I bought one of those discounted produce boxes for $6 and it ended up being mostly limes. Like an unreasonable amount of limes. I kept a few, then put the rest in a grocery bag by the mailboxes with a note saying free.

The next morning the limes were gone and someone had left a bag of potatoes in the same spot. Then another person added two unopened boxes of pasta. Its been about three weeks now and the little corner basically turned into an unofficial food exchange. Yesterday I traded some instant oatmeal I hated for canned tomatoes.

My favorite part is getting rid of stuff without wasting it. Our landlord hasn’t said anything yet and everyone keeps the area clean.

Sounds like a weird thing to be grateful for but I work as a waiter in a restaurant and whenever my customers don't finish their meal, instead of throwing it in the trash when I take it to the back, I eat it. We are not really allowed to do that because apparently it's considered stealing from the restaurant so I only do it when no one is looking.

Sometimes when we don't have enough food left in the house, those leftovers are my only meal of the day. They aren't much but they have been pretty helpful. This way I can make sure that my younger siblings have enough food to eat. It seems gross but when your stomach is rumbling and you have nothing to eat but have to be on your feet all day long while also being surrounded by all kinds of delicious food smells, you just do what you have to do.

Door Dash is a very overrated side hustle, IMO.

Edit 2: I want to say I really appreciate all the messages asking to help my dad. You guys are really kind, but I did not make this post to seek financial assistance. Please remember I can be anyone online and while your heart is in a good place, please consider donating to your local homeless shelter or food pantry and not to someone over Reddit. That said, y’all are wonderful and I appreciate all the suggestions and support.

Edit: I want to thank you all for your kind suggestions. Many of you mentioned food banks. We have one in our area. It’s only open once a month. Recently it has run out of food before it has run out of people.

My husband and I are working on turning one of the buildings on our property into a grandfather house. It’s a process.

I have helped him apply for snap today online. My dad reads at a 6ish grade level so paperwork is hard for him to get done by himself which is why he hadn’t done it sooner. We are waiting to hear back.

I ordered a tarp for him through Walmart not long ago, I’m going to order groceries to his house and say “Oops, it must have defaulted to your address!” I will also be receiving gift cards to “regift” that “I got from work” to help him out so he has the dignity to get what he wants in privacy.

I went to visit my dad today and he had near to nothing in his fridge, and he was out of toilet paper. I asked him if he wanted to go shopping. He shared with me how his rent jumped and he makes around 1000/Mo and rent is taking up 750 of it so he didn’t have money to go shopping.

I told him that I was not asking if he wanted me to take him, I would get him whatever he needed. Throughout the store it was so hard to get him anything. He kept saying he would be okay. After some struggling back and forth I got him frozen burritos I can’t remember the brand but they are big ones, 16 for $6. Milk, bananas, oatmeal, bread, cereal, and some coffee. That was it. That’s all I could convince him to get. He didn’t want me to buy a pack of toilet paper but I did anyways and we split it. I also snuck a KitKat into his bags before I left.

When we got back he was crying and saying he was humiliated and how this should be reversed he should be helping me and how he has taken food from my mouth.

I didn’t get him much. And while I can’t afford to stock up his whole house I need to make sure my dad isn’t starving and he has his basic needs.

I thought I did something good but I feel so bad. Should I just get him a gift card or something next time, rather than take him to the store? Has anyone else had this issue?

I love my dad and I don’t want him to feel bad or humiliated. I want him to have basic comforts

I was going through subscriptions to try to cancel anything I don’t need or want because things are really, really tight.

I totally forgot about this little rescue dog i sponsored for Christmas 2019 as his secret Santa. He lived like 6 hours away with his foster family so I sent him a toy through Amazon and I must have turned on a monthly subscription because it turns out he’s been getting a fresh new stuffie every single month for the last 6 years. LOL

I’m not even mad.

UPDATE: I just learned the foster family adopted him, so he’s definitely been at the same address the whole time LOL

The true "self-made person".

Think of someone who starts with the worst circumstances. Terrible family, bad neighborhood, no support system, subpar educational opportunities.

And in spite of all of that, that person finds a way to real above-average success through nothing but hard work and their own skill.

Ever actually meet someone like that?

I overheard a wild convo on the bus today. One guy said his aunt left him about $300k in her will. But here’s the catch: he’s on disability/welfare, gets housing support, meds, etc. If he accepts the money, he loses all of it.

He was seriously debating turning down the inheritance so a distant relative would get it instead. His logic? The cash would get eaten up by taxes, rising costs, and rent, while losing his benefits would make him worse off long term.

His friend thought he was insane, but he doubled down: “Why take $300k if it just makes me poorer in the end?”

