Existing on a LOWER CLASS Income

I feel like a prostitute.

They probably make more money.

I do not know your personal situation so forgive any ludicrous advice, but I come at your situation from several angles:

I got through an expensive pair of schools and worked in between but those were different times (1975 to 1986).

I currently have three daughters in college. They and we manage based on these factors: Community college is cheaper and can be just as good - two years of no debt before going to the more prestigeous and expensive school. The community college route is geared to help you find money (grants, scholarships) and work, It is easier to make the money go farther when tuition is $600/semester versus $20,000+ a semester at UCLA or UCSD. I do alumni interviews for candidates applying to Rice U and Brown U, and it hurts knowing I am encouraging them to spend $40-50K a year. Community colleges can be GREAT!

Lack of money issues can be addressed several ways. Find an area where the cost of living is lower, but I know moving is expensive and difficult. I was in your shoes (maybe) and moved from Houston TX to Oak Ridge Tenn and the difference in cost of living was HUGE.

Find a better paying job (by using some of these tactics). My experience and the experience of my oldest student is the same with respect to starting a career. We started out doing volunteer in the field we were interested in, and it led to a great-paying part-time job with benefits within a year. Look for the jobs that pay more in your market and figure out what those employers need and then get yourself as qualified as you can to get your foot in the door and prove to them you can meet their needs. Worst case? Apply for the many contract jobs overseas (mostly Afganistan) that pay $240,000/yr but you give up everything at home and what America has to offer you. Overseas (I did 4 years) is lucrative and exciting but dangerous. Use employment agencies and temp agencies to give you an idea of what employers are looking for so you know how to focus your training and education.

You are not in a great spot and I hope I haven't upset you more. One of my daughter's worked for Nordstrom's and you are correct; it is prostitution. Which is not a good way to make more money........

At all the places I have worked, only 1 required a doctors note for a sick day - and that was if you were out for more then 3 days in a row. And they didn't enforce it. Most places don't require them. If they do it is because sick days have been abused or taken instead of vacation.

My husband works for a small business (7 employees). There is no way his employer could ever afford to provide health insurance and the employees probably couldn't afford to kick in their share even if it was offered.

When I get sick I pay $60 to my local urgent care. No biggie.

I can't wait til I can figure out how to afford school, finally get a degree and leave this retail bull**** behind.

I feel like a prostitute.

This is a genuine comment. How do people not afford school nowadays? I went to school on loans, pell grants (only AFTER I turned 23) and working. I definitely don't have a pretty loan history (only 40k in debt from loans at the end of a 4yr degree that took me 6.5 years :drinker: ) but I'm so confused how people can't afford school with the pell grants, loans, scholarships, working opportunities available.

Not sure when you went to school but


source: BLS

Energy costs up, health care costs [for employees] up, state funding for universities down equals above graph...

I can't wait til I can figure out how to afford school, finally get a degree and leave this retail bull**** behind.

I feel like a prostitute.

This is a genuine comment. How do people not afford school nowadays? I went to school on loans, pell grants (only AFTER I turned 23) and working. I definitely don't have a pretty loan history (only 40k in debt from loans at the end of a 4yr degree that took me 6.5 years :drinker: ) but I'm so confused how people can't afford school with the pell grants, loans, scholarships, working opportunities available.

Not sure when you went to school but

Rates may have increased, but I'm a single with two kids, work full-time, and still managed. There are all sorts of programs out there. One just has to take the time to look for them... and perhaps do a little less whining on the internet.

yikes! thats harsh. Sounds like where u are working is not employee friendly :indifferent: But there are definitely choices that u can make to change that the same way ur taking control of ur health on MPF. def agree that community college is the way to go for the first 2 yrs, def try living somewhere cheaper or with roommates, I lived w/roommates for years until i got engaged and i loved it, having a house but paying half the rent, and def find a new job! I have been lower class plenty and with a son no less, it gets rough but u can make it. My mom was always really hard on me to push myself and make the smart choice and im thankful because now i can totally handle business. Hope things look up for u soon.

This is a genuine comment. How do people not afford school nowadays? I went to school on loans, pell grants (only AFTER I turned 23) and working. I definitely don't have a pretty loan history (only 40k in debt from loans at the end of a 4yr degree that took me 6.5 years :drinker: ) but I'm so confused how people can't afford school with the pell grants, loans, scholarships, working opportunities available.

Going through college on student loans means you actually accomplish something. It's way easier to make excuses than to accomplish something. Excuses are safe and fuzzy and they don't require effort.

I paid zero dollars out of my pocket to acquire the college degree I earned. I borrowed all of the needed money from the government. ALL OF IT. And 8 years later, I have had no financial repercussions from being unable to pay back the student loans (yet). I'd rather owe money to the Federal govt. than any other creditor. Call them up - Hey can I get a forbearance? Yup. See you next year.

At all the places I have worked, only 1 required a doctors note for a sick day - and that was if you were out for more then 3 days in a row. And they didn't enforce it. Most places don't require them. If they do it is because sick days have been abused or taken instead of vacation.

most places won't even look at anything written by your doctor because of HIPAA privacy laws.


I work retail and I have paid holidays, sick pay, paid time off, insurance, flexible spending accounts......my advice is to find a different employer! Maybe a bigger one with benefits! "small" businesses don't offer insurance because they don't get group discounts with insurance companies, so you would either have to pay your whole premium (which you wouldn't do because it would most likely be more than your paycheck) or they would have to eat all that, and let's face it, your employer is here to make money for themselves, not take care of your medical bills.......

I can't wait til I can figure out how to afford school, finally get a degree and leave this retail bull**** behind.

I feel like a prostitute.

This is a genuine comment. How do people not afford school nowadays? I went to school on loans, pell grants (only AFTER I turned 23) and working. I definitely don't have a pretty loan history (only 40k in debt from loans at the end of a 4yr degree that took me 6.5 years :drinker: ) but I'm so confused how people can't afford school with the pell grants, loans, scholarships, working opportunities available.

I did the same student loans and pell grants. I also maxed out a credit card or two.
For the loans I only borrowed what I needed to survive.

I feel like a prostitute.

They probably make more money.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I can't wait til I can figure out how to afford school, finally get a degree and leave this retail bull**** behind.

I feel like a prostitute.

This is a genuine comment. How do people not afford school nowadays? I went to school on loans, pell grants (only AFTER I turned 23) and working. I definitely don't have a pretty loan history (only 40k in debt from loans at the end of a 4yr degree that took me 6.5 years :drinker: ) but I'm so confused how people can't afford school with the pell grants, loans, scholarships, working opportunities available.

This! I am just about to finish my degree on student loans... but for real, my sister went to a tech school and paid for it out-of-pocket. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Agreed! I went back to school full-time at 33 years old and worked full time. I did it with loans which I am still repaying. I couldn't afford to repay them at first because I wasn't making enough money so I got my loans deferred until I started making the money. It is possible. Where there is a will there is a way. And I also had a five-year old at the time. I grabbed help from anyone who would give it to me.

I sympthize with your situation. I see some possibly good advice from other posters, and it can certainly do no harm to read through those. I have lived on a low income at various times and I know you have to do without stuff that you should have. But you are definitely doing something right, to lose weight as you have done. There is job discrimination against people who are overweight, and there are health problems that can be costly that come from being overweight. So you are definitely helping yourself already. Congratulations on that and keep going.

A college degree does not guarantee a job.

You CAN go to school, you just have to be willing to take on a enormous debt burden once you graduate. I got a bachelor's degree from a traditional university. All of it was paid for by student loans that I now have to pay back. Does it suck having to pay back tens of thousand of dollars? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes.