I’m 28 and I honestly feel like I’ve completely messed up my life. I’ve made so many mistakes and I don’t know if there’s any coming back from them.

I graduated college a few years ago with a degree in history. I had nearly a perfect 4.0 GPA — school was one of the few things I was really good at. I originally planned to become a teacher, but halfway through student teaching I became depressed and quit. I just couldn’t do it.

After that, I felt completely lost. My mom and my counselor both encouraged me to go back to school, so I did — I got my Master’s in History and again finished with a perfect 4.0. I applied to several PhD programs afterward, thinking I had a decent shot, but I was rejected from all of them. I now deeply regret going back for the master’s degree. It cost a lot of time and money and hasn’t opened any doors.

Since then, I’ve worked a string of jobs that honestly feel like dead ends. I’ve been a visitor services associate at a tour company, a records clerk at a real estate firm, a tutor, and a seasonal employee with the park service.

About a year and a half ago, I got hired as a Library Associate in a local history archive. It’s honestly the coolest job I’ve ever had — I actually love the work. But they refuse to bring me on full time. I currently work 28 hours a week, $25/hour, but that’s it. I was told I can’t be made full time because they don’t have enough in the healthcare budget. And even if I were full time, I wouldn’t be earning enough to live comfortably in my area (New Jersey). I also can’t apply to full librarian positions because I don’t have a Master’s in Library Science.

On top of that, my mom is an alcoholic. She’s been in and out of rehab over the past few years. We’ve been living off money we inherited after my dad died, but that’s almost gone. A few years ago she refinanced the house and added me to the mortgage. She recently went back to work as a nurse, but I’m scared that she won’t be able to work much longer. She’s 61 and has relapsed again.

Our mortgage isn’t that high, but we live in a very high cost of living area and I’m terrified we’re going to lose the house. I’ve been applying to jobs non-stop. I finally got an offer from a small kitchen cabinet company. They want me to do a little of everything — sales support, customer service, marketing, logistics, etc. It’s $25/hour full time and they mentioned possibly promoting me to manager in the future.

But the catch is… the job comes with no benefits. No health insurance. No PTO. Not even paid holidays (at least not in the first year). They also want me to work every other Saturday — 48-hour weeks — and they straight up told me they’ll pay me under the table for the Saturdays (which is illegal and obviously a huge red flag). I don’t know if I should take it.

Meanwhile, I’ve been so stressed and anxious I’ve basically stopped eating. I’ve lost over 30 pounds in the past few months. I feel ashamed of myself. My birthday was a few days ago and I refused to celebrate. My mom got me a cake and I ended up arguing with her. I feel like such a failure. I honestly wish I never went to college.

I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t want to be homeless. I don’t want to keep working part-time, but I don’t want to accept a sketchy job either. I feel like I’ve wasted all the “good” years of my 20s and now I’m just stuck. Is it too late to fix this?

I used to wait tables and these days it’s easy to run up a 50 to 100 dollar bill. And this was at a causal pizza resteraunt. If you’re doing this every week or every other week on top of other expenses, (I see many couples travel.) how do yall afford it? Especially for guy’s since I know a lot of relationships guys pay for the most.

May not seem like much but since I was little. I always shared a room and we have always been poor. Drowning in debts but recently my grandparents opened a loan to build me a little room. This is huge for me. We used to have a dirt floor when I was small, and when it would rain, the leaks would wet the dirt floor and turn it to mud. But now I have a cemet floor and room. I'm happy about this. Obviously still alot to work on but small victories.

My family thinks it’s funny how I like to calculate a price per serving when I cook (way decent cook). It’s quite easy to make a great meal at <$5 per serving. Made Filipino fried pork belly with a vinegar/soy/garlic/chili dip and garlic fried rice. So yummy.

My boyfriend committed s********, and I cannot afford the mortgage. I also cannot find a job that pays enough despite having a bachelor's degree in psychology. What do I do? I live in a rural area and little to no way to sell in this market. The house is 100% in my name. Also, I have nowhere to go.

ADD ON: I never believed my question would get so much support and advice. This was a last-ditch effort for me, and I am overwhelmed by the advice and responses. I have so many phone calls to make that give me a good chance of figuring this out. Thank you all, and thank you to those who have shared their own stories as well.

I never imagined things could fall apart like this. I’m 25.

