in this time of need. Any assistance, whether financial or practical, would be immensely appreciated. Whether it's contributing towards my outstanding utility bill, facilitating the repair of my vehicle, or simply keeping me in your thoughts and prayers, every gesture of support brings me closer to overcoming these challenges.

If you are able and willing to assist, I am prepared to provide any necessary information to facilitate your contribution. Your kindness will not only alleviate my immediate hardships but will also inspire hope and resilience for the future.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my request. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions you may have.

I am moving into my own apartment for the first time, and most of my options don't have a washer/dryer hookup. I've seen many of these little portable washers on Amazon for $200-300, so I think it would pay for itself in only a few months but none of them are from brands I'm familiar with.

Can anyone recommend one that will last and is big enough inside to wash a thick blanket? Dolly wheels on one side would be really great too lol.

My house window was leaking water so I called my property manager. She said if this leak is from outside damage, there’ll be no charge.

The construction crew came to fix and looked over from inside, said that it’s from outside so they fixed it and left.

Three weeks from that day. I’m charged with 1.5K without any specific description. It says special assistant on the bill. I’m planning to call my manager on Monday but what are my options? Help me.

I lost my job a couple of months ago, with the little savings I had and other two jobs that I found I was able to make it for two months. Just realize that in 6 weeks I’ll run out of money, my savings are gone and the money I’m making right now is not enough to survive (I do not have a luxurious life). I know I should’ve had more control of my finances so I would have been able to see this situation was coming. I’m basically 6 months away of becoming homeless, still have a lease that will be over in 4 months. I can’t afford to pay rent anymore or to pay the penalty for breaking the lease. I’m desperate, my only option is to come back with my family -I’m currently in California and they live in a different state - I know it’s not right but my plan is to seel my furniture, TV, Gaming consoles… I just wanna sell as many things as possible and then ship my stuff to my parents and then get a one way plane ticket. Question is: What would happened if I abandon the apartment and dont say anything to the property management company? I wont be able to take everything out of here so I’d leave some thing behind. I just feel bad about the solution I came up with. Thanks for your guidance and please send positive energy.

Here for anyone who needs a word or a bit of encouragement. Just give it more time, do not give up. I know it’s hard, the economy sucks, the job market sucks, everything is going in the opposite direction.

In times where we have nothing we must have faith, and determination. Even if you are not religious, still have faith. Have faith in your ability to overcome the adversity. Because life is going to always do what life does best, and that is hitting you below the knees.

I write this post in a time in my life where things are tight, and stressful but I can make it and you all will too. Keep your head up.

Hi -

No idea where to post so if this is the incorrect place, please point me in the correct direction. I received a debt notice which I disputed and they sent their 'evidence'. This evidence was a large stack of papers with other people's names, addresses, and other identifying info with my debt at the very very end. I just get this feeling that this is wrong and I don't really know where to go from here.

Note: the 'debt' for me is from my previous landlord asking for a cleaning fee (we had professional cleaners come so they can smd) and repairs (which I am fine paying) but with this unprofessional action has me feeling strange.

Thanks for any advice.

Hi Everyone, I need tonsillectomy surgery. However I’m uninsured and ineligible for Medicaid. The county program that helps uninsured patients is currently on pause. I can’t apply for Marketplace insurance until November 1. That’s what I’ve been told. I was wondering if Surgery Centers would/do payment plans since it’s an outpatient procedure ? Are they willing to work with you if you tell them of your situation? I’ve never had surgery before so I don’t know much about this. Thanks Please advise Thanks

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Weird price range

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I found this weird. I went to the Ralphs to shop for some food and I wanted a little variety in my meals. I saw these steam buns with a price tag of $10.99 thought I'd splurge a bit since it's been awhile since I had any steam buns. When I saw the receipt I was charged $20.99, so I talked to the lady and they said "oh meat department messed with the tags" she pulled off the tags and gave me a $10 discount and confirmed to me the normal price was $20.99. But even it's competitor products on the same shelf were priced around $10. So I left confused and did some online research thinking "does this 8 count of steam buns really normally cost $20.99?" and found out that the asian food delivery website(weee! they deliver food from asian grocery stores in my area) sells it for $8.49.

My hypothesis: steam buns can be expensive, if they are made "fresh in the bakery" or "restaurant quality" they can be as expensive as $2.5, of course they are twice as large then. So whoever decides the prices saw that "oh there are 8 of them and some places sell them for $2.5, so it's fine to charge $20" And people keep buying them despite the price is $20. So the store sees nothing wrong with their prices and 200% markup.

Hi all! I’ve been unemployed for a year. I have $300. I’ve decided to hire a reverse recruiting company for a number of reasons. It’s $3,000. How can I find the money to turn my life around?

Background: I went to law school, took the bar, but failed twice (both times missing by 10/400). I am going to retake it February 2025. I also have an MA in art history, paralegal certification and 6 years of in-house paralegal experience (at a food company). I don’t have any family to help. My credit cards are currently in settlement with a debt consolidation company ($10,000 debt). Credit score around 550. I have $45,000 in student loans. Living off my cashed out 401K and food stamps. I’ve tried temp agencies without luck. I’ve applied for about 2,000 jobs and had 5 interviews. I have a disability (cPTSD), but can work full-time. I live in NYC.

Edit for clarification: my apartment is rent stabilized. I’m unwilling to move.

I went to a T50 law school and had a B+ GPA. I don’t have anything negative in work history.

I’m 26, oldest child of 4 and only female so this will be my job

Edited to add: I also have 2 of my OWN children now

As you can imagine childcare isn’t affordable for us. My two options for work would be remote or something I can do in the evenings only. I have heard that insurance adjusting and cell companies hire WFH part time and you don’t need experience, so I am looking into that , but I do know there is competition for remote jobs so I’m not getting my hopes too high.

