r/povertyfinance • u/k1ranell • 20h ago
Success/Cheers Saved my first $5k at 26 pls clap š„¹
I also have some $820 in acorns and <$1500 in a rollover IRA I have yet to move to a ROTH but putting it off for tax/wuss reasons. However, I have $772 in CC debt. But a win is a win, I can pay it off with time š
Gonna try to save $10k next year
r/povertyfinance • u/Sleepy-Blonde • Oct 27 '24
Success/Cheers Just had a $100k/year boost to household income
Iām in shock, so much hard work is finally paying off! Went from $65k to $168k. Just got the first new check (bi-weekly) and it was just over $5k after taxes/medical/retirement. I just keep staring at it. 7 years of working toward this and itās finally happened, itās finally worth it all. Just a few years ago it was $33k and I couldnāt afford to eat. Iām so thankful.
r/povertyfinance • u/cryingintheshower47 • 5d ago
Success/Cheers Finally hit my savings goal
I turned 21 this year and just reached 10k in my primary savings account. It might not seem like much and looking on these finance subreddits makes me feel like Iām late to the game sometimes, but Iām proud. I have my own car, apartment, and attend school with no help from my family. I save as much as I can and try to eat at home often. I donāt really have anyone to share this with so I hope a random stranger out there who sees this is proud of me too.
r/povertyfinance • u/ParsleyIllustrious98 • Oct 27 '24
Success/Cheers I surprised my son with our new place after being homeless for three months and his reaction broke me.
He couldn't believe it, asked me if it was really ours while I showed him the place and when I said yes he burst into tears, gave me a hug and thanked me. It was gut wrenching to witness him being so emotional and grateful over this tiny, empty space. I feel like such a horrible parent, I don't deserve a pat on the back for providing a basic need that every child deserves from their parent.
Something I wasn't able to provide for THREE whole months and even though I couldn't have predicted the series of unfortunate events that led us to be in the situation, I still blame myself. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful that we were able to get out. Homelessness is very hard especially with a child but we did it.
r/povertyfinance • u/Interesting-Sail-445 • Mar 07 '24
Success/Cheers 15k In plasma donations
Plasma donations have changed my life for the better, feel free to ask any questions
r/povertyfinance • u/Sad-Housing-2654 • Nov 14 '23
Success/Cheers I took my son to Jack in the box and this happenedā¦
Today I took My 11 yr old to Jack in the Box for dinner after his dentist appointment, we turned in cans for gas money and he wanted dinner and the dentist is a hour drive from my house otherwise Iād just make dinner.
So in the lobby I told him just pick a number he can have a meal combo for helping me turn In cans and being good at the dentist, I looked at the menu numbers and the burger meal he wanted was 13.99.
I said omg thatās a lot for one meal but I said itās fine Iāll eat at home you get what you want. He said dad are you sure!? Iāll share my burger with you! I said Iāll be fine Iāll eat later and he ordered the food and I paid. After I paid I went to the bathroom and came back out to the lobby and he was waiting for the food the kind worker lady said here is your food. I was confused, there was 2 bags and 2 drinks. And we were the only 2 in the restaurant.
She said I made 2 of them for you, have a good night! I was so shy I smiled and said thank you so much! It really means a lot!
I was in tears in the parking lot getting in the car I feel like a bad parent/ person for having to scrounge up to buy dinner for just my son and she had heard me tell him Iām fine I donāt need to eat and made 2 of them for me.
Itās the little things you do for people that brings light into this hard dark world, I work everyday no vacation for years just trying to pay rent and get dinner on the table.
Every time I feel like giving up or feeling down I think of my kids they need me and what happened today and how my kids can see the kindness in the world and become stronger to help others and be a good person.
I just had to share, has this happened to anyone else? Maybe there is hope out there after all I wish everyone the best! āļø āļø EDIT! Thank you to everyone that has given me such kind words and support! I didnāt this many people would see this, the Reddit community is so amazing!!!
r/povertyfinance • u/coryluslaser • Mar 21 '24
Success/Cheers This is the most money I ever had and I have no one to be happy about with, i know itās not much but I started at -10k
r/povertyfinance • u/Lumpyraccoonn • May 03 '24
Success/Cheers Just accepted a job offer that will literally change my life.
I have cried tears of joy. I currently make 32k a year. It's not enough to live off of, much less survive. I'm part time too, so no benefits, no PTO, just door dashing and donating plasma and relying on food banks and churches to get by. I've been stuck at a dead end job for over a year.