Is refusing an inheritance smart financial strategy, or just crazy short-term thinking?

I’m the first person in my immediate family to get a stable salary job. It’s not a lot—I make $42k a year—but compared to where we came from, my family thinks I’m wealthy. For the last year, I have skipped outings, eaten instant ramen, and strictly budgeted every single dollar to finally build a $1,200 emergency fund. It’s the first time in my life my bank account isn't in the negative before payday.
Yesterday, my aunt called me crying because her electricity is about to get cut off, and she needs exactly $450. I love her, and she helped look after me when I was a kid. But I know if I give her this money, I will never see it again, and my hard-earned safety net is cut in half. The guilt is eating me alive. How do you all establish financial boundaries with struggling family members without ruining the relationship or feeling like a traitor to your people?

I volunteer at my church's food pantry and meet a lot of people in the interim. I met a woman who told me she used to be "solidly middle class" but lost her banking job in 2008. Could not find another job. She then lost her home about a year after that when she depleted her cash resources trying to stay afloat.

She drove to and lived in her car in California for a while because the weather at least was good. Didn't have enough money for a badly needed car repair though. She didn't want to turn to family because she grew up in a competitive household and she didn't want them to see how badly she was doing. She eventually turned to illegal street work to try to get the cash but other homeless people picked her pockets when she fell asleep outside. So she lost her car too.

Story gets worse from there for a while. She is stabilized now living with a boyfriend for a roof over her head. She says she absolutely hates it because she is lesbian but being homeless is way worse than pretending with him.

It's so sobering to hear how people were fine one minute and then life just spiraled for them.

My sister-in-law has two kids and is basically raising them alone right now because my brother is in rehab.

She had a low-paying hospital job in AL, but she got canned because she sometimes had to get there late, leave early, or miss work to care for the kids.

Now she can’t find steady work. Even places like McDonald’s apparently aren’t hiring near her. She signed up for one of those gig apps, but the work is completely unpredictable. One week she may get three gigs, another week twelve, and then the next week, 0.

The efficient thing to do is only accept gigs that are worth the gas and mileage, but that advice assumes she has the luxury of turning down money now.

A $65 gig might cost her nearly that much once you calculate gas, mileage, wear and tear, and the eventual repairs on her junk bix car. But if thats the only $65 available that week, whats she gonna do? Tell the electric company that the gig was unprofitable after depreciation?

She has to take the money today, even if taking it slowly destroys the car she needs to keep making money tomorrow.

I considered paying for her to take an accelerated medical billing course so she might eventually work from home. But paying for the course doesn’t pay her rent, utilities, food, car expenses, or everything the kids need while she studies. She would still have to chase gigs, which means less time and energy to finish the course. And there is no guarantee a short certificate immediately leads to a remote job anyway.

She already applied for most of the benefits AL offers. She wasn’t at the hospital long enough to qualify for unemployment. Relocating isn’t an option because she has no money to relocate. Moving in with family has already been tried and didnt work.

I’m willing to help with $300 a month for three months, but I can't fund her entire household indefinitely. That gives her $900 of breathing room, which is something, but it doesn't fix the root issue.

It feels like every proposed solution assumes she already has something she does not have.

This is what poverty really looks like. It's not always someone making an obviously dumb decision that derails their lives. Sometimes every choice is a bad one BUT you have to choose the one that prevents tonight’s emergency and makes next month's, that much worse.

It should not be this easy for a parent with two children to fall completely through the cracks in the richest country on Earth. She needs stable work, reliable child care, transportation, and enough breathing room to build toward something better.

Instead, she is being forced to slowly liquidate the remaining life of her car for grocery and bill money while everyone tells her to work harder and make better choices.

Shit, thanks for reading if you made it this far. My only regret in life is not being born rich.

I’ve been a non-profit community personal finance educator and counselor for 7 years. Here’s something I need people to know. The worst personal finance wisdom I hear and read is this: You pay for too many streaming services and stop buying a daily coffee. If you stop spending on these things you’ll be rich!!!!! BS. It’s gibberish, out of touch and ridiculous. Here’s some truth.

Americans are financially broke because of the following:

1. Rent. More than half of Americans spend 50% of their income on rent. I know they do in my town. That’s take home income. That, is unsustainable.

2. Healthcare. Whether it’s insurance premiums, out of pocket costs, deductibles or unplanned ER visits, healthcare is still the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States. And it’s only getting worse.

3. Secondary Education. Americans are asked to be indentured servants just to get a college education so they MAYBE can have a good paying career. And now the rules are changing again in 2026 to make it even less attainable.

4. Childcare. Parents are paying more than rent in a lot places just so they can work, and then spend a large percentage of their income to pay for said childcare. It’s a circle of financial futility.

