Over the last two and a half years, I've had to have emergency dental work done for a few teeth. Car repairs (replacement front and back brake shoes, $1200) and ER visits for a hereditary kidney problem (about $300) wiped out my savings in 2024 while this was happening, so I had to put all my dental expenses on a credit card. I work full time and live with my roommate who was recently laid off and is trying to find work again. So money's been tight.

Unfortunately, it's all added up and I feel like I'm drowning. I'm looking at nearly $9k in debt from having to put all of this onto credit cards and struggling to make ends meet with regular bills. I already spend so little on my groceries by home cooking everything (no take out/restaurants, no coffee or anything, just basic staples to cook myself), gas and grocery prices going up, and hours at my job getting cut.

I just need some breathing room and help. I still pay my bills (rent, utilities, phone bill, car insurance) but even after limiting my groceries to $40-$50/week, I barely have anything left and am constantly overdrawn on my bank account while I haven't been able to get past the interest charges on this card. I grew up poor and have always done everything by myself, so I'm very bad at asking for help. I hesitated to even make this until a friend talked to me for a long time the last few weeks and suggested I try. This wasn't a series of bad financial decisions, but someone who had a series of emergencies and bad luck. This debt kept me from going to my grandfather's funeral out of state, and has kept me from being able to visit my aging mother whom I haven't been able to see in 10 years.

Thank you to anyone who reads this, and thank you again to anyone who helps in any way.