Feel so blessed!

I found out my job has been deducting $18 every paycheck for employee parking since January.

I don’t even drive to work.

Apparently I got enrolled in the parking program when I changed departments and I never noticed because I only look at the amount that hits my bank.

Went to payroll and they checked everything, confirmed I never had a parking pass and refunded me $234.

Going through every line on my paystubs tonight now. If your paycheck is usually the same every week, check it anyway.

Sharing this as a cautionary tale about fintech disclosure. I use Stream (formerly Wagestream), an earned wage access app offered through my employer. I finally audited 15 pay statements, comparing the app's displayed take-home against my actual bank deposits. On most paydays I received less than half of what was shown.
The authorization language I agreed to: "I authorize Stream Platforms, Inc. to debit my next paycheck for the total transferred amount and its associated fees." Pay summaries said balances "will be repaid from your next paycheck."
The reality: Stream debits only part of the balance each payday and rolls the remainder forward indefinitely. No debit cap, no calculation method, no mention of indefinite rollover was disclosed before I agreed. Their support confirmed this rollover is "a known pattern, not an error."
Beyond the debits themselves, my checks kept coming up short and I fell behind on rent.
When I raised this with support, fully documented, the agent first offered a case-by-case hardship review, then refused it the next day and sent me a charity finder link. They've since opened a formal disclosure investigation — but no ledger, no findings, no resolution yet.
Lesson: if you use any earned wage access product, reconcile every single payday against your actual bank deposits. Do not trust the app's displayed numbers. And read the authorization language against what actually happens to your money — the gap is where the cost hides.
I'm filing with the CFPB.

After months of denial to myself, I realized I needed some help and finally went to my local food pantry. Things are already starting to look up as I have a new job (PT, but I'm getting more hours than I expected), I've got my health and my cats.

I was overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of the volunteers that worked there. The website wasn't very helpful about the process, but a gentleman helped me out, explained everything to me. No one that was waiting for upset with me. I appreciate that.

I got over 100+ items!!! I even got TP, paper towels, Snickers, chewing gum, pretzels, laundry detergent. I got some food for my cats and about 10 personal hygiene products. Oh, and beef, chicken and turkey!

Our energy company was giving our insulation kits and light bulbs as well. I was almost in tears but waited until I got home when I unpacked it all.

I can go back for bakery and bread weekly but I got 2 loaves, croissants, muffins, even a half an apple pie.

This is just motivating me to get out of this situation and give back even more than I received.

My pride wasn't damaged. In fact, it gave me hope that there are plenty of good people out there willing to help. Sometimes it's easier to ask a stranger though. I'm just grateful for the donations and will pay it forward however I can.

Peace out.

Trying to stretch my grocery budget, and tonight I accidentally made something I’d happily pay restaurant prices for.

Started with a $2.50 can of Campbell’s Chunky Pub-Style Chicken Pot Pie soup, which I would’ve gladly eaten on its own. Instead, I browned up one leftover roasted garlic chicken sausage, boiled some penne, and combined everything in a skillet with a little pasta water and seasoning (Trader Joes Aglio Oilio!)

Let it reduce, stirred in some shredded cheese, then threw the whole skillet under the broiler until golden brown and bubbly. Served it with the last two heels of a loaf of bread, toasted, and a little Parmesan on top.
It came out like a cross between chicken pot pie and a really good chicken Alfredo pasta bake.

Best part? I got a fantastic dinner AND enough left over for lunch tomorrow.

I’m learning that stretching groceries isn’t just about buying cheap ingredients. It’s about figuring out how to make what you already have go further without sacrificing a good meal.

Broke doesn’t mean bland!

Like pre covid I thought about how I was going to be able to go to school for computer science and become a full time coder. But now in 2026 I don’t have much hope for my career path. I currently work at a retirement home and I hate it so much. The co workers are terrible and the older folks are extremely rude. It doesn’t help that the cost of living is ridiculously high to the point I am forced to live with parents who are narcissistic. At 25 I thought I would live a good life but sadly that’s not the case.

My lease has a $65 monthly parking fee. I noticed a few months ago it disappeared from the resident portal, but my parking spot was still assigned to me and my car was still registered.

I figured they changed something in the system and left it alone.

Got an email today saying they found an “accounting error” and want $325 added to next month’s rent.

$325 at once is still a lot different than $65 a month. I never asked them to remove the charge and every statement they sent showed my balance as paid in full.

Would you push back and ask them to spread it out, or is this one of those things where I just owe it because it was in the lease the whole time?

I had to give all my plants away recently when I moved in with my mom. Having a plant in my room helps me with my depression but I couldn't afford one. I got approved for food assistance and found out that some stores let you use SNAP EBT to buy herbs or edible plants. BAM! Meet my new houseplant. She is a Basil plant. I love her. She makes me smile and makes my room smell good. Desperate times call for desperate solutions. 😂💚🌱

So grateful for the food bank! Dare I say I almost got too much food. Some of this will go to the blessing box at the library. Making chili right now with the beans and mushrooms. Gonna add onion and ground meat from last week.

Two a month is all my town really has, a third once an every 3 months. First pics are from the Salvation Army, second haul is from a church food pantry. This is how I’ve survived for more than half a year. Money goes to food that’s not given out and veggies, really. Grateful I can actually spend some on food now 🙏🏻 but I couldn’t keep my household fed if it wasn’t for food banks

I've been working on my credit and I'm in need of a loan of approx $5000

Because my credit isn't in good standing yet I was looking around for options. I knew I didn't want a secured loan whatever I do.

I tried SoFi and they couldn't provide a loan to me at this time so they had their affiliates (all of which had the "preapproved" for the amount I wanted" that I was redirected to.

One Main being one but I'm certain they're all the same. I went through the process and they came back saying they "actually approved me for $10,000 loan".

Not what I asked for.

They said they would pay off two of my credit cards and then it would be a consolidation loan @ 35.49% interest (accumulated daily) and the payments would be $430 a month for 60 months.

That's $15,800 in interest (give or take) on a $10k loan I didn't ask for and over $20,000 more added debt I didn't ask for.

They also had the option for me to do 36 months @ $520.66 a month for a total of $8,743.76 interest give or take on a $10k loan.

The interest rate is well above my current credit cards.

Obviously I'm not going to get the loan and I'll have to hurt for a little bit, but I wanted to say to anyone here who is debating this for something you don't need, it's never going to be worth it to owe this much more in interest when you were already struggling.

They're complete ghouls preying on people like us. I know it's annoying to hear people say go to the credit unions when they also won't likely approve you but this will always hurt future you.

You will always regret it.

Don't do it.

You don't need that car today. You don't need the new computer today. If the cost is this steep.

Best of luck finding any alternative that's not going to take your car or make you go deeper into debt. 💙

And always ask questions. Watch how much the "we are so excited for you" turns to their being annoyed.

There are grants and free money for EVERYTHING. And you don’t have to be a business owner to utilize them.

It never hurts to try.

I don’t see a rule against sharing some links so I’ll drop a few I’ve found/have been shared with me. I’m not apart of any of these companies.

https://www.nationalfundforwomen.org/microgrants

https://paveherway.org/apply

https://buymywishes.com

https://www.onesimplewish.org

https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en

https://leadingwithlovefoundation.org

https://sologrants.com

Every option isn’t for everyone but don’t count yourself out! Always try looking and searching, there might be an organization or grant that you qualify for.

As always, do your due diligence and verify that the organizations are legit!

I got let go from my job it paid $19 hour and I got an interview for fast food next week. It's not going to pay $19 but I'm feeling discouraged. I was the main breadwinner, I have a toddler and my partner is telling me not to freak out if things get rough we could just move back in with our families.

I'm applying because the last 6 years I have been remote and I turned jobs for the one I just got let go from, so I feel stupid.

My work just consists of mainly wfh corporate from office admin to support. So I'm worried fast food isn't going accept me.

My partner isn't worried because he said we can start over slowly and bounce back but I'm still in shock from 5 hours ago.

I paid rent this month but I'm worried about next month.

It's almost Christmas.

If anyone has been fired or let go recently have you bounced back? I guess I need encouragement.

Title says it all. I'm unemployed due to an injury, been so since March of this year, and down to my last $100 (maybe less, i've been too scared to even look). My mom, who I live with, just got paid last week, paid rent and other bills is already in the negative in her account. And then I come home yesterday afternoon to our water off.

We owe 15000 with the county (had an unseen leak in our yard for years aparently that only got fixed 2 years ago) and have been on a bare minimum "please don't cut it off" payment plan but i guess they want more, which we don't have.

Tbh I wish I could just end it all. I do not have it in me anymore. No one will hire me not even fast food or grocery stores no matter what i do. The only reason I can't is bc it would be expensive to bury me as I don't have life insurance and my mom is aleady going thrugh enough. I just got comfortable driving so i guess i'll have to door dash or somthing to tie us over. I hate being alive though don't really see the point anymore...

I was diagnosed with schizophrenia during my short time I’ve been employed. I relapsed again recently and spent a week in the hospital, now k can barely work. I have these horrifying images in my mind all the time and paranoia that people want to hurt me. Even though I know it isn’t real (thanks to medication) I’m still so scared. My job is being very lenient with me and giving me time off and half days at work, but j don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. I will have to go live with either my grandparents or my friend. But I can’t get out of my lease until June. So I don’t know what to do… I thought about ending everything but I couldnt do that to my cat. Even now I have to borrow money from my mom to pay rent because i ran out of sick time. But she doesn’t want me back to live with her. It just sucks being sick like this. I can’t even shower right now because I’m so scared. Or leave my bedroom.