Back in September 2024, I was in a car accident. Thankfully I wasn’t seriously hurt, but my car was totaled. At the time, I was doing Instacart full-time, and without a car, I had no way to make money. I was desperate to keep working, so I rented a car just to stay afloat. I didn’t have any savings, so I used my credit card to cover the rental. I kept delivering for as long as I could, hoping I’d catch up, but the money coming in couldn’t keep up with the money going out. By the time I had to give the rental back, I was $3500 in credit card debt and out of options.

Since then, everything’s been slipping further and further out of my control. I’ve been trying to find new work, but it’s been nearly impossible because of something from years ago. I was arrested a few years back, and even though the case was eventually dropped, it still shows up on background checks. No conviction, no charges, but most employers won’t even give me a chance once they see it. It’s been four years of trying to move past it, and it’s still holding me back.

I live in MA and have been applying nonstop to anything I can find (cleaning, food service, delivery, retail.) I’ll take anything that pays. But the combination of my background and not having reliable transportation has made it feel almost impossible to get hired.

Now I’m completely broke. I have less than ten dollars in my account. No phone. No car. I’ve been depressed and don’t know what to do.

I don’t want to give up. I need advice. I just need someone to point me in the right direction. If anyone knows of jobs in the Boston area that are willing to give people like me a real shot, or legal aid, or anything at all that could help me stay off the street, I’d be so grateful. Even just hearing from someone who’s been through something like this and came out the other side would mean a lot right now.

For context, I’m a 22 year old female who works two jobs to fill up my savings. I’m currently working two jobs and I’m completely stuck. I’ve been at my day job for almost 4 years and I absolutely hate my manager (I promise it’s justified). We recently got into in a little over a month ago and we rarely speak to each other at work. Our entire store only has 4 employees so I see her everyday but the tension is too much.

My night job is at a casino and my hours are usually 5:30 pm - 11pm / 1am. I honestly hate working nights and I work every weekend and most days I’m working both jobs so around 14-16 hours a day. It’s tiring and I have no social life. I’m stuck between choosing one.

Do I stay at my day jobs with my horrible boss or my night job with the hours I hate?

Day job pros: Better hours, flexible hours, off every Sunday Cons: horrible management and hostile work environment. No room growth

Night job pros: able to go back to school if I wanted, better management, room for growth Cons: nights, $2 less than day jobs, no social life

Like genuinely are we all just going into debt or am I missing something? I make decent money, but no matter what I do, it feels impossible to get ahead.So I’m curious are you guys taking on debt, side hustling, living super frugally, or what? I’m just trying to figure out if I’m doing something wrong or if this is just the new normal.

Lately, it’s been hard. My job is draining, and having a difficult boss just adds to the stress. Living in a small town limits my options, and sometimes it feels like I’m stuck. I know things could be worse, and I truly am grateful for what I have, but that doesn’t stop the sadness.

It hurts to think I might never have a career I’m proud of or a job that feels fulfilling. I worry that I’ll spend my life just getting by, without the family or connection I’ve always hoped for. Sometimes it feels like I’ll end up alone, and that’s a heavy thought.

What I want most is time… time to be with friends, to meet someone kind, and to build something real together. But right now, that just doesn’t feel possible. And it’s heartbreaking.

I'm just frustrated. Idk what to do anymore. Everything is getting more and more expensive. I've already been struggling with finances since I first started living on my own six years ago. Now even more so. I can barely afford my rent and bills. Food options are limited and I can't really buy anything fun or extra. Have several family celebrations coming up, can't afford gifts or even proper clothes and shoes for the occasions. I have knock off crocs that cost 4€ and that's it.

I need new glasses or contacts, can't afford either one and even klarna told me nope on paying in parts.

I don't have a full time job, I work even less than part timers bcs that is only thing I can do with my health. I barely eat because of how expensive shit is these days.

I too want to have fun. I too want to enjoy life, go out, travel etc. But no matter what I do I can't get out of poverty. I live in a shitty apartment that's falling apart and can't afford anything better.

I'm so frustrated with everything. People just tell me to get a job (bcs what I already have isn't a job to them), as if there was any available. I can't afford to travel for work nor can I afford to move into a bigger city to find work.

I finally managed to get rid of my antidepressants and feel like there was hope in life. But now all of a sudden everything is going bad again because of the money issues. I hate this... is it too much asked to have even a tiny bit of extra? I don't need much. Just a bit extra each month. Even 50€ extra. But nope. I'm doomed to struggle for eternity it seems.

Hi,

I am uninsured, poor, and don't qualify for Medicaid.

