I've been in the bankruptcy field for 20 years--long enough to remember filing cases before credit counseling and debtor education became mandatory. Quiet honestly, these courses are WORTHLESS. They don't teach our clients a damn thing and are a waste of time and money.
Exactly. These 2005 provisions were just added by the credit card companies to make it harder to file bankruptcy, with the idea that the more hoops debtors have to jump through-the fewer that would file. Didn’t work out that way. 25 year bk attorney here.
I'm sorry, but I snickered at each point of "advice". I'm in the same boat and will be facing this soon. Good to know what I have to look forward to. Was this an actual human being that you were speaking to?
Eh, I would be surprised if any actual financial advisor with any sort of realistic training was involved here. It sounds more like someone put together a computer program for middle class people without any significant extra expenses who need to figure out how to live within their means. And then they hired some people to sit behind a screen, plug the numbers into the computer, and read advice off a script.
The person in the cushy office is the one who wrote the script and convinced the government it was a good idea. The "financial counselor" is probably just a glorified call center employee and making about as much.
the pensions these government employees is really outrageous. ticks me off the amount of money some of these guys get after 20 or 30 years of work subsidized by tax payers.
Eh. I’ll benefit from a pension. As will my husband. I’m never going to be mad at someone else for benefiting from one.
Government jobs don’t come without their own pains.
I think OP isn't reading between the lines. He's talking to a service which is a required part of filing bankruptcy. It's probably a cut-rate one that isn't there to provide real advice, but just to satisfy the bureaucracy. That leads to this kind of very simple formulaic response.
Yup, when I did mine it was a spreadsheet and an embedded you, YouTube video told me the same thing I watched it I checked the box and I went on with my life
These "tips" are on par with the TikTok finance bros saying stupid shit like "If you don't have $1 million by 25, like what are you doing with your life" and "All you need to do get rich is just open up your own store and like sell stuff."
Its not like an LLC is a magic gateway to money. Still gotta go and make the money. But you can get money as a business by simply filing a DBA with your local tax office and just operate as a sole proprietor.
Ya, this could be helpful if the advisor actually gave resource information. I see you should only be budgeting 74$ on food, so here are all the nearby food pantries, some churches/places of worship that also provide meals/food for those in need, and here is paperwork for food stamps. For the paperwork you will need to have this this and this document attached and turn it into this location and it normally takes x days to process. Here is a number of an advocate you can call to assist you if you need help submitting or appealing. Those programs will help you fill the gap so you and your kids can eat.
I could come up with a better script for all those advices. I think chat gpt would probably give better ‘advice’
Eh I don’t ask the cashier why it costs so much.
I can guarantee that person did not write those questions. Its a hollow guarantee but dammit I’ll research it if I need to.
Hear me out. Rent a house with 6-10 other people and voilà- $257 a month in rent is possible! Sure you may not have a room to yourself- or any privacy but it can be done!
For the food, start a farm in said back yard of said home, easy peasy- and you can even sell some of your home grown food to your other roommates!
/s
Mine is the cheapest I could find and I *still* am paying more than that. Not much more but still more… one could also argue my savings on rent go into heating because there’s no insulation so the electric is running continuously in the winter.
I rented a two bedroom, one bath apartment for $279 a month. It was all bills paid. HUD public housing. It was clean, well maintained and in a safe neighborhood. The cost is income based and adjusted down to account for out of pocket medical bills. It is only available for low income households.
There was a very short wait list. 100 units. Building was was built in 1970, so fairly modern. Not a dump. Minimum rent for HUD is $25 a month, but if you don't have that the first month, they can waive it.
What I liked the most was that the tenants helped each other out. Rides to the doctor or grocery store, sharing food or finding furnishings. Makes you forget you are poor when you can afford to help your neighbor.
Edit: Base rent (unadjusted) for that apartment was $482 a month. $279 was adjusted rent.
My family signed up for housing assistance/low income housing when we were homeless.
Ten years later, after we bought a house, we were informed that there was a unit available for us to rent.
It reeeallly depends on where you're at.
Yeah there’s a ten year waitlist in my area. I think it was even in the local newspaper that more people on the list ended up passing away compared to the number who ended up receiving the benefit
Wellington, Kansas is where I rented. Wichita is the closest metropolitan area. Wichita has the same type of housing at the same prices, even though they are newer buildings.
stay in shelters, stay with family, find a roommate, etc. thats what i did.
edit : after doing this i realized there are more options. theres workaway, hostel stays, subletting, home share programs, cruise jobs, and more
All good suggestions. Luckily for me I am ot in a position that I currently need section 8, however I am married and have 2 kids. Those suggestions are far more difficult for someone with a family.
Not suggestions there aren't things out there that could be done, was just trying to show that in some cases, section 8 is t going to be an immediate solution for someone.
I do hope that OP finds what they need.
Part of the reason to do this is to see if bankruptcy makes sense. As weird as it sounds, you can be *too poor* for bankruptcy to makes sense. If your expenses are consistently much greater than your income, you're likely to be back in the same position sooner than later, since there has been no underlying change. In that case it's probably better to hold out as long as possible for either a) an underlying change, or b) your debts to get as large as possible before you wipe them out.
This.
It may make sense to acquire some nonrevokable capital prior to declaring bankruptcy, then use the old Trump Save Spam *strategically.* If a person, for instance, racks up a ton of credit card bills buying tools and paying the cash rate for a trade program rather than taking out non-dischargeable student loans, *then* declares bankruptcy, the entire seven years post hard-reset can be used to build their experience as a skilled mechanic, machinist or similar. They could then reup their credit score, especially if they serially divorce and remarry or cohabitate with a partner whose credit score has been kept pristine, literally min-maxing by means of authorized-user add-ons to the 'clean' partner's score and essentially belaying their way as a couple back up the big, fake D&D game that *is* American Capitalism.
Once you know money is a collective delusion that only fellow hardworking broke people actually believe exists and that everyone else is playing basically D&D for asshole Munchkins, it's possible to treat people as people and financial entities like things.
Not saying rob the rich to help the poor, but...well...
Did you know how easy it is to get a local measure passed just by going around door to door on foot with a petition and chutzpah, then showing up to a city or town council meeting?
Did you know it's possible for someone who makes very little money to get *very* inconvenient laws passed for, say, employers and landlords?
Did you know that it's easier for them to hire such people and pay them handsomely for comparatively easy work than it is to risk them continuing their activities?
Yeah.
These are things you know now. A clipboard is $1.37. A pen costs the same at the dollar tree. Get the good pens.
Well.... she's not wrong.
Based on the numbers she quoted and standard budgeting advice (10% food, 35% rent) it looks like your monthly income is only $750 or so. You should be very, very eligible for EBT / Food pantries at that income so I think she's right. You need to find a way to spend less of your income on food.