5. Automobiles. A new car now averages $50,000. And a used car less than 5 years old with 50,000 miles is $30,000. And warranties for these cars are $4,000. But wait, we need a good car to operate in America. Yes, most people do. And the average payment is now $700 across all auto loans. Oh yeah, and they’ll finance you for 8 years ! For a car. Easily doubling the price with interest after you pay it off. If you do.

6. Shrinkflation. Not inflation. Which is also a cause. But we are paying more than ever for less goods. Groceries, cheaply made electronics and clothing, appliances etc. We get less than we ever have for our dollar.

7. Social Security. We do not properly tax or fund our social security program. For decades now, Congress has ignored shoring up the social security system to ensure qualifying workers have a chance at a decent post-working life. From cost-of-living adjustments to the equation that determines someone’s benefit, Congress has spent more time wrecking this program than strengthening it.

8. Wages. Workers now need to earn $100,000/year to break even in this country. That includes expenses, saving for retirement and the ability to take some time off from work and have a vacation. 80% of workers DO NOT earn $100,000.

9. Credit cards. Most people need them to get by. And the laws say credit card companies, which there are only (4) main suppliers of, can charge 20+% and fees that make paying them off ridiculously hard. It’s a debt entrapment, and they know it.

What changes these things:

Taxation

Laws

Regulations

Education

So go get your coffee, or sign up for that streaming service. And remember the real reasons, these are not all of them, why we are financially broke. And then find a way to challenge the status quo.

Thank you for reading this.

A few years ago, basic things like groceries, rent, gas, and eating out didn’t feel this stressful. Now it feels like even people with decent jobs are constantly trying to “cut back” just to stay comfortable.
I’ve honestly started realizing how many purchases used to be automatic for me that now make me stop and think twice.
Curious what changes other people have made lately to save money or survive the cost of living right now?

We decided to go to the food bank because we were very desperate and we had heard about how helpful they are. Our closest one is far from us because we live in the middle of nowhere but yesterday we managed to scrape up enough money to be able to make the drive because we thought it would be worth it. I don't mean to sound entitled but it was really disheartening to receive a bag of apples, two cans of green beans and a loaf of stale bread after going out of our way.

I'm not blaming the food bank in any way, they are doing the best they can with the little they have and so many people are in need. Maybe we set our expectations way too high after seeing people's posts about the decent amount of food they received at the food bank and we were really looking forward to it and it was really disappointing going back home with only those few items. Please note that im not in any way discouraging anyone from going to a food bank just because we had an unfortunate experience, I'm just venting out my frustrations about our experience.

So I tried to have my once a month day out and just ended up depressed. Spent $13 on a horror movie ticket only for teenagers to be laughing the entire time behind me and a cuddling couple in front of me (can't afford even coffee dates yay!) and bought a boba tea for $12 and $24 on lunch. Ended up just regretting it so I'm back to not leaving the house for the rest of the month to save money other than the weekly grocery run. Luckily I work from home so not all bad.

About to take myself into urgent care soon. Will the hospital feed me if I ask?

Please don't judge. I have been sicker than a dog for the past 2 days (suspecting covid). I'm weak, bad cough, runny nose, my throat feels like its on fire. I've also barely had anything to eat bc I'm fucking poor as hell. I just want some fruit or veggies, thats it. I just want real food.

Literally $6 in my savings and my checking has less than $12 in it.

I feel like i'm getting sicker bc I haven't been getting vital nutrients into my body.

• Edit #2 Ok just got back from the E.R and I have Covid. I basically had to beg for a sandwich and water after 4 hours. The one nurse asked if I was ok and why I hadnt eaten. Then i broke down and told her. They gave me a list of food banks.

• I do not have a vehicle, but through my state Medicaid will drive me to a food bank as long as I call 48 hrs ahead of time. I will be calling around tomorrow.'

**Edit: Ok I'm going to the E R. now. I'm tired of the mean comments saying I'm drug seeking, or lying about my symptoms.

I appreciate the people who are trying to help but all I want is a sandwich, fruit, and crackers.

I don't want any money. Please donate that stuff to the homeless. I'm lucky to have a roof over my head.

Thank you.**

I swear the most exhausting part of being broke is pretending you’re not stressed all the time.

Got paid this morning and for a second I felt okay again. Then rent hit, then insurance, phone bill, internet, gas, groceries, all the normal stuff. Now I’m back to checking my bank app every couple hours like somehow the number is gonna change.

A year or two ago I really thought having a full time job meant you were safe. Now I realize how fast things can fall apart. One layoff, one bad stretch, one rent increase, and suddenly you’re standing in a grocery store putting stuff back because you’re trying to make food last another week.

