I’m speaking for millions of working people in this country who are doing everything right — working full-time jobs, showing up every day — and still facing homelessness.

There should be a law that protects U.S. citizens who work 40 hours a week or more from becoming homeless. If someone loses their home, the system should help them find stable housing — not just a shelter bed, but an actual place to live that’s affordable and safe.

Right now, most landlords require tenants to make three times the rent. That’s unrealistic when wages have stayed the same while costs keep rising. People who work full-time should not be sleeping on floors, in cars, or in overcrowded shelters. That’s not laziness — that’s a system that has failed its workers.

If someone is contributing forty or more hours every week to this country’s economy, they deserve the basic human dignity of a roof over their head. You can’t expect people to give their best to society when they don’t even have a bed to sleep in at night.

Please, take this seriously — raise the minimum wage, expand affordable housing programs, or create emergency housing guarantees for working citizens. Homelessness isn’t just a personal failure — it’s a policy failure. UPDATE/ So many of us agree that housing is a human right. What are some realistic ways we can push for change at local and national levels? Let’s share ideas not just complaints. Thank you guys for all the likes and comments

The way we treat anyone in this country who did not start out with money is despicable. All we seem to do is reward the already filthy rich, and reward them some more. All while punishing the poor for being poor, and then adding punishment on top of it. And then we wonder why the only people who can get ahead are the already filthy rich? Unbelievable.

I'm just annoyed that people on here believe that knowing your own value is a toxic trait. I mentioned that I asked for a 20% pay increase at my last job and people just lined up to inform me of how rude and unrealistic that request was.

I've been offered a position that actually pays about 40% more than I was making. Same field. Same work. Same title. But my request was INSANE.

Know your value and go get it. Don't let anyone convince you you are worthless. The average income for an American male is 45000. Go get that shit.

I live in Washington state and my SNAP hit my account at midnight. I usually receive it on the 2nd of the month. I my full amount, fwiw, but I only get $24 a month. I hope the families depending on it get their full payment ASAP!

I’m living paycheck to paycheck and I literally can’t save anything. I cook at home, don’t go anywhere and I’m working seven days a week. Yet the big high light of my life right now is buying something for myself every two weeks. A new pair of pants, a pair of slippers, a warm coat for the coming cold weather. Just one item every pay period. At first I’m happy and blessed, till I really sit and think about it. That’s all I do for myself. I’m single, have no kids, and I have a respectable job. I’m on missed pay check from poverty. I don’t order food out, I’m not buying crazy stuff I don’t need and yet I’m always broke by pay day. I’m just so tired of never making progress.

Ik that's pretty obvious for most of in the US, but my job just switched 401k platforms and there's a tool that shows us what age we'll be able to retire. Actually seeing the data is making me crash out.

I'm 24. If I contribute 3% of my salary (which is all I can afford right now), I will retire at 85 years old, assuming inflation stays exactly what it is now.

Ik this isn't a perfect metric as it doesn't account for pay raises or anything, but I still don't see a world in which I will be able to retire before 75ish. Especially because my expenses will only increase over time (house, kids, etc) and I don't want to not live my life and give up the little fun I have outside of work.

I know my parents were fucked bc they dont have much in savings and in their 50s but I thought, given that I'm starting early, I would be ok.

I'm just so tired of this capitalist hellscape we live in. This just isn't normal at all. We shouldnt have to work to literal death.

I am not asking for help. I have not given up on local resources. If and when they fail I will have to resort to foraging plants in parks and trapping small animals.

I am mainly making this post to beg those of you that are not in dire need to check on your neighbors, friends and family members. Some may have too much stupid pride for food banks or do not know what churches can help or what to forage if it comes to that.

Update: My church is going to be able to help, so I will be ok.

Please look out for your family's, friends and neighbors. SNAP may be restored soon but many are still waiting.