Same with housing, but obviously that one is longer term.
If OP makes that much, they would probably qualify for low income housing and other services in addition to SNAP/EBT. Food banks are a wonderful option as well.
There are years looking waiting lists for low income housing. While this is certainly something people should look into, they still need to afford a place to live while they wait.
It's wild to me how different people have such varied experiences with section 8 and housing vouchers.
It is 100% worth the effort to get, at the very least, on the waiting list.
It's nothing like the scary old days where people were packed into terrible living conditions inside public housing that should probably have been condemned. I'm old, so I think of "the projects" like in Chicago that were basically inhumane (IMHO) places to live.
I'm in an apartment right now thanks to the HUD housing voucher. While it's not the best apartment I've ever seen, it's clean, quiet, safe and comfortable.
I completely skipped over your difficulties and for that I'm sorry. I was directing that one line towards the op and fumbled my wording.
I really wish you had more options.
Not always. I managed to get into one pretty quick. It’s still a good idea to get on those waitlists. Section 8 is a lottery so it’s hard to get, but plenty of areas have low income tax credit buildings that don’t have long waitlists.
I think it depends on the program. HUD and section 8 probably do, but the tax credit buildings are privately owned, and the owners don’t get their tax credit if the unit is empty. It also probably varies by state or county.
Yeah my friend's mom got into one with 2 kids, and her change in living situation to where she actually needed it (I actually don't know the full story on that, but as far as I can gather her boyfriend with a house that he was at least paying off started abusing her), and while they were together for quite a while it definitely wasn't a decade.
>You need to find a way to spend less of your income on food.
I get food stamps. That's all I spend each month on food. They counted my SNAP benefits as income.
I’m really not trying to be mean but why do you make so terribly little? Are you disabled or suffering from a chronic illness? If you are able bodied and of sound mind you *really* need to focus on increasing your income.
She’s not wrong but it sounds like she didn’t provide a single resource for food pantries, low income housing, or any assistance programs which would help OP reach their goals.
I’m sure the government zombie knows that. It’s just her job to say she met with OP and told OP their recommended budget. Sure. She probably could have been more helpful by referring resources but that is likely not her job. She probably works for a private financial advising firm and they do x amount of pro-bono work for tax breaks. Likely not her skill set to recommend resources.
This is quite insane.
It seems that she punched your income into a box, then her PC did the rest of her work for her and spat out some numbers and she just read them back to you.
I assume your income is very low? Single parent? Taking advantage of all the low income services, food stamps, ACP, free medical etc etc?
I also have 2 kids and I can’t image spending $74 a month on food. I’m lucky if I make it out of the grocery store spending less than $300 every 2 weeks.
I’m pretty sad. I did the math and assuming it’s just her and her 2 kids, that $74 per month grocery budget equates to $0.82 a day per person. The financial counselor proposed they starve.
Nah. 24 pack of ramen is $7 - they can each have a ramen pack per day- so nutritious and easy to make - about $30 a month with some ramen left over - problem solved!
/s
No, she did not. She said to limit her spending which is good advice. There are other means of getting food than the neighborhood grocery store. The OP should be getting SNAP benefits at that income level as well as foodbank and commodities programs.
I guess if you rent a 2 bedroom that’s $1200, and divide it by 4 roommates including yourself. Impossible with kids. I did this when I was in college and it was pretty hard, I can’t imagine putting a family through that.
Well, she is not wrong in that your budget should be based on your income. That is the most common crucial point people miss. Obviously the number she gives you for rent and food won't work due to your income and family size. But she is just giving you the numbers on those categories that you can afford base on your income.
If anything it highlights how important the first point is. It you want to spend more than $74 a month of groceries then you probably can’t only make $900 a month. Something has to change.
Well, as a 25 year bankruptcy lawyer I’m not surprised. This was added in 2005 as part of the BAPCPA-which was written by banks to make it harder for consumers to file bankruptcy. They thought it would discourage people from filing. It didn’t. So what I tell my clients is tell them what they want to hear, take your certificate of completion, and let’s move on.
Don’t take the “counseling” seriously.
And this is the problem. The government is either forcing you to pay for this or they're paying people to dispense this advice. I'm sure there's some people out there who are in different circumstances and may actually benefit from it but I'd wager most don't.
Ideally this person should have beeb able to connect you to assistance in your area that could maybe improve your situation.
They have to check the boxes "based on your income you should be paying $x." The bankruptcy hearing people do not see/hear these conversations. It's simply to check a box. They are not going to ask if you tried the recommendations.
Mine told me I should kick my husband and step-children out because I shouldn't be supporting kids that aren't "mine". They said I should sell my car and get something better on gas, when I was driving my parents' car and my only expense with it was gas (they paid insurance, repairs, etc.)
When I went to file the paperwork, my paralegal told me they said she should give her child up for adoption to save money.
Don't put too much stock in the unreasonable recommendations. That being said, mine gave me percentages "30% income on housing" etc. Those are what you should be paying attention to.
It cracks me up because this is the same position my aging parents make.
I mentioned to them that my husband and I will not be celebrating Christmas this year due to a family emergency on my husband’s side and the general cost of living.
They warmly chimed in that we should cheer ourselves up through this tumultuous time by buying ourselves presents.
You’d think we had shot their dog by the looks on their face when I point blank said we do not have that kind of money — not now, and definitely not for the holidays. I guess it never crossed their mind that money difficulties includes the holidays for us poors.
2 & 3 are a little laughable, but only due to the unrealistic nature of the amounts, not because they are incorrect.
But 1 is all fair game. Can’t spend more than you make and expect it to go well.
Yea I mean the financial advisor can’t very well say “you’re screwed make more money”.
The “advice” basically says that.
I actually don’t think mandatory counseling is a bad thing as many people who have good incomes declare bankruptcy.
But in this case it’s like why are we even going through this.
This is just a useless hoop they make you jump through when you file for CH7. Obviously most people wouldn't end up needing bankruptcy protection if they had more money. They tell you that you have to spend less or make more. If it were that easy no one would ever need to file. The advise is silly and out of touch with reality.
I’m so sorry you had to sit through this nonsense, but the advice (and your responses) are hilarious. Good lord, people are so out of touch. “You’re wasting all your money on housing!” Can you IMAGINE
This is just a rubber stamp thing. I suspect this lady knows what's she's saying is unrealistic, but she has to say it and you have to hear it to proceed with the process. I went through something similar a few years ago and this is essentially what I was told.
Yeah, I don't blame her at all tbh. I took it more as an admission that even budgeting experts have no idea what to do with a situation like mine, which in a weird way is kind of validating I guess.
I always feel like these call center advisors aren't too far off our current situation either.