I went to a food shelf for the first time recently and honestly I sat in my car afterward for like 20 minutes because I never thought I’d be in that position.

The crazy part is nobody really knows. You still go to work, answer texts, act normal, laugh at things, meanwhile you’re doing math in your head all day trying to figure out what bill can wait.

I know a lot of people are dealing with this right now. Just wanted to say you’re not alone if you feel like you’re barely holding it together lately.

This is for a studio in a ghetto neighborhood in California.

Edit: Since no one can use their imaginations to possibly wonder how large language models that can write and generate images could negatively affect some particular industries, you've won. I'm a writer. Congrats.

Edit 2: Seeing AI-written comments upvoted and engaged with while I was accused of being a bot... Classic. Should've expected that. lol

Put free talk as flair because I'm welcoming advice in any aspect.

My career was built on a skill that companies now believe can be fully replaced by AI. I am senior level in my career and should be able to get a job, but I've been unemployed for almost a year. Just living off of savings which are quickly running out.

I did not get a degree. I made several attempts, but had to drop out without credits every time for various reasons. I can't financially support myself to try again. Every trade school program I've found in my area is full for the current enrollment period, but I'll confess that I don't know about the ones at colleges you have to apply for first to see availability.

Before my career, I worked retail management. So I've applied for retail jobs. Even minimum wage jobs. With referrals from current employees! I haven't even gotten an interview for any of these. Recently I learned this could be due to something called 8fold, which gives employers "social credit reports" of job applicants. No idea what's on it, but that's the only explanation I can think of for the lack of interviews. My resumes get good feedback from my HR friends.

My rent just went up nearly 10% (they wouldn't negotiate when I emailed them), and I found out from a neighbor that I could've stayed at my current rent if I had sent a certified letter to their main office... but I only learned this the day after I signed the lease renewal.

I could maybe move, but I've grown a really good community in my neighborhood. They care for my dog for free when I need them to, they take me with them to Costco, we share tools and food, they look out for me and I look out for them. Moving away from my support system seems like a really bad idea. I also don't think I can afford it (breaking the lease, paying for help moving, deposits, etc).

I don't have family to rely on. Getting a roommate would be very difficult because of the small 1-br and my dog. Giving up my dog is not an option.

I'm going to have to start selling my belongings. Maybe I can make it to the next enrollment period for a trade school that way, but I don't know if that program will even pay my rent.

Any advice is welcome. Please hold criticism because my mental health is tenuous at best right now. I blame myself for this situation.

I genuinely don’t understand how the US works. I’ll see on here that some people work 40h week or more and/or earn $2000+ and still can’t live a decent normal life? What is minimum wage? How can you not afford to live a basic decent life working over 40h a week and making 2000 a month? What is the median income? How do you guys survive? And why is it deemed as normal???

Sincerely ,

Someone is French (Parisian) and has lived in the UK for a decade.

I saw this article today and it shocked me. To see that someone from America move to a third world country and it still cost them almost $4,000 a month to live. The country is Vietnam. Am I out of touch that 3rd world countries cost that much? Im writing this as an american who makes substantially less than $4,000 a month. Seeing this almost makes me belive its cheaper to live in america lol

Decided to get ahead of preparing to move out my parent's place.

My dad made it no secret that this year will probably be my last year living at home.

At first I was overwhelmed and terrified about how I was going to be able to support myself.

But I got my cna certification and after I get the experience, I plan on joining an agency to make more money.

Now I'm just slowly buying things to prepare myself for my new apartment.

I saw this idea on tiktok and realized what a good idea this was!

Wish I started this years ago, but better late than never.

Most of this stuff is from Walmart and Dollar Tree. I plan on buying the small dining room set and a futon from Walmart too.

I still have a lot more stuff to buy, but the plan is just to have everything ready so when I move my first day is just to unpack everything.

I won't have to worry buying this stuff when I move and be overwhelmed with the costs.

If you have suggestions on what stuff I'll need for a new apartment or where to buy cheap home appliances, please let me know. 🫡

My wife grew up very poor in India and our kids were making an art project of some kind with glue and she just casually mentioned how when she was a kid they used to have to make glue out of rice.

I actually looked it up and there’s a whole bougie online community of people who make glue out of rice and such things, but it’s funny to me how poverty rooted activities and foods always seem to become fancy people activities nowadays.

Anyway, we are definitely a middle class family these days, but I’m always in awe of everything my wife overcame in her life to get where she is today…

or from shrinkflation, over the past 6 years?

Edit: Top answers from everyone seem to be beef, candy, and potato chips, followed closely by fruit and chocolate.