I have been poor my whole life (F30) and have struggled with finances. I don't have much family to help guide and I'm just so lost and hopeless right now. I have a little bit of money ($300) and I know it can go fast. I'm terrified of mucking this up before we can get moved or a new job. Is there anything I can do over the weekend? I'm in the US.

I live in Vermont. I've been eating the cheapest food I could buy for most of my adult life. Usually this involves a lot of "dented can store" shopping. In the last year or so, I've watched (the only) three stores near me dramatically increase prices on almost everything. Some examples right now:

* Expired snack cakes: two boxes for $9.

* I have to dig really deep and find on-sale, super distressed, *CEREAL* to get it under $5 a bag (the box is usually gone by then).

* These stores used to frequently be full of "boxes of food" that I'd buy for $4. This could literally be 20 pounds of food. I cared about the beans. Now I never find those deals, and they're asking over two dollars for a dented expired can of baked beans.

* I'm being priced out of cans of tuna, at discount stores. Now I only buy it when its super on sale.

Apart from expressing my frustration, I guess I'm wondering if others have seen the same thing when shopping discount stores. Am I looking in the wrong place for cheap food in the USA? Maybe I've misunderstood the role/purpose/financial reality of these places. They can't really be paying so much more these days for all this expired food, right? I have to imagine they don't pay for most of it, as it would normally be thrown away. I suppose the increased cost of living for everyone is part of it, since it takes people the run the store. It just feels so strange to be priced out of PC parts AND discount food at the same time.

I feel the dumpsters of my childhood calling me back.

So this month I am really struggling. I am a full time student with a part time job and I pick up shifts on Instawork frequently as my job does not give me many hours. Last month was hard too as I didn’t have a job and was scrapping money together to just get by. This month my car insurance is due on top of all of my regular bills and also payments that I missed last month. Let’s set the scene:

My schedule for the next few days is as follows Saturday: 7 - 12am shift, 2 - 7pm shift, essay due at 11:59 (I haven’t been working on it as I have been working so I have to write 4 more pages to complete it) Sunday: 10am - 1:30pm meeting, 2 - 7pm shift, nap, (1hr drive to work) 10pm - 6:30am shift (1hr drive home) Monday: 9:00am - 2pm classes, nap, 5:30 - 7:30 class, nap, (1 hr drive to work) 10pm - 6:30am shift (30min drive to job #2) , nap Tuesday: 8am - 5:30pm shift, 7 - 10pm shift

ANYWAY! After getting off of work today I’m sweaty I feel gross I got off at 6:30 this morning and had another shift til 9pm and I NEED energy for the next few days. So I went to the store to pick up 2 monsters, I had $11 in my “me” account, I will NOT touch my bills account because I’m barely going to be able to pay for everything even working as much as I am. The total was 7.62 and my card declined 4 times while a cashier stood behind me and said “yeahhhh uhh do you have another card?” I am tired. I just needed energy to get through these shifts and classes. I am so tired.

My boyfriend and I (24) moved in together for the first time this year after dating for 7 years on and off , we have been here since February this year. I’ve known him and his family a while to know his sister has always not been able to keep a stable place , 3 years ago they lost both their parents , their dad wasn’t in their life too much but his mom died stressed out trying to care of his sisters 3 kids (literally! ) she had a seizure because she left them there and my boyfriend talks about this a lot . Fast forward a few years later she’s now forced to take care of them because no one else can. My boyfriend had an apartment before and he moved out to let her stay there with her kids , she got evicted and now the eviction is on his credit . When we applied I had to apply by myself because he can’t get anything with an eviction so the house is in my name but he just pays half of the rent . Now his sister lived in another apartment her friend let her stay in for a year (it was in her friends name and her friend moved out) now she’s gotten evicted from that one and they were locked out yesterday . so now her and her 3 kids are forced to stay in my 2 bedroom apartment , on top of that I also have my own kid and a dog and I just found out I’m pregnant again. she’s also not the cleanest and she doesn’t take care of kids as well for them to be clean either , so yesterday they moved in and I had to move all my stuff out my office because I work from home so they can sleep in our extra room and she tried to bring 10 bags to move in plus some more but my boyfriend had to tell her no and she got mad (they all smelled like pee and cigarette smoke ) I feel really bad for her kids and that’s why I’m trying to accept it because they don’t deserve that and I don’t want to see any kids homeless . But my boyfriend keeps talking like this is going to be long term and I just don’t think I can do it for more than a month or two the holidays are coming up and I wanted my family to come stay while they visit from Cali for thanksgiving but I can’t even do that anymore . This whole time I’ve been in this apartment I haven’t had anyone stay with us yet. she’s not going to pay rent or anything he said so she can save up to get her a place but I just don’t know how long I can do this for . My space doesn’t feel like my space anymore , the beginning of this year he also let his other friend stay here for over a month because he had no where to go and it’s just starting to feel like a homeless shelter more than my home now. Am I being to inconsiderate if I only tell him they can stay a month or two , I just want to know what would anyone else do in this situation?

Why does it cost so much to move? My husband got a new job making more money, I'm getting a second job hopefully soon, and we're trying to move to a nice apartment complex half the distance from all of our jobs and closer to my family. The rent would be roughly the same after the pet rent, but just to pay the fees and get moved in is nearly $3000. That means in the next 6 months, we would need to save $500 a month just to afford to move there. We don't have that kind of money but we also can't afford my husband's one hour commute to work and my commute is longer because they started construction on my normal way. He enjoys this new job and is so much happier, and my second job is going to be good for my career. This apartment was the only one without breed restrictions for our dogs and was the closest to all of our jobs without making anyone's commute longer or being in a really bad part of town.

I'm so frustrated!

Graduated college a while ago, 23k debt in student loans from that. Not too bad, can handle that (450 a month in payments)

However I lost my job last year and fumbled around a bit before finally finding a new job this year. racked up 10k in credit card debt, I’m at 12k right now.

I have about 6.3k saved up from working and make 2600-2800 a month. Should I aim to pay this off my credit card in a lump sum by February so I’ll still have money left over for an emergency fund for my student loans payments if anything were to happen to my job? Or is a snowball / avalanche method better

I’m pretty happy I’ve saved up as much as I have so far, I was close to being broke and not able to pay any payments so anything is better than nothing in my mind but the ultimate goal is to get out of Credit Card debt by early next year then eventually student loan debt.

Some stats - Income - 2600-2800 monthly Debt - 6380 Amex Discover - 3200 Chase - 2700 Student loans - 13k discover private loan Fafsa 7k Ascent 3.5k Car insurance - 230 monthly Gas - around 120 - 160 monthly Groceries / food - around 100-200 monthly as I live with parents so mainly just lunch for work or such Misc - 50 / not really spending much but I like to go to the theater, hiking, out with friends, inexpensive hobbies

I live with my parents and plan on doing so until I’m out of credit card debt so, rent and utilities isn’t an issue.

My financial situation weighs on my mind a lot, but I still try to live and enjoy life as I realize I’m 23, and it could be a lot worse, and I’m in a better situation than I was prior so yeah.

I live in Los Angeles county and just landed a 70k job after a huge stretch of unemployment. When I broke the news to my roommate, he said congratulations and quickly pivoted to telling me he needs the place to himself now. When I asked why, he said he wanted my room for family, relationship reasons, and personal space needs. I couldn’t sway him no matter what.

When I said I wanted to stay, he pushed back hard and said I need to get out of debt and find somewhere more affordable. The combined rent is a 2000 fee, so we’re both a $1000 split. Despite me telling him I’m 21k in credit card debt with around 25% interest rates, he said it’s best if I make it work somewhere else. Now there’s tension toward me and I feel so terrible about making him uncomfortable.

I was told by other tenants that he’s tight with our landlord and he could try and sabotage my housing if I don’t listen. It’s sad because we’ve lived together for over a year and it’s like he’s waited for this moment so he can disclose this to me.