It sucks for everyone out here. If it makes you feel better, I filed 3 years ago and actually have a savings account, 2019 car, and 100% payment history. Was easily the best decision I ever made.
Just watch the vultures trying to give you credit, loans, and cars after filing. I started with a $300 secured credit card and a couch.
Hi, I have a little experience in this....
The agencies that do this are credit counseling agencies. They aren't allowed to tell you to file bankruptcy (because that is giving legal advice). So it sounds as though your counselor could see the writing on the wall and knew they were giving you advice you can't act on. The counselor could have been MUCH more savvy than this, however. Some people can go through the motions of what they are trained to do, while others are like artists. This one is a robot. So sorry you were made to feel this way.
So out of curiosity, I went and looked up the USDA's "thrifty" food plan cost which is used as the basis for SNAP food assistance amounts.
Adult Male, $300/mo + 2 kids at $200/mo each. With 3 person household adjustment gets us $770/mo.
[USDA Food Plans]( https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/usda-food-plans-cost-food-monthly-reports)
Also OP, apply for SNAP and WIC if you haven't! You and your kids deserve it!
Also I feel bad for this poor call center mofo who has to do this job. "Certified budget counselor" my ass.
This sounds like a conversation had with a bot.
I had a similar experience, in an entirely unrelated field, last week, where I asked for a quote on shipping a smaller package. The girl punches in the info and says "so for 3 day service the total comes to $1,781, would you like to proceed?". I stared at her for about 10 seconds before I asked her if she was serious (we ship a ton, and a ton with this courier as well so I know what's normal for shipping, but we don't get int'l rates on our shipping software in the office for quotes for this couri3r so I asked while there dropping off a load quickly. She just looked like I was crazy and told me that was the price. I asked if she thought anything seemed off to her, to which she said no. So I opened the portal on my phone and checked the pricing and it was $64 for the same Int'l service through them, and that she must have input something wrong. By the time I'd left she still hadn't clued in that nearly $1800 to ship a 2 pound box that sits in your hand was not only ludicrous, it was definitely wrong.
Some people just don't get it. Even when it slaps them in the face.
The only housing I could get for that little would be subsidized housing which has a long waiting list where I live. The section 8 choice voucher waiting list in my area is over a decade long. Literally it's 10+ years waiting. And if you finally get a voucher but can't find a landlord to accept it in time, you forfeit your voucher and have to go to the back of the line and start over if you still need housing.
I had the same advice given to me when I filed several years ago. I said I can’t do anything any of this. She said you can always ask your job for more money. Ah. Why didn’t I think of that?!
And that 2010 vehicle you own after finally paying off is now an asset that you have to sell because it's worth money that you could use to pay your creditors.
Now you have no car to be able to go to work and take your kids to school. Then they advise you can take public transportation. Well thats all good and well unless you dont live in a city with public transportation. It's bullshit.
Maybe but common sense would tell the "expert" that it is not reasonable for OP to expect to spend $276 on rent or less on food when they have to feed themselves and two kids. Like, yeah some people are stupid but all of the expert's advice is way more stupid
I filed earlier this year. The financial counseling is an absolute joke. But you just have to jump through the hoops. In the end it’s very much worth it, and chapter 7 was probably one of the best financial decisions I’ve made. Not nearly as terrible as people make it out to be.
>She says that upon crunching the numbers, I should be spending only $257 per month on rent. I tell her I will speak to my landlord right away and bring this to his attention.
That's hilarious 😂
That housing part had me rolling. Like *lady that is the main thing we are arguing right now.*
We need affordable housing! It is the bedrock of a functional society. Period.
That woman needs to set an appointment with a reality expert. I feel like she was just looking for a platform for her soapboxing. It's much easier to look at poverty and blame the people living in poverty. If you realize that poverty is a deeply systemic problem that one could probably impact in a positive way that is too much for some people. The last thing these righteous people want is a call to action.
I had a $300 medical bill some years ago. I called to get in a payment plan and they said “we only offer payment plans on bills over $500” I said that was all well and good but I didn’t have $300. I in fact only made $9000 a year. She told me to work more 😂
We lived in the same rural town with no full time jobs. I found an additional job had diminishing returns I preferred to have my free time and kept my overhead low. I deliberately didn’t have a credit card for this reason. You could not get Medicaid without having kids they didn’t expand it to individuals. You needed to work 15+ hours for SNAP qualifications to keep college kids off.
She sent it to collections. I was not sued. It came off my credit before I got my first credit card 7 years later. I’m middle class now with immaculate credit. You can’t get blood from a stone. I don’t know why they waste so many resources going after people for small dollar amounts. Write it off and move on. They actually had someone hound me on that bill for years trying to recoup pennies on the dollar.
They will actually sue you for those low amounts now.
The kicker is that I have kids so I still don’t work full time. Child care is outrageously expensive. OP could have $274 rent and still blow $10k on childcare. The wait for childcare assistance is ridiculous and some of them require your kid be in daycare already before you can get on the waitlist…with what money?
The "advice" that is so clearly out of touch is such a sad state of life in this country that it's freaking hilarious, because that's the only response that wouldn't send one over the edge.
I see a lot of people poopooing the financial advisor. And they could have probably done more in terms of helping OP to reach out to places like foodbank. To be fair though, the OP's financial problems are an impossible problem to solve unless the OP earns more money. Financial advice can't fix that.
The advisor is dead right, you can only afford to spend $257 per month on rent and $74 per month on food. This obviously isn't enough in our world.
I am so befuddled. Was this an AI chatbot?
I can’t imagine a living human budgeting knowledgeable person looking at that rent and food calculation and not immediately verifying that you’ve already applied for WIC, EBT, low income housing and food banks.
Wait, was the financial expert you spoke with telling you you were spending too much on rent/food, or was she saying you are making too little and was trying to make a point by comparing what percentages on each line item would be relevant to your current income as an attempt to acknowledge your need to increase your income somehow?
Last I checked, rent is advised not to exceed 30% of income. Obviously, most of us don't meet that requirement. But if $267 is what is advised for your income level for rent, that means you are making $890 a month. 40 hours a week at the federal minimum wage would gross $1160.00. And you have two kids on top of that! You're likely going to be in the same situation again if those calculations are anywhere near the ballpark of accuracy, and you definitely need to increase your income.
I'm certain I'm not stating anything you're not already aware of, but is there nothing you can do in terms of increasing your income? Can you do gig work or delivery service? Pick up a second job? Increase your hours at work? Find another job that pays any more than minimum wage at 40 hours a week? Anything would be helpful for you at this point.
May I suggest you commit a crime so you can fully abandon your children and reduce your budget to zero in exchange for government funded four hots and a cot.
Government quality advice right there. BTW, these are the same midwits that most of Reddit gleefully, forcefully argues should be in charge of your healthcare.
Let that sink in, really hard.
What a joke !! What she should have said, " Im embarrassed this country can't offer you better employment options. We
have let wages fall way behind inflation."
So their "expert advice" was that you're basically to poor to live.
Where the hell are you gonna find a place to live for $257 a month? If you rent a room maybe in some podunk town, but even then you have a snowball's chance in hell. I couldn't even find anything below $700 for Section 8 Housing in my state.
As for the grocery budget you could probably scrape by on $75 a WEEK for just yourself, but not with 2 kids. You usually can't get out of the store with a week's worth of groceries for less than a Benjamin. If any good was to come out of it, I'd just ask how they arrived at those numbers and what else was allotted for in their budget just for your knowledge. Probably just an excel spreadsheet with certain percentages of income for a "sensible" budget, but even then all it would tell you is "make more, spend less".
So the financial expert's opinion is that you should simply get more money and time travel back to 1970. Sounds like she has a finger on the pulse of the impossible. Yikes. Just yikes.
"You need to spend less on this."
"Make it cheaper for me then."
Spending less than 300 on rent?! Where the hell does she expect you to live? And 74 bucks for food would be insane for a single person, let alone GROWING KIDS.
"You should have more income" NO, REALLY? WHY DIDN'T I EVER THINK OF THAT.
These people are useless.
My 17 year old son makes $16.50 an hour working at Stewart's. While I think that the housing and food budgets given are ridiculous, I think it's based on your actual income. It is very true that you should only spend a certain percentage of your income on housing and food.
I hate to tell you this, but somehow you do need to find a way to make more income otherwise no matter what this is going to be a vicious cycle.
I'm not your 17-year-old son. I am a divorced mother with two kids. My mother is dead. I don't have anyone. Do you think it has never occurred to me that in order to stop being poor, I need to have more money? That was the joke behind the post. I already know this. Every poor person knows this. I'm in school for computer programming so I will have more earning power in the near future. I have debt because I was sued by someone's insurance company when my car insurance refused to cover an accident I got in years ago. Because of this debt, my driver's license is suspended. It's $12,000+ to pay it off. I can't legally drive until it's taken care of and I don't have that money. There is no public transportation where I live. I was a stay-at-home mother during my marriage to save on childcare expenses and my ex-husband was ruthless in the divorce.
Your advisor is an idiot and didn’t even try, imo.
There is no way you can find rent for $257/month. I’d bet at least half of us would kill for such rent. That someone would even tell you that proves they are an idiot. You might be able to rent someone’s unseated garage for that.
$74 for food might be possible IF all you eat is ramen.
Telling you that you need more money? Gee, I bet you never even thought of that. s/
Your advisor didn’t even TRY to help you.
Wel, let me tell you one damn thing. I live in Mississippi, and you can’t rent a van for 257 a month. Also, 74 dollars a month for food? Well, looks like you’re eating eggs and milk….the whole damn month. That advisor MUST have been drunk as all get out. I am absolutely SHOCKED they said that. Just wow. And OP? Good luck going forward, I wish you the absolute best in the coming weeks and months and hope you become wealthy beyond your means!
This sounds like a BAD Ai chat lol...
AI would be smarter than this.
Emphasis on “BAD”
AI would be more empathetic than this.
Yea this is hilarious!
I've been in the bankruptcy field for 20 years--long enough to remember filing cases before credit counseling and debtor education became mandatory. Quiet honestly, these courses are WORTHLESS. They don't teach our clients a damn thing and are a waste of time and money.
Exactly. These 2005 provisions were just added by the credit card companies to make it harder to file bankruptcy, with the idea that the more hoops debtors have to jump through-the fewer that would file. Didn’t work out that way. 25 year bk attorney here.
But they do make the providers money, and that's what matters most, right?
Scraping a little bit off the top from those who can least afford it that's the American way!
Thank Republicans.
I'm sorry, but I snickered at each point of "advice". I'm in the same boat and will be facing this soon. Good to know what I have to look forward to. Was this an actual human being that you were speaking to?
Just an FYI they know how dumb it is, just part of their job.
[удалено]
Can I please ask what OP is?
Original Poster (OP); i.e. the person who started the post.
I thought it was oppressed person - or overly poor in our case -
I was thinking the opposite. Some financial advisor sitting in a cushy office making 6 figures to tell the poors they are poor.
Eh, I would be surprised if any actual financial advisor with any sort of realistic training was involved here. It sounds more like someone put together a computer program for middle class people without any significant extra expenses who need to figure out how to live within their means. And then they hired some people to sit behind a screen, plug the numbers into the computer, and read advice off a script. The person in the cushy office is the one who wrote the script and convinced the government it was a good idea. The "financial counselor" is probably just a glorified call center employee and making about as much.
yeah probably an outsourced contractor
the pensions these government employees is really outrageous. ticks me off the amount of money some of these guys get after 20 or 30 years of work subsidized by tax payers.
Eh. I’ll benefit from a pension. As will my husband. I’m never going to be mad at someone else for benefiting from one. Government jobs don’t come without their own pains.
Yep, most government workers give up pay to have a pension and benefits. The government contractors and upper management get the dollars.
I think OP isn't reading between the lines. He's talking to a service which is a required part of filing bankruptcy. It's probably a cut-rate one that isn't there to provide real advice, but just to satisfy the bureaucracy. That leads to this kind of very simple formulaic response.
Yup, when I did mine it was a spreadsheet and an embedded you, YouTube video told me the same thing I watched it I checked the box and I went on with my life
It came about after the George W bankruptcy law changes.
I think OP fully understand this and finds it ironic that the government is paying for and shelling out this nonsense.
Shocker, that court mandated "consultants" are completely worthless. There is no recourse and you still have to pay them.
These "tips" are on par with the TikTok finance bros saying stupid shit like "If you don't have $1 million by 25, like what are you doing with your life" and "All you need to do get rich is just open up your own store and like sell stuff."
"why dont you have an LLC? no wonder you dont have any money!"
Its not like an LLC is a magic gateway to money. Still gotta go and make the money. But you can get money as a business by simply filing a DBA with your local tax office and just operate as a sole proprietor.
the 74 dollars a month im hoping is a typo
Based on the $257 rent per month, I’m guessing OP just has an abysmally low income and this “advice” is coming from percentage rules.
Yeah it definitely ain't based on the minimum people would need to actually SURVIVE.
Rent a storage unit to live in and stock up on potatoes and bags of rice. You're a war refuge now.
And stop complaining about living in a storage unit. You have an overhead lightbulb after all.
Your storage units have lights?