Over 500 applications, several first round interviews, made it to a few second/final round interviews and finally, today, I accepted a job offer. Starting salary is 60k. Almost double what I make now. I'll have PTO, I'll be eligible for annual raises. I'll be working from home so no more paying for after-school care for my daughter. I'll be able to buy an actual bed and not sleep on a futon. No more past due bills! No more choosing paying rent over groceries. No more hand washing my underwear in the sink or keeping my heat on 66 in the winter. No more using dish soap as shampoo.
Pending start date is June 3rd, so I have a month to prepare. I have to find a desk and I'll be setting up the "dining room" area of my apartment to be my workspace. Thankfully, the company provides the laptop and external monitor but I'll need to get a desk chair and a mouse and headphones.
I'm so excited. I'll be able to have savings for once! And pay down my student loans. I'll be able to grow with this new position instead of being stuck in a community college working part-time. I'll be able to attend professional development instead of being told "part-timers don't get that opportunity". My kid will be able to attend this college with tuition waived if she so chooses to (we have 12 years to think about that but I genuinely can see myself staying with this new position long term)
I accepted the job offer right away. I applied for this position on March 5th and nearly two months later, I have it in my hands. I just have to make it one more month and then, my life (and my daughter's) will have changed for the better!
r/povertyfinance • u/PTSDThrowawayIGuess • Apr 06 '24
Success/Cheers I got promoted at work and almost cried in front of my boss.
I had been working hard for a promotion for over a year, but after so long I figured it wasnāt going to happen. Iām fortunate to have a great boss though, and he would update me every so often (unprompted) how he was still pushing upper management to promote me. Earlier this week he told me that approval finally came through and that Iād get the official raise before the weekend. I was hoping for a 10% raise, but was expecting 5%. Honestly, anything would be better than nothing.
Yesterday I was called into the office and was given the official promotion: 25% raise AND a yearly bonus. My hands started shaking and I almost cried. I only know about yearly bonuses from Christmas Vacation. I never in my life thought Iād get one. And TWENTY FIVE PERCENT INCREASE?!
I can finally, actually start paying more than my minimums on debt. After I pay that off, I can actually start putting money in a retirement fund. Maybe Iāll be able to take my family on a vacation that isnāt just a camping trip at the local state park. Iām completely floored and donāt know what to do with myself.
My entire life has changed in one moment. We have been barely existing, living pay check to paycheck. We are not wealthy because of one raise, but itās like I can suddenly breathe again. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
This is a shameless brag post, I know, but I donāt have anyone to share my happiness with. I woke up today and, for the first time in my life, think things might end up OK.
EDIT: Thank you all for your well wishes! Reading your comments has been giving me a second wave up dopamine this morning. A lot of people were asking for more information, so Iāll copy and paste my auto mod response here:
I went back to school in my thirties thinking a chemistry degree would lift me out of poverty. I didnāt realize how useless a bachelors in chemistry actually is. I found a job in a lab making barely more than I had been making in food service. I worked hard to be the best lab tech possible in hopes I could move up the ladder. It paid off, and now Iām the lab supervisor making enough money that going back to school no longer feels like a mistake.
EDIT 2: Also my boss is very close to retirement, so Iām hoping I can take another leap in a couple of years. The only worry is that I donāt have a masters, and thatās generally needed for that role. My boss doesnāt have his masters, but he got hired in many years ago when masters degrees werenāt prevalent. My company does pay for continuing education, though, so I might look at trying to get a grad degree on their dime.
Thatās all in the future, though. For now, I just want to say thank you to everyone in the sub one more time. Things can get better!
r/povertyfinance • u/No_Needleworker215 • Sep 08 '24
Success/Cheers I got 3 $140 rugs for $7 total. Thanks to a pricing glitch š
galleryThey were listed at $13.99 with $30 off. I ordered 3 and they took the whole $30 off the order so I only paid $7. They went up to 139.99 minutes after I placed the order š„² I feel guilty but I also really needed rugs for my place and now I have them all. They got delivered today š
r/povertyfinance • u/iamfeenie • 25d ago
Success/Cheers 26 years ago my mom had only 1 gift to give us each on Christmas
galleryMy family went through a very tough time in the 90s with divorce, food insecurity, little to no money etc..
My mom signed my siblings and I up as one of those āadopted familiesā for Christmas. The living room was filled I remember. Took so long to open them all and I know my mom was happy that we had so many gifts as she only had one for each of us.
