When you have champagne taste and you’re living on a beer budget, it seriously sucks. Whether you’re just starting out in life or you’re stuck paying off student debt, watching your money leave as fast as it comes in is infuriating. If you’re broke AF, you probably curse the following realities on the daily:
- Payday is gone and so is your money.You’re staring at your bank statement wondering how it took you two weeks to earn money that your bills burnt up in about 45 seconds. Gone are the days when you had money left over for little things like fun and enjoyment. The only thing you can afford to do now is stay home and mourn the loss of your hard earned cash and your social life, as well.
- You struggle to put gas in your car.Cars are pretty necessary to do things like go to work and make a living, but finding money to pay for gas is a mission. While most people simply fill up their tanks, you’re sitting there wondering how long the $8.63 of gas you just put in will last you.
- Everything seems so expensive.The less broke version of you would think nothing of spending $50 on a sweater, but the broke you thinks that’s insane. Every where you go, you’re always in the sale section, and even then, you have to really need something in order to spend your quickly disappearing cash on it.
- “Fine dining” consists of an appetizer and tap water.Because you don’t want your social life to totally die, you still make an effort to join your friends for a night out. While everyone else is drinking wine and eating delicious meals, you’re stuck with ice water and garlic bread.
- It’s always a choice between one thing or the other.In better times, you didn’t have to choose between the shoes and the purse, or the night out and buying groceries. Now priorities are a real thing and you have to put survival and practicality ahead of your wants.
- The next payday is way too far away.When you’re 18 hours post-payday and you’ve got almost nothing left, you know you’re in for a long two weeks. Expensive social events are completely out of the question and since you have no lunch money, you’re brown bagging it to work for the next few weeks.
- Coupons are your best friend.You know you’re officially broke when you actually get excited to find coupons and the only way you can shop is by using them. The 2-for-1 deals are pretty much the gold star of coupons because they help you live the good life, especially when it comes to food. After all, living off noodles is getting old.
- Even your savings account is judging you.While your checking account is struggling to stay afloat, your savings account is totally under water. Not only do you have zero money to put in there, any money that was there was withdrawn long ago. This is the only time in your life that you’ll be glad you’re nowhere near retirement and you have lots of time to fix this situation.
- Free samples are life.As they say, the best things in life are free, and you couldn’t agree more. You become a frequent visitor to department stores that give you free food samples. Not only does it get you out of the house and among people again, but you basically also have dinner covered.
- Rich people make you angry.Old rich people are one thing, but the rich ones who are younger than you? Horrible. The fact that they are on their jets doing cool things while you’re digging through your couch for change is hard to swallow, and though you don’t want to be bitter, it sure is hard.