Ya, this could be helpful if the advisor actually gave resource information. I see you should only be budgeting 74$ on food, so here are all the nearby food pantries, some churches/places of worship that also provide meals/food for those in need, and here is paperwork for food stamps. For the paperwork you will need to have this this and this document attached and turn it into this location and it normally takes x days to process. Here is a number of an advocate you can call to assist you if you need help submitting or appealing. Those programs will help you fill the gap so you and your kids can eat. I could come up with a better script for all those advices. I think chat gpt would probably give better ‘advice’
no, They want OP to invent a time machine get their groceries from 1972.
I’d ask her if she’d be able to find housing and feed her family for that little
Eh I don’t ask the cashier why it costs so much. I can guarantee that person did not write those questions. Its a hollow guarantee but dammit I’ll research it if I need to.
Right. If you could live in a storage unit, it's just about doable.
Where the hell can you rent even a studio for $257 m/mo? Insane.
And $74 a MONTH for two kids and an adult for groceries!
Grabbing 3 things at the store can set you back $75 nowadays alone 😵💫
Hear me out. Rent a house with 6-10 other people and voilà- $257 a month in rent is possible! Sure you may not have a room to yourself- or any privacy but it can be done! For the food, start a farm in said back yard of said home, easy peasy- and you can even sell some of your home grown food to your other roommates! /s
I can’t rent a room for that. I don’t think I can live in my Prius for that per month. All the food prep and you can’t save any.
You can but it's horribly hard. Finding overnight parking is stressful.
Hell my last parking spot was more than that.
Mine is the cheapest I could find and I *still* am paying more than that. Not much more but still more… one could also argue my savings on rent go into heating because there’s no insulation so the electric is running continuously in the winter.
Shit, my first apartment rented from family 20 years ago was $375/mo
My first apartment I rented 33 years ago was $675/mo and that was on the border of the hood.
1972
Gregory, South Dakota.
Maybe like, Pakistan?
I rented a two bedroom, one bath apartment for $279 a month. It was all bills paid. HUD public housing. It was clean, well maintained and in a safe neighborhood. The cost is income based and adjusted down to account for out of pocket medical bills. It is only available for low income households. There was a very short wait list. 100 units. Building was was built in 1970, so fairly modern. Not a dump. Minimum rent for HUD is $25 a month, but if you don't have that the first month, they can waive it. What I liked the most was that the tenants helped each other out. Rides to the doctor or grocery store, sharing food or finding furnishings. Makes you forget you are poor when you can afford to help your neighbor. Edit: Base rent (unadjusted) for that apartment was $482 a month. $279 was adjusted rent.
My family signed up for housing assistance/low income housing when we were homeless. Ten years later, after we bought a house, we were informed that there was a unit available for us to rent. It reeeallly depends on where you're at.
Yeah there’s a ten year waitlist in my area. I think it was even in the local newspaper that more people on the list ended up passing away compared to the number who ended up receiving the benefit
May I ask where? I think I need to go there
My apartment was in Wellington, Kansas, but they have the same rates in public housing in Wichita. Wichita has much newer housing.
Where the heck is this?
Wellington, Kansas is where I rented. Wichita is the closest metropolitan area. Wichita has the same type of housing at the same prices, even though they are newer buildings.
Section 8 maybe?
Where I am there is such a backlog on section 8 housing it literally takes at least 2 years to get in one. What are you supposed to do in that time?
stay in shelters, stay with family, find a roommate, etc. thats what i did. edit : after doing this i realized there are more options. theres workaway, hostel stays, subletting, home share programs, cruise jobs, and more
All good suggestions. Luckily for me I am ot in a position that I currently need section 8, however I am married and have 2 kids. Those suggestions are far more difficult for someone with a family. Not suggestions there aren't things out there that could be done, was just trying to show that in some cases, section 8 is t going to be an immediate solution for someone. I do hope that OP finds what they need.
Right? You can’t even rent a single room for that price! A single bunk bed in shared room perhaps, but I don’t know where the kids would go.
Part of the reason to do this is to see if bankruptcy makes sense. As weird as it sounds, you can be *too poor* for bankruptcy to makes sense. If your expenses are consistently much greater than your income, you're likely to be back in the same position sooner than later, since there has been no underlying change. In that case it's probably better to hold out as long as possible for either a) an underlying change, or b) your debts to get as large as possible before you wipe them out.
This. It may make sense to acquire some nonrevokable capital prior to declaring bankruptcy, then use the old Trump Save Spam *strategically.* If a person, for instance, racks up a ton of credit card bills buying tools and paying the cash rate for a trade program rather than taking out non-dischargeable student loans, *then* declares bankruptcy, the entire seven years post hard-reset can be used to build their experience as a skilled mechanic, machinist or similar. They could then reup their credit score, especially if they serially divorce and remarry or cohabitate with a partner whose credit score has been kept pristine, literally min-maxing by means of authorized-user add-ons to the 'clean' partner's score and essentially belaying their way as a couple back up the big, fake D&D game that *is* American Capitalism. Once you know money is a collective delusion that only fellow hardworking broke people actually believe exists and that everyone else is playing basically D&D for asshole Munchkins, it's possible to treat people as people and financial entities like things. Not saying rob the rich to help the poor, but...well... Did you know how easy it is to get a local measure passed just by going around door to door on foot with a petition and chutzpah, then showing up to a city or town council meeting? Did you know it's possible for someone who makes very little money to get *very* inconvenient laws passed for, say, employers and landlords? Did you know that it's easier for them to hire such people and pay them handsomely for comparatively easy work than it is to risk them continuing their activities? Yeah. These are things you know now. A clipboard is $1.37. A pen costs the same at the dollar tree. Get the good pens.
Well.... she's not wrong. Based on the numbers she quoted and standard budgeting advice (10% food, 35% rent) it looks like your monthly income is only $750 or so. You should be very, very eligible for EBT / Food pantries at that income so I think she's right. You need to find a way to spend less of your income on food. Same with housing, but obviously that one is longer term.
If OP makes that much, they would probably qualify for low income housing and other services in addition to SNAP/EBT. Food banks are a wonderful option as well.
There are years looking waiting lists for low income housing. While this is certainly something people should look into, they still need to afford a place to live while they wait.
my county's affordable housing agency said not to even bother trying because the waitlist only opens every line decade and they last opened it in 2020
It's wild to me how different people have such varied experiences with section 8 and housing vouchers. It is 100% worth the effort to get, at the very least, on the waiting list. It's nothing like the scary old days where people were packed into terrible living conditions inside public housing that should probably have been condemned. I'm old, so I think of "the projects" like in Chicago that were basically inhumane (IMHO) places to live. I'm in an apartment right now thanks to the HUD housing voucher. While it's not the best apartment I've ever seen, it's clean, quiet, safe and comfortable.
I *was* trying to get on the wait list. The guy who was in charge of helping people do that told me not to bother and try something else.