The gift was a simple snow globe, the same for each of us. Not Disney princess, not Mickey.. just a regular Merry Christmas snow globe.
26 years later I (and my siblings) have a few more from her over the years to make a small collection (those that survived that long too with moves etc..).
I love to send her this picture and remind her, out of allll the gifts we got that year, this is the only thing I remember and that Iāve kept. I remember the chili she cooked with jiffy corn muffins as the side. That we stayed up late after church and played the games or with the gifts we got.
So just as this season approaches, I know we can all feel the strain. Itās not about how many or the quality or anything. We as consumers get so carried away with expectations or think our kids or others have them, when really.. simple gift to remember along with the laughs and family is more than enough.
Happy Holidays to all ā¤ļø āļø
r/povertyfinance • u/oliviabenson9 • Aug 03 '24
Success/Cheers Grew up poor and now Iām making six figures
Not a brag post, just wanted to share my story. I grew up poor af in nyc. Was always on food stamps and Medicaid because my parents didnāt make a lot of money. Grew up in a small one bedroom apartment in nyc with my brother because thatās what my parents could afford. My parents are both immigrants and did not know how to speak English which I think contributed to them having a hard time finding jobs when I was growing up. I respect both of them so much for working as hard as they did to provide a better life for me. I went to a public college in NYC where the city provides a lot of financial aid to low income New Yorkers, and whatever wasnāt covered by financial aid my parents would pick up because they wanted me to get a college degree. Today at work I got a raise and promotion and Iām making a total compensation of $106k. I know that may not sound like a lot for NYC, but I am making more than anyone in my family and Iām only 25 years old. I called my mom to tell her the news and she started crying. I just wanted to share my story because I do believe it is possible to get out of this cycle of poverty no matter how you grew up. Iām not saying itās easy, but it is definitely possible. I know not everyone has supportive parents like I did or has the opportunity to attend college, so for that Iām forever grateful.
Edit: I didnāt expect my post to blow up or receive a lot of messages so just wanted to add extra details on my college experience and job. I decided to major in accounting because I knew I wanted to major in something business related. I also picked accounting because everyone told me it had the most job opportunities, and a bunch of accounting firms came to my college for recruitment. It was the safest option for me that guaranteed a job after college. I wanted to major in something I knew would make me decent $$ post grad. I did 3 accounting internships during my time in college, all those internships paid over $30/hr so I definitely made a good amount of $$ during my breaks from school. Also would like to point out I also worked a part time job at Starbucks all of my 4 years in college. I am extremely grateful that I was able to live home rent free while attending college and that my parents fed me everyday, so all the money I made during my part time jobs and internships was either saved or spent on things I could finally buy on my own (clothes, shoes, makeup, etc.)After I completed my internships, I received a full time offer from the firm I was most interested in to work in their audit practice. My starting salary 2 years ago was 74k. Accounting may not be the most interesting field for most people, and even Iāll admit I find my work to be boring the majority of the time but it pays good enough for me and thatās really all I care about. If any other people have questions for me please feel free to message me!
r/povertyfinance • u/AdPatient3000 • Sep 28 '22
Success/Cheers I lost next to all of my belongings over the past year, suffered through homelessness/unemployment for several months and I finally got my first apartment at 27.
r/povertyfinance • u/ResponsibleMiddle940 • Feb 17 '24
Success/Cheers Birthday Freebies
galleryAll my Birthday Freebies!
You must download all these apps and sign up for their rewards program. Make sure to sign up at lease one week before your birthday. No purchase necessary with the exception of the Bath and Body Works. With Bath and Body Works I had to make a purchase to get my birthday freebie . I purchased the cheapest item which was a small hand sanitizer. Make sure to give yourself at least one week before your birthday. Be organized and plan it out to make it as easy possible. Every single employee was so friendly and kind! I am so surprised by how much I enjoyed doing this . It felt like a scavenger hunt! Nothing is better than getting free stuff for your birthday!!! I hope you find this helpful! PS: If I remember correctly It took me 7 hours. I did this in 2 days. Time will vary depending on each person. I drove around 49 miles and used one gallon of gas.
r/povertyfinance • u/deadbedredemption3 • May 25 '22
Success/Cheers Our family doesnāt qualify for food stamps, but every week I am very grateful that our community offers such a wonderful food bank to anyone who needs help. This is what they had this week for each family
r/povertyfinance • u/chaparrita_brava • May 29 '22
Success/Cheers I keep seeing grocery photos. Here's $48 at Aldi's. I'm beyond grateful to have one near my apartment.
r/povertyfinance • u/pastisPastisBandole • Jan 24 '23
Success/Cheers Youāre all crazy
This is not a tip or anything useful but I feel like I need to say it.