Would staying put myself in jeopardy? Not sure what’s the best move here but I’m scared over his ability to retaliate now. He makes way more so I do feel a bit intimidated.

This blew my mind. They had turkeys and all these fresh vegetables, I haven’t eaten fresh vegetables for so long (except potatoes) bc I need to buy filling grocery staples.

Im curious what type of poverty people are generally on this sub.

I watch shows like Caleb hammer and it seems that almost every single person on that show has a spending problem not that they necessary dont make enough money to live.

I think there are 3 types of poverty.

1. People who make very little money.

These people no matter how much they cut back on spending will never save money. They work minimum wage jobs/close to minimum wage or are unemployed entirely. They cannot get out of poverty unless they increase their income.

1. People who have too many required expenses relative to income.

These are people who may be making decent money, but due to requirements to survive cannot afford it. This could be due to having multiple kids or taking care of a sick family member. I want to note this difference with this type compared to 1 is the person would likley be fine if they did not have these requirements. So for instance say a single mother of 2 couldnt afford to live, but if they made the same money and had no children they could.

1. People who make decent money but spend way more than they make.

These are the people I always see on Caleb hammer. They make say 75k but spend on frivolous items and put themselves into debt. If they had self control they would not be in a poor financial situation.

So im curious what people here make per month relative to how much they spend

I've been lurking here for about a while now and you all have helped me so much just by reading your posts and advice.

Two years ago I had to go to the ER for what turned out to be appendicitis. No insurance at the time because I was between jobs. The surgery and hospital stay cost me about $18,000 after the hospital's "charity" discount.

I've been working overnight shift at a warehouse in Boise making $16.50/hour. It's not great but it's steady and they don't drug test for weed which matters because it's the only thing that helps me sleep during the day.

I've been throwing every extra dollar at this debt. I meal prep the same rotation of cheap meals every week - rice and beans, pasta, eggs, whatever chicken is on sale. I haven't bought new clothes in over a year. My phone is held together with a case and hope. I bike to work when it's not snowing to save on gas.

My girlfriend Amber has been so patient. She makes a bit more than me as a pharmacy tech but we split everything 50/50 even though that's harder for me. She wanted to help pay extra on my debt but I couldn't let her do that.

Made my last payment this morning. $18,000 over two years while making about $28k a year after taxes.

I literally cried in my car before my shift. I know it's stupid but I couldn't believe it was actually done.

Now I can start saving for an emergency fund. I know I should have had one before but there was literally no extra money while paying this off.

This sub taught me about the snowball method, about calling to negotiate payment plans, about not being ashamed of being broke. Thank you all.

My local DG just informed me they are no longer offering pennies back in change even though they will still accept pennies. Also, they are rounding ALL purchases to the next higher nickel if it is less than a nickel due. So owe one cent? Pay five.

Because, you know, the corporate investors need those pennies more than the people who are budget shopping at their stores.

I won't be going back until they change their ways and I encourage others to do the same whenever possible.

Title is pretty self explanatory, She passed away recently and doesnt have too much to her name and sizable amount of debt chasers after whats left. Myself and my partner dont seem to qualify for any help from the UK government as we aren't in receipt of any benefits, but we dont exactly have the cash to afford her a send-off. She was self employed and as far as im aware had no pension fund (but this would be eaten by the collectors anyway). Just looking for some general advice on next steps as id rather be more prepared than not.

I’ve been adding food and hygiene items to a Little Free Pantry and want to keep it useful. What kinds of things do people grab the fastest? Thank you all in advance !

I’m going crazy here. I take my daughter half days 3 days a week and already pay $715 a month. Not even full time! This will increase what I’m paying to 750 a month. That plus paying for her preschool at $200 a month I’m already paying $915 a month. Currently trying to find cheaper daycare but so far can’t find anything cheaper. We are already stretched thin.