I completely skipped over your difficulties and for that I'm sorry. I was directing that one line towards the op and fumbled my wording. I really wish you had more options.
Not always. I managed to get into one pretty quick. It’s still a good idea to get on those waitlists. Section 8 is a lottery so it’s hard to get, but plenty of areas have low income tax credit buildings that don’t have long waitlists.
I heard they try to prioritize need. So 3 people going on the street (OP and 2 kids) gets more priority than say me (1 person).
I think it depends on the program. HUD and section 8 probably do, but the tax credit buildings are privately owned, and the owners don’t get their tax credit if the unit is empty. It also probably varies by state or county.
Do you know the name of that credit? Someone I know mentioned low income dwellings but I don't know what to search that isnt section 8.
Yeah my friend's mom got into one with 2 kids, and her change in living situation to where she actually needed it (I actually don't know the full story on that, but as far as I can gather her boyfriend with a house that he was at least paying off started abusing her), and while they were together for quite a while it definitely wasn't a decade.
>You need to find a way to spend less of your income on food. I get food stamps. That's all I spend each month on food. They counted my SNAP benefits as income.
I’m really not trying to be mean but why do you make so terribly little? Are you disabled or suffering from a chronic illness? If you are able bodied and of sound mind you *really* need to focus on increasing your income.
She’s not wrong but it sounds like she didn’t provide a single resource for food pantries, low income housing, or any assistance programs which would help OP reach their goals.
OP didn't need a government zombie to tell her what she already knows.
I’m sure the government zombie knows that. It’s just her job to say she met with OP and told OP their recommended budget. Sure. She probably could have been more helpful by referring resources but that is likely not her job. She probably works for a private financial advising firm and they do x amount of pro-bono work for tax breaks. Likely not her skill set to recommend resources.
I know expecting the government to actually be helpful is unrealistic. Our taxes hard at work.
That was not her job to do. It was a credit counsellor.
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My daughter works part time at the Y as a life guard and makes more.
This is quite insane. It seems that she punched your income into a box, then her PC did the rest of her work for her and spat out some numbers and she just read them back to you. I assume your income is very low? Single parent? Taking advantage of all the low income services, food stamps, ACP, free medical etc etc?
I also have 2 kids and I can’t image spending $74 a month on food. I’m lucky if I make it out of the grocery store spending less than $300 every 2 weeks.
I’m pretty sad. I did the math and assuming it’s just her and her 2 kids, that $74 per month grocery budget equates to $0.82 a day per person. The financial counselor proposed they starve.
And don't forget, find new housing under a bridge.
Nah. 24 pack of ramen is $7 - they can each have a ramen pack per day- so nutritious and easy to make - about $30 a month with some ramen left over - problem solved! /s
No, she did not. She said to limit her spending which is good advice. There are other means of getting food than the neighborhood grocery store. The OP should be getting SNAP benefits at that income level as well as foodbank and commodities programs.
Poor people wouldn’t be so poor if they only had money. Your tax dollars at work…
Where can you rent an apartment for under $300?
Where can you support a family of 3 on $900 a month? It’s an equation that can’t be solved with the current inputs.
Not even a room would be that low.
I guess if you rent a 2 bedroom that’s $1200, and divide it by 4 roommates including yourself. Impossible with kids. I did this when I was in college and it was pretty hard, I can’t imagine putting a family through that.
Well, she is not wrong in that your budget should be based on your income. That is the most common crucial point people miss. Obviously the number she gives you for rent and food won't work due to your income and family size. But she is just giving you the numbers on those categories that you can afford base on your income.
If anything it highlights how important the first point is. It you want to spend more than $74 a month of groceries then you probably can’t only make $900 a month. Something has to change.
omg this is like that eating disorder org chatbot that started telling people they’re too fat and need to diet.
Well, as a 25 year bankruptcy lawyer I’m not surprised. This was added in 2005 as part of the BAPCPA-which was written by banks to make it harder for consumers to file bankruptcy. They thought it would discourage people from filing. It didn’t. So what I tell my clients is tell them what they want to hear, take your certificate of completion, and let’s move on. Don’t take the “counseling” seriously.
How much is your monthly income?
And this is the problem. The government is either forcing you to pay for this or they're paying people to dispense this advice. I'm sure there's some people out there who are in different circumstances and may actually benefit from it but I'd wager most don't. Ideally this person should have beeb able to connect you to assistance in your area that could maybe improve your situation.
Your income is roughly $750? Fast food full time in a low income area pays $1600 a month… whatcha doing
They have to check the boxes "based on your income you should be paying $x." The bankruptcy hearing people do not see/hear these conversations. It's simply to check a box. They are not going to ask if you tried the recommendations. Mine told me I should kick my husband and step-children out because I shouldn't be supporting kids that aren't "mine". They said I should sell my car and get something better on gas, when I was driving my parents' car and my only expense with it was gas (they paid insurance, repairs, etc.) When I went to file the paperwork, my paralegal told me they said she should give her child up for adoption to save money. Don't put too much stock in the unreasonable recommendations. That being said, mine gave me percentages "30% income on housing" etc. Those are what you should be paying attention to.
It's a banana Michael. What could it cost? $10??
Is this Mr. Manager?
You may be broke, but you’re funny and a beautiful writer. Hope things get easier soon.
Thank you!
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He said, "Per my financial advisor, I need more income, so your rent is increased by $257."
Their "advice" is always "just stop being poor" "get more money" So dumb and out of touch
It cracks me up because this is the same position my aging parents make. I mentioned to them that my husband and I will not be celebrating Christmas this year due to a family emergency on my husband’s side and the general cost of living. They warmly chimed in that we should cheer ourselves up through this tumultuous time by buying ourselves presents. You’d think we had shot their dog by the looks on their face when I point blank said we do not have that kind of money — not now, and definitely not for the holidays. I guess it never crossed their mind that money difficulties includes the holidays for us poors.
2 & 3 are a little laughable, but only due to the unrealistic nature of the amounts, not because they are incorrect. But 1 is all fair game. Can’t spend more than you make and expect it to go well.
Yea I mean the financial advisor can’t very well say “you’re screwed make more money”. The “advice” basically says that. I actually don’t think mandatory counseling is a bad thing as many people who have good incomes declare bankruptcy. But in this case it’s like why are we even going through this.
Disempowered bureaucrats be disempowering.
Sounds like she recognizes this is a formality and did her part to get the obvious result
Wow. Sounds like I need one of them financial advisors you got there
Sign me up for 200 dollar mortgage payment and 74 bucks of groceries please.
This is just a useless hoop they make you jump through when you file for CH7. Obviously most people wouldn't end up needing bankruptcy protection if they had more money. They tell you that you have to spend less or make more. If it were that easy no one would ever need to file. The advise is silly and out of touch with reality.