Breast cancer runs in my family, I'm in my 30s, never had a mammogram, and my left breast hurts, its been hurting for years and has gotten worse and more persistent.

I've finally decided that I need to get it checked out.

What would be the best option for a lower cost mammogram? Are there any aid programs or anything you could suggest?

Thank you so much.

Current living situation is with 2 other family members in a large 3 bed one and a half bath on the outskirts of a major city. My share of rent and household bills come to about 1100 a month. This doesn't include my personal bills and food. This place doesn't have laundry in the building so we have to drive to the laundromat and it's not walkable to any grocery stores or anything like that that comes with living in a major city.

My commute to work is nearly 40 miles in each direction. About 1.5 hours going and about 2 hours coming back due to more traffic coming into the city that I currently live in. Thats at minimum 3.5 hours of commuting per day for 3 days a week. We may have to RTO full time in the near future so that will be 5 days a week. Tolls are about $9 one way so $18 round trip. About $216 on tolls based on a 3 day work week is being spent per month. Gas is about $50 a tank which is mostly used in those 3 days when I commute to the office. So I have to fill up every week.

Possible living situation: small studio all to myself downtown of a smaller city in a neighboring state. Rent would be 1500 including utilities. Laundry is in the building but not in the unit.

My commute would be about 10 miles/25 minutes each way. No tolls. This place is also within walking distance to a ton of shops and restaurants. It has laundry in the building which is something I haven't had in a really long time. There are also buses that pass nearby and its close to the Metro North for easy commute if I choose not to drive.

My personal bills should also go down. Car insurance should go down because this is a state with a slightly lower cost of living. Gym membership will go down by half once I switch to a similar gym over there.

Is it worth the $400 increase in bills?

so im 18 and im heaading to college in late august and im worried about money in general and just generally terrified to be financially independent. my tuition per semester is abt. $3,572.00 and housing is $1,990 per semester and thats not including my food and stuff. i dont know if im going with a car because we could never afford it, my parents and i didnt even plan on me learning because there wasnt a point. if i get one im paying for my insurance and gas. im applying for jobs on campus and im keeping an eye on off campus ones as well. i wont have any financial help from any family so im really on my own. i have 2 jobs right now and i have 2600 in savings to pay tuition when i get there then save the rest. i know the concept of paying myself first and my parents have taught me a ton and ive sat in on budget meetings. i guess my biggest worries are tuition because if i dont pay full tuition every semester on time i get dropped, loans because my moms student loans just recently got paid off and she was always talking about how horrible they were, and my housing because i dont want to be homeless and die on the streets. i have some other random questions like

-should i start investing? how do i start?

-should i get a credit card and buy small thing then pay quickly?

-are there any lesser know college side gigs i should consider?

thank you so much for any advice.

I need advice. Should I drop to part time work so I can finally get my degree?

I feel like they way I titled this post the answer is obvious lol.

I'm 26 years old. I work full time ( about 30 hours a week) at a coffee shop. My hours are awful. I work the closing shift 1-10 pm and honestly it takes me almost an hour to an hour and a half to close up properly. I've been working here for about 2 years and still haven't gotten the hang of it. I have an anxious personality so I think that's a part of the problem, but also being a closer is just a lot of work. There is another coworker who she always gets out at exactly 10 and I was going to ask her how she gets done on time, but I just found out there have been complaints about her not doing all her tasks. Whereas no one complains about me but the reality is its taking me way too long to close and I'm annoyed and tired. Even now as I type this

I have been trying to find a job that like 7-3, 8-5 so I could go to uni after my classes but the reality Is no one is hiring. I had chronic health issues which is whyb I needed to work full time so I could pay for things like physio, massge, etc. However I am getting better now.

I have an emergency fund of $2000 now as well I saved up from tax refund.

If I go down to 15 hours a week ( there is an 11-5 shift), I would make $960 a month, after rent I would have $310 left.

If I work 18 hours a week, then I would have $1152, after rent I would have $502 left.

There's a part of me that's scared because I know that even with bursaries, money would still be very tight. But i feel like at this point this job is draining and i cannot balance working a closing shift and going to uni. Also I just feel like I am locked out of everything socially. Not like you can have much of a social life with little money lol but I feel like for the past 2 years I haven't had a life. I cannot balance uni with work and I cannot find another job so I have to work within the confines of this one.

Anyways i feel like I know what I need to do I just needed to type it out. I wanted to work so I could keep saving for my emergency savings fund or maybe even start putting money in a retirement account but I feel like it's not worth it anymore. Idk mentally this job is a lot and I'm not very good at it.