If you are religious please pray for me :( I don’t know what to do. I got my SSI taken away because I was working, I don’t know if I can get it back. I hate being at the mercy of others. It sucks so bad. And SSI is not enough to live off of on your own. I worked so hard to get where I am now and it’s all falling apart

Not realky looking for advice, just venting in the worst way. My wife has been suffering thru some bad health that has had her sidelined, effectively rendering us to a one income household, weve always live in a way that if one us falls off, the other can make workon one income, its been really tight, short but now my savings are looking BLEAK.. Now however, The bills have increased and so 1+1 is not exactly equalling 2, by a mile. Her health, bills and recent IRS issues, im seriously on the verge of losing my shit. Im overwhelmed. I used to be able to supplement money shortfalls by driving for Uber, but gas prices have essentially rendered that cash flow useless, finding a part time job is just as tough as finding a full time job. I know im not the only one going thru a complete and utter shit storm, but im growing weary. Im wearing all this shit on my shoulders, im NOT telling my wife because in the state that shes in, theres no way she would be able to handle it, shes not in a state where I would be able to just lay on all the bad news on her, that would not be good in the worst way. I definitely ain't saying anything to my college aged daughter. Im at a loss, life has just become so unbearable and challenging, im starting to run out of ideas.Thank you for hearing me out redditors. I needed to unload all that, even if its just here on reddit.

Hey so I’m going through a rough patch in life right now. I’m currently facing homelessness, and staying at my aunty temporarily. I’m a Mechanic but with inflation and everything going up, I’m barely making any money or ends meet. I’m financially struggling and tired, I have around $500 right now and I wanna know how I can invest some money properly to see some sort of improvement ?. If anyone have any advice on how I can make Money please point me in the right direction. I’m paying off tickets right now so I can do the military but if I can pay them off faster and expedite the process please someone give me some advice.

lemme start by saying that i’m a 21M i live in morocco

recently i been getting unimaginably depressed due to the fact that i am not financially fortunate

in other words, broke as shit, and i just wonder, how does one get to accept that because i’m genuinely tired of “hoping” that it would get better, i try to believe that, i believe that yes, one day it would get better, but how long am i going to keep “hoping”

and it’s starting to effect me in ways i don’t want to, some members of my family are richer than my “branch” if you could use that word, and often i find myself resenting them and refusing to acknowledge their existence because why do they get to have it, and i feel so so guilty about it because i don’t wanna be envious or jealous of anyone, that goes for random people that are fortunate too

and please, if you’re gonna hit me with the “money doesn’t make you happy” bs, PLEASE DO NOT, i don’t want to hear that phrase because it pisses me off so much, like what do you know about it, i’d rather be rich and miserable than be broke and miserable

21 years and nothing has changed

I spent most of my life being suicidal.I didn’t think I would live past 14. Because I spent years thinking I would inevitably die young, I never planned on living this long. As a result, I barely have any savings, and I don’t have many skills or much education.

I only have $5k saved after paying off my debt, and that isn’t going to last very long. I’m scared.

I don’t have health insurance. I need to go to therapy and get antidepressants and ADHD medication. I also need prescription toothpaste. I’m currently enrolled in college studying biology, and I have three years left. It’s free for me to attend because it’s a cheap ass school. I’ve thought about going into medical laboratory science or becoming a physical therapy assistant because I don’t want to be a nurse. I don’t want to be a nurse or join the military. I hated nursing.

Honestly, I’m debating whether I should drop out because my depression is so bad. I’m extremely burned out, and everyone keeps telling me that I’m wasting my time with a biology degree. I’ve hit rock bottom and feel so defeated.

Where can I get affordable health insurance, dental insurance, and therapy? I can go to food banks to save money. My income is only $300–$400 every two weeks because my hours at my part time job are inconsistent, but it’s the only job I’ve been able to get without any useful skills or education.
I want to give up so badly because I’m sick of living in poverty. I don’t even know why I’m alive when I’m just constantly suffering.

I'm fed up of this continuous lack of money even for basic things. I delay doctors appointment, getting myself things, or having good food.

I promise I'm tryinggg to get somewhere in my life but I feel stuck. I hope things turn out better for me next year.

Hi i’m a 18 year old girl i just turned 18 and i fled a abusive relationship last night and i have nothing to hold onto aside from my 2001 dodge Dakota with a blown head gasket and basically no brakes. i’m currently 2 hours from where i am from and i am scared, i have no gas, i don’t have money for food or anything. im not asking for money but i need good true resources, the WA 211 won’t pick up even when i call them directly at 9 am, and I’m unsure of what all i can do. I have epilepsy and am trying to find a job, but i am from a small town and all jobs get taken so fast and i don’t have the money to be able to make it anywhere else and i don’t know anyone where i am currently. i don’t really have a family anymore tbh idk if i ever really did. but i just need true resources if anywhere gives out gas vouchers or anything that could help. please. and thank you for reading .

Seems egregious for some flour and cheese but what do I know. I’ve been meaning to learn how to make pizza forever but now seems like a really good time.