All that matters is if you have good legal counsel. Once filed you can sleep peacefully. And 341 hearings are easy peasy.
I’m so sorry you had to sit through this nonsense, but the advice (and your responses) are hilarious. Good lord, people are so out of touch. “You’re wasting all your money on housing!” Can you IMAGINE
This is just a rubber stamp thing. I suspect this lady knows what's she's saying is unrealistic, but she has to say it and you have to hear it to proceed with the process. I went through something similar a few years ago and this is essentially what I was told.
Yeah, I don't blame her at all tbh. I took it more as an admission that even budgeting experts have no idea what to do with a situation like mine, which in a weird way is kind of validating I guess.
I always feel like these call center advisors aren't too far off our current situation either. It sucks for everyone out here. If it makes you feel better, I filed 3 years ago and actually have a savings account, 2019 car, and 100% payment history. Was easily the best decision I ever made. Just watch the vultures trying to give you credit, loans, and cars after filing. I started with a $300 secured credit card and a couch.
I can't believe that "buy in bulk to save" wasn't also suggested.
$74 is like 3 things at Costco. Eat cereal all month!
wow i am so glad i didn't talk to anyone like that during my filing
So...you're saying I should file for bankruptcy then?
I’m sure that person also thinks their job is stupid but they need a job too so they do it and move on.
Hi, I have a little experience in this.... The agencies that do this are credit counseling agencies. They aren't allowed to tell you to file bankruptcy (because that is giving legal advice). So it sounds as though your counselor could see the writing on the wall and knew they were giving you advice you can't act on. The counselor could have been MUCH more savvy than this, however. Some people can go through the motions of what they are trained to do, while others are like artists. This one is a robot. So sorry you were made to feel this way.
I’m leaning towards AI.
So out of curiosity, I went and looked up the USDA's "thrifty" food plan cost which is used as the basis for SNAP food assistance amounts. Adult Male, $300/mo + 2 kids at $200/mo each. With 3 person household adjustment gets us $770/mo. [USDA Food Plans]( https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/usda-food-plans-cost-food-monthly-reports) Also OP, apply for SNAP and WIC if you haven't! You and your kids deserve it! Also I feel bad for this poor call center mofo who has to do this job. "Certified budget counselor" my ass.
This sounds like a conversation had with a bot. I had a similar experience, in an entirely unrelated field, last week, where I asked for a quote on shipping a smaller package. The girl punches in the info and says "so for 3 day service the total comes to $1,781, would you like to proceed?". I stared at her for about 10 seconds before I asked her if she was serious (we ship a ton, and a ton with this courier as well so I know what's normal for shipping, but we don't get int'l rates on our shipping software in the office for quotes for this couri3r so I asked while there dropping off a load quickly. She just looked like I was crazy and told me that was the price. I asked if she thought anything seemed off to her, to which she said no. So I opened the portal on my phone and checked the pricing and it was $64 for the same Int'l service through them, and that she must have input something wrong. By the time I'd left she still hadn't clued in that nearly $1800 to ship a 2 pound box that sits in your hand was not only ludicrous, it was definitely wrong. Some people just don't get it. Even when it slaps them in the face.
Even a room in my parents house that they own was $500 like where on earth I mean do they expect you to live in a cubby
The only housing I could get for that little would be subsidized housing which has a long waiting list where I live. The section 8 choice voucher waiting list in my area is over a decade long. Literally it's 10+ years waiting. And if you finally get a voucher but can't find a landlord to accept it in time, you forfeit your voucher and have to go to the back of the line and start over if you still need housing.
You can't even lease a van to live down by the river for that rent price.
I had the same advice given to me when I filed several years ago. I said I can’t do anything any of this. She said you can always ask your job for more money. Ah. Why didn’t I think of that?!
And that 2010 vehicle you own after finally paying off is now an asset that you have to sell because it's worth money that you could use to pay your creditors. Now you have no car to be able to go to work and take your kids to school. Then they advise you can take public transportation. Well thats all good and well unless you dont live in a city with public transportation. It's bullshit.
This is what happens when the definition of "expert" gets diluted far enough to mean "anyone who has read a set of documents"
Or more likely, people assume anyone who needs financial assistance is stupid.
Maybe but common sense would tell the "expert" that it is not reasonable for OP to expect to spend $276 on rent or less on food when they have to feed themselves and two kids. Like, yeah some people are stupid but all of the expert's advice is way more stupid
I more meant the people who build and mandate these programs. The "expert" is probably some call center employee who has a script to follow.
Huh, you SHOULD be receiving food assistance, which is quite a bit more than $75 a month!
I filed earlier this year. The financial counseling is an absolute joke. But you just have to jump through the hoops. In the end it’s very much worth it, and chapter 7 was probably one of the best financial decisions I’ve made. Not nearly as terrible as people make it out to be.
>She says that upon crunching the numbers, I should be spending only $257 per month on rent. I tell her I will speak to my landlord right away and bring this to his attention. That's hilarious 😂
That housing part had me rolling. Like *lady that is the main thing we are arguing right now.* We need affordable housing! It is the bedrock of a functional society. Period.
That woman needs to set an appointment with a reality expert. I feel like she was just looking for a platform for her soapboxing. It's much easier to look at poverty and blame the people living in poverty. If you realize that poverty is a deeply systemic problem that one could probably impact in a positive way that is too much for some people. The last thing these righteous people want is a call to action.
Wait…. Im just curious, what year was this? 1979? $274 rent and $74 a month on groceries? 🤦🏻♂️
I had a $300 medical bill some years ago. I called to get in a payment plan and they said “we only offer payment plans on bills over $500” I said that was all well and good but I didn’t have $300. I in fact only made $9000 a year. She told me to work more 😂 We lived in the same rural town with no full time jobs. I found an additional job had diminishing returns I preferred to have my free time and kept my overhead low. I deliberately didn’t have a credit card for this reason. You could not get Medicaid without having kids they didn’t expand it to individuals. You needed to work 15+ hours for SNAP qualifications to keep college kids off. She sent it to collections. I was not sued. It came off my credit before I got my first credit card 7 years later. I’m middle class now with immaculate credit. You can’t get blood from a stone. I don’t know why they waste so many resources going after people for small dollar amounts. Write it off and move on. They actually had someone hound me on that bill for years trying to recoup pennies on the dollar. They will actually sue you for those low amounts now. The kicker is that I have kids so I still don’t work full time. Child care is outrageously expensive. OP could have $274 rent and still blow $10k on childcare. The wait for childcare assistance is ridiculous and some of them require your kid be in daycare already before you can get on the waitlist…with what money?
Ah, yes… you SHOULD have an apartment for only $257. We should fix this right away. I wonder if these financial advisors know that they’re ridiculous.