As for in person jobs I can do in the evenings, what options do I have ? I currently work at a grocery store. What is better out there that works with my schedule? Most of the decent jobs I could qualify for that I know of would be during the day , and I need to be home during that time. So far I have considered housekeeping, postal office, remodeling and a few others but the positions are all during the day.

We live in a semi-rural area in TN if that is relevant, thanks. I do not have a degree, although I would love to get an associates or some other kind of certification.

I have a friend who is looking for a personal loan and I'm trying to help him but there is so much information out there. His income is 200k+ a year, but he's dug himself nearly 800k into debt. His credit has suffered because of it. He has an accountant that helps him with paying month to month bills. I had a heart to heart with him about his spending habits as he owes me money and wasn't able to pay when he said. He felt terrible about it and is working hard to repay his debts. He's since cut way back on his spending and is working on paying debts down. He's currently looking for a loan of about 50k so he can do some work on the property he owns, so he can sell off some of it and use it to significantly reduce his debt. He has to do the work on the property before he can sell it though. His when we checked several weeks ago is about 669. I want to help him but I'm not sure if there is anything he would qualify for at the moment, anyone with more knowledge on this subject, your input would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, my lease is up in June and I had my grandma as a co signer. She co signed for me when I was 20, and I’m now 23. I have a feeling I will not qualify on my own due to the amount of loans I have taken out for school and pretty soon I will have to begin paying off my government student loans as I’m graduating this month. I have 3 private loans of the remaining balances: 1st loan- $2,300, 2nd loan- 1,912, 3rd loan $2,100. For my car payment currently, I pay $320 and then $250 for insurance every month. I also have some credit card debt above $2000. I was dumb with them I know, and I want to know the best option for what I should do very soon with my current car. Do I ask her to co-sign for a lease or get a loan from a credit union to purchase my car? She offered to do either, and I’m very grateful for her. Thank you!

I am on SSDI disability for Bipolar Disorder. My sister is my representative payee, and manages my finances.

One of my Bipolar problems is excessive spending, which caused a LOT of problems over the years. But with my sister managing my money, we were able to payoff most of my debts, then pay the rest by the kindness of my sister-in-law who died from cancer, and then ultimately my inheritance from my mother’s death. There is no way I would be debt-free now without those two passing away.

Anyway…I was able to get credit cards this past November during a manic episode, without my sister/payee’s knowledge.

I tried just paying them off from my spending money, but just recently got a loan - not line of credit, just a loan I can’t rack up again. I used it to payoff the remaining cards, at a lower interest rate and just one payment. $800 loan.

I have tried putting credit freezes on all 3 credit bureaus to stop me from impulse credit…but I always just un-freeze them.

TL;DR:

If I have my payee put a permanent freeze on all my credit…what would we have to do when I move to another apartment and they do a credit check?

I am on Section 8 Housing. The lease HAS to be in my name.

Everything I am at a nee job, I go through and put little money icons on paydays in my calendar.

And it's so fun getting the two times a year 3 paycheck months.

This is one of them for me, and it's going to cover the cost of our new couch.

November is the next one.

I'm 21 yo. trying to educate myself about financials. I'm currently studying and trying to save as much as I can. I keep my money on saving account in romania on revolut with i.r. 2,5% while inflation in Romania is around 7%, I became interested in where I can open a bank account in Europe with more advantageous interest rates

By this I mean let's say you have the opportunity to maybe afford one thing but you can't afford anything else and I'm not talking about an essential thing but a non-essential privilege thing like a vacation. How do you decide as a person who struggles and is limited options and opportunities to do these things in the first place on which place you'd rather go to? I am hoping I can manage to save up enough money to still swing in out of state or far away in my state of California vacation for my daughter and i. Nothing elaborate, just maybe a road trip to several hours away and stay in a hotel for a couple of days and then drive back home. I'm torn between driving to Seattle or driving to Utah or driving to universal studios and then maybe San diego. Again I may realistically not be able to afford to do anything but my hope is to be able to afford at least one of these. But I can't decide which one. People always tell me oh you can do this one now and then do that one later. But they don't understand my life isn't really like that I can really ever afford to go anywhere and I don't have this mentality of if I don't choose this one this time I can go next time because I know that my life as a struggling person doesn't really go that way. So how do you make a decision about something you want as a person with limited opportunities to get this decision again? I hope my question makes sense

And everyone else living "their best life". The mantra the last several years has been ",life is short","buy the shoes" etc. This became more prevalent after covid.

Well duh I know life is short but I don't have the opportunity or privelage or luxury to do the things I really want to do.

I've been struggling off and on since about 2016 when my daughter was 8 and she's 15 now. Every summer comes and I hope to afford some little vacation and I can't.

In 2020 and 2021 I took advantage of the lack of traffic and my weekly pay job at the time and went to Monterey CA which is only two hours from me so not a "vacation vacation" more like a little get away. I'm grateful for that but I'm bored of that place and want more. I got a decent tax refund this year and it's already practically gone by life (car problems bills food gas rent etc). I wanted /hoped to use it for a trip to new Orleans but can't now.

I would love to drive to Utah or Seattle or universal studios Hollywood this summer but I know realistically I can't afford any of those places.

On social media I see my friends and relatives and acquaintances all talking about their excitement for their planned summer trips, trips to Mexico, Hawaii, the east coast etc. and I know that I'm going to be bombarded by images of their vacations while I'm just stuck at home bored or taking local day trips to places I've already been. Or maybe never have been but only need like two hours at. And no I don't believe in wasting money on local hotels when I can just drive home, Monterey being the exception..but anything two hours or under I won't spend on a hotel and that's just me.

How do you deal with this fomo, this feeling left out and left behind bc you can't afford to do the great things they're doing?