There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from financial struggle. It is not just the empty bank account or the pile of bills on the kitchen table. It is the constant mental arithmetic you perform every single day. Can I afford this? If I buy groceries, will I have enough for gas? If the car breaks down, what do I sell? It is a low-grade anxiety that hums beneath everything, turning simple decisions into complex equations and stealing your sleep before your head even hits the pillow.
I want to talk about this because nobody does. We live in a culture that measures worth by wealth, that equates success with the size of your home and the brand of your car. So when you are struggling financially, you do not just feel poor. You feel ashamed. You feel like you have failed at something fundamental, like the world has looked at your circumstances and decided you are not trying hard enough. I am here to tell you that is a lie, and it is a lie that keeps people trapped in silence and suffering.
Financial hardship can happen to anyone. It does not discriminate by intelligence, work ethic, or character. Markets crash. Jobs disappear. Medical bills arrive. Relationships end. Rent goes up while wages stay flat. Sometimes it is a series of small blows that eventually knock you down, and sometimes it is one catastrophic event that changes everything overnight. Whatever brought you here, you are not lazy. You are not stupid. You are a human being navigating an economic system that was not built to catch you when you fall.
The first thing you need to hear is that your dignity is not for sale. Being broke does not make you broken. It does not erase your talents, your kindness, your potential, or your inherent value as a person. Some of the most extraordinary souls I have ever met were people who had next to nothing in their wallets and everything in their hearts. Money is a tool, not a verdict. Repeat that until you believe it.
Now, let us talk about what you can actually do when you are in the thick of it. First, get ruthlessly honest about your numbers. I know this is terrifying. Looking at the exact figure of what you owe feels like staring into an abyss. But you cannot navigate what you cannot see. Write it all down. Every debt, every bill, every source of income, no matter how small. Knowledge is power, even when the knowledge is uncomfortable. Once you have the full picture, you can make a plan instead of making decisions based on panic.
Second, cut the nonessentials with surgical precision, but protect your soul. You do not need the streaming subscription, the daily coffee run, or the new clothes right now. But you might need the cheap journal, the library card, the occasional walk in a park, or the community event that feeds your spirit. Do not strip your life so bare that you lose the things that keep you human. Frugality is about intention, not self-punishment.
Third, explore every resource available to you. There is no shame in assistance. Food banks exist because people need them. Utility assistance programs exist because corporations know people struggle. Community centers, churches, nonprofit organizations, and government programs were created for moments exactly like this. Using them is not weakness. It is wisdom. It is survival. You would not hesitate to use a life preserver if you were drowning, so do not hesitate to use the resources built to help you stay afloat.
Fourth, find ways to generate income that fit your current reality. If you have a car, delivery services and ride-sharing can bridge gaps. If you have skills, freelance work, tutoring, or selling handmade goods online can bring in cash without requiring a traditional job that might not fit your schedule or mental health needs. Look around your home. What do you own that you no longer need? Sell it. That clutter might be someone else's treasure, and the money might be your bridge to next week.
Fifth, protect your mental health with the same ferocity you protect your budget. Financial stress is one of the leading causes of anxiety and depression. If you are not sleeping, if you are drinking more than you should, if you are withdrawing from people who care about you, those are warning signs. Talk to someone. A therapist, a friend, a support group. There are even free and low-cost counseling services if you search for them. You cannot think your way out of poverty with a mind that is spiraling. Take care of your brain so it can help you solve the problems in front of you.
And here is the last thing, the most important thing: this is temporary. I know it does not feel that way. I know it feels like you have been treading water for so long that your legs are giving out. But circumstances change. Opportunities arrive. Skills develop. Networks expand. The person who is struggling today is not the person who will be struggling forever unless they give up. And you are not giving up. You are reading this, which means you are still fighting.
One day, you will look back on this season and see it differently. You will see the resilience you built, the creativity you discovered, the people who showed up, and the strength you never knew you had. You will see that being broke taught you things being rich never could. And when you are on the other side, you will be someone who understands what it means to struggle, which makes you someone who can help others when they do. Hold on. The tide turns. It always does.
Sapphire Blue Devine
R&B Artist / Storyteller