Just reading some of your stories I came to realise that Americans are made of a different thing.
You often have multiple jobs, sometimes study and the same time, have kids or taking care of someone. Have no healthcare, pay everything out of pocket and somehow you still make it. And for the most part with a smile.
You guys probably donāt realise this but itās unbelievable for a lot of folks in Europe. Youāre very hard workers and kuddos for that.
Keep it up.
r/povertyfinance • u/Sidelines_Lurker • Jun 23 '23
Success/Cheers Some good news for a change, class-action lawsuit settlement check came in!
So the check from a class-action lawsuit (Sweet vs Cardona) settlement finally came in, seems like "Christmas in June" and just in time for the start of summer too šš„³š
For context, I (unknowingly) attended a scam school back in the 2000's/fresh out of high school. Went thru the usual "struggling to find a job" that so many millions of other scam school victims went thru, employers not really recognizing the "degree", bouncing from random job to random job, etc
This came at a good time too, car needs some work and I've been nursing a random toothache on the left-side of mouth
Anyways, it feels good to have some financial cushioning again. Cheers everyone š
r/povertyfinance • u/SherryBobbins1 • Jun 05 '22
Success/Cheers Aldi appreciation post. $52.77
r/povertyfinance • u/xpastelprincex • May 23 '23
Success/Cheers i got a job!
its just at taco bell, but it pays $13 an hour, full time, free food on shifts, and im fast tracked to be promoted in like a month since i have previous managerial experience and i believe that will be starting at $14 an hour. and its super close to my house so i dont have to waste gas money by driving there, i can just ride my little scooter to work. very excited and happy to be back to work and to hopefully start saving up!
edit: thanks everyone for your kind words š„¹ i have plans for myself past taco bell (im looking into the military/space force) and this is how im paying my bills and saving money until i can get in. plus i fricken love taco bell lmao so that is a PLUS for me. absolutely obsessed.
r/povertyfinance • u/CommunistBarabbas • Apr 09 '23
Success/Cheers you know what, fuck it. iām going to pat myself on the back! i raised my income from $16/hr to $23 in less than a year
i (29F) am gonna keep it real yāall. i switched jobs 4x in one year. i follow the money. idc about corporate loyalty, i want to get paid. once i realized that not one employer gives a true fuck about me, and iām just a āworker beeā, i realized i can be a fucking worker bee anywhere and thatās exactly what iām going to do.
november 2022 i was making 16$, left that job for a $19hr job, left that for 21$ and after one week i left that for 23$ which is what iām currently at.
this would not have happened at all or not near as quickly if i had stayed at any of the places i was before. and donāt let someone else offer me more money somewhere else, iāll drop where i am now.
r/povertyfinance • u/Historical-Jury3444 • 4d ago
Success/Cheers Always apply for financial assistance
Ended up in the hospital for a ruptured tumor in my kidney, I didnāt even know I had. 4 nights in the hospital, CT scans, multiple blood transfusions and an embolisation later, I end up with a $110,000 bill. I had no insurance and my husband makes about $70k, which I was sure would not allow us to get financial assistance since he made well above the poverty line. Massive fuck up because the time to switch between insurances was only 3 weeks and this whole mess happened in that short period of time. I applied for financial assistance and they forgave about 95% of it. I feel so much relief now. Always apply! I was too scared to answer all the phone calls for months about payment but when I sent over a paystub, they took care of it. Lesson learned, always have insurance and also talk to the hospital if you canāt afford an outrageous bill
r/povertyfinance • u/romeofantasy • Apr 01 '23
Success/Cheers I finally finished paying off the latte I bought in November
r/povertyfinance • u/badattitudebarista • Sep 25 '20
Success/Cheers I no longer sleep in bus/train stations, I now sleep in my car #upgrade
r/povertyfinance • u/WinSpecial3281 • 6d ago
Success/Cheers Saved my home.
$20,860.30 to get caught up
Said theyād take 1/2 now and 1/2 in 30 days.
When I tried to pay 10k+ on Monday they wouldnāt take it and wanted the full amount.
By the end of the week.
FUCK YOU - I did it.
I found an extra 10k in FOUR FUCKING DAYS
No longer in foreclosure.
Yay me!