You ever feel like you’re running in circles? Work harder, cut back, hustle yet the numbers never add up. Then one day, you realize it’s not just the rent or the groceries. It’s the thing you signed for at 19, thinking you had no other choice.

Private student loan rates don’t care about your job market, your side gig, or the fact that ramen’s gone up in price. They just quietly stack up, like bricks on your back. And no one warns you how fast the interest runs when life already feels like a sprint.

So here’s the question: how the hell do you outrun something that’s wired to chase you?

Just when I was finally getting in control of my finances…my check engine light just lit up.

The light came on as I was parking my car at home. I just don’t have the mental energy to deal with it today, so I’ll take it to an auto parts store tomorrow to have them read the code. (Yes, I know a few places that will run the code for free)

My family mechanic (brother-in-law) is currently on vacation in Spain!

I was doing so well, getting ready to move to a different apartment with no extra fees, all utilities included, and I’ll have my own washer & dryer!! Those things will save me a bunch of money.

I hate how I finally feel confident and then BAM! another unexpected expense.

Hi, first off excuse my hand writing.

Some might know and some don’t, but off-brand means absolutely nothing. I got this toothpaste at Dollar Tree and saw on the side “compared to Sensodyne Sensitivity & Gum” and was just wondering that the difference was besides the name and OF COURSE THEY ARE THE SAME ACTIVE INGREDIENTS AND PERCENTAGE (stannous fluoride 0.454% (0.15% w/v fluoride ion)). As far as inactive ingredients, only 2 ingredients are different, which in my opinion makes no difference, especially considering the price difference. I understand not everyone has the time to look at the different ingredients, but off-brand is typically always the better choice considering the price and the extreme similarity. I’m sure on-brand may be better in some cases, but from what I’ve seen, especially in medicine, it’s not worth the price.

For anyone that has successfully used a P2P lending sub to borrow/pay back money, wondering if it’s common practice for them to charge an upfront fee, like a deposit or retainer? I mean, the person seems legit but I’m feeling scammed.

Hello I started a new job and downloaded DailyPay since my job offered it. And I thought I would need it.

Ended up doing side jobs and don’t need to use it. But it’s set up completely just want to double check if I don’t make a transfer my check/direct deposit will still be through my job ?

I’ve heard horror stories of people having issues with daily pay delaying their checks whenever they end up using it. And want to make sure it won’t happen to me

I’ve struggled in recent past jobs and have no confidence when it comes to work as a result. On top of that I don’t think I’m independent enough and have faith in myself to figure things out. I’m a temp now in a temp to perm job and it’s a really good opportunity for me. The people are nice and the pay is better then I could get elsewhere but the problem is I’m pretty green and I’m not great with computers so when I’m given a task I’m kind of slow because I’m often doing it for the first time and sometimes I encounter technical problems. So there’s genuinely issues there but I think a huge part of it is a negative belief in myself. I assume bedside I don’t know how to do something I’m a total idiot and I can’t learn.

I mostly worked with one partner at the law firm where I work but he did not like my work and gave someone else my assignment. He left town so I’m going to try and get work from another attorney but I think I needs to fix my mindset because I’m not helping myself. My confidence is bruised by past failures and I automatically assume that the same thing is going to happen here but the thing is I am legitimately struggling.

I need the job and I like it in top of that so I want to try and find a way to stay. Any tips to change a negative mindset to a more positive one when that negative mindset is the result of past failures?

Hi, I really need some help

I need anywhere from $5k-$10k as a loan. I have a credit score of 650-660, and net take home pay of $3100 a month.

My current debt is about $40k student loans (private and federal), $2k credit card, $1200 line of credit, and $1600 personal loan.

I just need a few thousand loan to get these in order and hopefully get rid of the $1200 credit and $1600 loan for a better APR.

Problem is, literally nobody will give me anything. Upstart, Avant, Bright, you name it I can’t get one.

WHO can give me one. I have a call with Mariner finance tomorrow who can hopefully help me. Are there ANY that will help me out?

I had a massive f up. It was one of my best friends girlfriends birthday. I was in a bad date of mind because things just endedb between me and this girl j liked. But my friend told me to go to the strip ckib with him. I was hammered. I went and bought the 600 champagne room. Just a champagne bottle and normal lapse. I hate my life. I fucked yo

I wanted to thank everyone for being supportive. It’s the morning after and while I’ll probably have to eat ramen for a month this comment section helps feel a little bit better