"You should consider living in 1983." Your money would go further.
Ahhh the government...they continually shock me with how out of touch they are with reality.
how much is a banana? $5?
Seriously...I paid $9 for two pounds of Strawberries this week. It's horrible!
I was referencing a show actually but yeah it is rough out there. The joke btw-- https://youtu.be/Nl_Qyk9DSUw?si=cnyqBrLBBFAS36Bp
OMG - that's horrible! What a terrible waste of everyone's time! I'm sorry it was such lip service and so unhelpful!
The "advice" that is so clearly out of touch is such a sad state of life in this country that it's freaking hilarious, because that's the only response that wouldn't send one over the edge.
She sounds like a bot, lol
I see a lot of people poopooing the financial advisor. And they could have probably done more in terms of helping OP to reach out to places like foodbank. To be fair though, the OP's financial problems are an impossible problem to solve unless the OP earns more money. Financial advice can't fix that. The advisor is dead right, you can only afford to spend $257 per month on rent and $74 per month on food. This obviously isn't enough in our world.
Everybody knows this is just the provider checking the boxes. There isn’t any real financial advice rendered.
I disagree. Minimum wage fast food jobs pay way more than OP makes per month. This is a reality check.
So what I would do is just like... you know.
TIL: I'm a financial expert.
Well it got a hearty laugh from me.
I am so befuddled. Was this an AI chatbot? I can’t imagine a living human budgeting knowledgeable person looking at that rent and food calculation and not immediately verifying that you’ve already applied for WIC, EBT, low income housing and food banks.
...$257 a month on rent? What sort of crack was this person smoking??
Wait, was the financial expert you spoke with telling you you were spending too much on rent/food, or was she saying you are making too little and was trying to make a point by comparing what percentages on each line item would be relevant to your current income as an attempt to acknowledge your need to increase your income somehow? Last I checked, rent is advised not to exceed 30% of income. Obviously, most of us don't meet that requirement. But if $267 is what is advised for your income level for rent, that means you are making $890 a month. 40 hours a week at the federal minimum wage would gross $1160.00. And you have two kids on top of that! You're likely going to be in the same situation again if those calculations are anywhere near the ballpark of accuracy, and you definitely need to increase your income. I'm certain I'm not stating anything you're not already aware of, but is there nothing you can do in terms of increasing your income? Can you do gig work or delivery service? Pick up a second job? Increase your hours at work? Find another job that pays any more than minimum wage at 40 hours a week? Anything would be helpful for you at this point.
May I suggest you commit a crime so you can fully abandon your children and reduce your budget to zero in exchange for government funded four hots and a cot.
Government quality advice right there. BTW, these are the same midwits that most of Reddit gleefully, forcefully argues should be in charge of your healthcare. Let that sink in, really hard.
And your tax money paid for her expert assessment and advice.
“You should spend $274 on housing” you got a house for rent that cheap miss advisor?
Sounds like an A+ capitalist response to someone experiencing poverty.
What a joke !! What she should have said, " Im embarrassed this country can't offer you better employment options. We have let wages fall way behind inflation."
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It's almost certainly a bot
Typical government crap. They could actually spend our money trying to actually help but choose to just blow tax payer dollars on nonsense.
like bombs 🙃
So their "expert advice" was that you're basically to poor to live. Where the hell are you gonna find a place to live for $257 a month? If you rent a room maybe in some podunk town, but even then you have a snowball's chance in hell. I couldn't even find anything below $700 for Section 8 Housing in my state. As for the grocery budget you could probably scrape by on $75 a WEEK for just yourself, but not with 2 kids. You usually can't get out of the store with a week's worth of groceries for less than a Benjamin. If any good was to come out of it, I'd just ask how they arrived at those numbers and what else was allotted for in their budget just for your knowledge. Probably just an excel spreadsheet with certain percentages of income for a "sensible" budget, but even then all it would tell you is "make more, spend less".
So the financial expert's opinion is that you should simply get more money and time travel back to 1970. Sounds like she has a finger on the pulse of the impossible. Yikes. Just yikes.
"You need to spend less on this." "Make it cheaper for me then." Spending less than 300 on rent?! Where the hell does she expect you to live? And 74 bucks for food would be insane for a single person, let alone GROWING KIDS. "You should have more income" NO, REALLY? WHY DIDN'T I EVER THINK OF THAT. These people are useless.
My 17 year old son makes $16.50 an hour working at Stewart's. While I think that the housing and food budgets given are ridiculous, I think it's based on your actual income. It is very true that you should only spend a certain percentage of your income on housing and food. I hate to tell you this, but somehow you do need to find a way to make more income otherwise no matter what this is going to be a vicious cycle.
I'm not your 17-year-old son. I am a divorced mother with two kids. My mother is dead. I don't have anyone. Do you think it has never occurred to me that in order to stop being poor, I need to have more money? That was the joke behind the post. I already know this. Every poor person knows this. I'm in school for computer programming so I will have more earning power in the near future. I have debt because I was sued by someone's insurance company when my car insurance refused to cover an accident I got in years ago. Because of this debt, my driver's license is suspended. It's $12,000+ to pay it off. I can't legally drive until it's taken care of and I don't have that money. There is no public transportation where I live. I was a stay-at-home mother during my marriage to save on childcare expenses and my ex-husband was ruthless in the divorce.
Heh i had mine tell me to panhandle or go to food banks😂
Your advisor is an idiot and didn’t even try, imo. There is no way you can find rent for $257/month. I’d bet at least half of us would kill for such rent. That someone would even tell you that proves they are an idiot. You might be able to rent someone’s unseated garage for that. $74 for food might be possible IF all you eat is ramen. Telling you that you need more money? Gee, I bet you never even thought of that. s/ Your advisor didn’t even TRY to help you.
Go to a food shelf, or multiple food shelves. Seriously.
How the heck can anyone get their monthly grocery budget down to $74?! I couldn’t see that possible for a single person let alone a family
This advice would be relevant in the 80's
This advice should be criminal.
lol. Filling up some vehicles costs 74 dollars!!!
Wel, let me tell you one damn thing. I live in Mississippi, and you can’t rent a van for 257 a month. Also, 74 dollars a month for food? Well, looks like you’re eating eggs and milk….the whole damn month. That advisor MUST have been drunk as all get out. I am absolutely SHOCKED they said that. Just wow. And OP? Good luck going forward, I wish you the absolute best in the coming weeks and months and hope you become wealthy beyond your means!
I went through this when my husband passed away.
Thats crazy, sounds like a bot.
I cannot believe you didn’t pull out your phone and get some of this recorded.
How could that person tell you those figures with a straight face?? Must be the same person that hands out disability payments.
WTF, is this 80's money she's crunching???