I’m 22, going into 23 in only 4 months time… and I’m flat broke. I need to turn my life around before I fuck up everything and end up beyond redemption. How do I turn my life around and actually escape this humiliating state of poverty. Im looking for a ticket out of brokeville. So far, here is what I’ve been doing

  • got a roommate
  • eat rice, beans, and boiled chicken
  • cold showers to save on heat
  • no AC or heat
  • use same clothes over and over even if ripped and raggedy
  • don’t ever eat out or do anything
  • wtypstanaccount04 [he/him]
    ·
    3 days ago

    Stealing bikes is an ultra scummy thing to do and you have no respect from me if you do it. Remember, stealing private property (i.e., stealing from Walmart) is based and cool, whereas stealing personal property (like bicycles) is cringe.

  • abc [he/him, comrade/them]
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    edit-2
    3 days ago

    Damn sell some plasma before considering stealing people's bikes.

    Remote work being popular as it is now, there's nothing wrong with picking up a bullshit job - doing it for a week so you don't get fired - and then collecting a check on top of your actual job until they realize and fire you. This is probably the easiest thing to do but you should've jumped in during COVID's lockdowns. Morally, this is not wrong unless you choose like - a charity or something to do this to. But hell, AT&T or whoever wants to pay you minimum wage to do entry level customer support remotely? Get your bag

  • Guamer [she/her]
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    edit-2
    2 days ago

    Generally speaking: Steal from companies, not individuals.

  • Chronicon [they/them]
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    edit-2
    3 days ago

    c/mutual_aid before robbing randos probably, unless you want to land in court or jail. The most valuable bikes from the most deserving people are also the most likely to be tracked and locked up indoors overnight unfortunately.

  • Cruxifux@feddit.nl
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    edit-2
    3 days ago

    There is no quick money breaking the law schemes for you if you don’t have any money. Most of the quick lawbreaking money schemes involve selling large quantities of drugs or committing fraud and hoping you don’t get caught, which both require you to have resources to do. The hard fact of it is that unless you’re born rich you probably have to get a job where you’re honing a skill and find the best ways to sell your skill for the most profit. It’s stupid and sucks and it’s getting harder and harder to just get by, but that’s the great capitalist way unfortunately.

    If you need short term cash quick, probably the best way is to just go to a temp agency and do some manual labour. You’ll get about as much money for a days work doing that as you will trying to sell a stolen bike or robbing some gas station.

  • Gorb [they/them]
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    2 days ago

    The only ok vehicles to steal are teslas, American trucks and really expensive sports cars cos its guaranteed the driver is a shitbag

  • bumpusoot [any]
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    edit-2
    2 days ago

    I am sorry, comrade. I've been in your shoes for years at a time and it really sucks. You might be able to largely sustain on shoplifted goods, but the fact is unless your locale has some unique exploitable flaws, there is no way to reliably and ethically escape poverty by doing crime. Any way of making even slightly useful amounts, and you'll almost certainly be exploiting other poor people, and almost certainly caught, sued, imprisoned, and your situation will become even worse yet.

    Seek mutual aid, charities, etc. Always be keeping an eye out, online and locally, for good work opportunities. If at all possible, make connections with other people in orgs, clubs, libraries, or even just online, don't be afraid to ask to bum a lift and a couple favours from others who can help. Contrary to society's messaging, it is not shameful to need or ask for help.

    I know these things aren't easy, aren't always feasible, and won't always work. This is unfortunately the system we're forced to live in.

  • adultswim_antifa [he/him]
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    3 days ago

    Become an electrician or something? America is suburbs forever and people need electricians so they don't burn their $500k nest eggs down.

    • copandballtorture [ey/em]
      ·
      3 days ago

      Yeah honestly this is your best bet. You'll be union and they'll train you/help get certs. It's working outside in inclement weather, because that's when you're needed most, but it pays fat stacks and you'll learn a shit ton.

    • EmoThugInMyPhase [he/him]
      ·
      2 days ago

      Lol depending on what OP means by “quick,” I don’t think learning how to become an electrician will be helpful in the short term.

  • EstraDoll [she/her]
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    3 days ago

    get a boat full of your best buds and guns, sail to another part of the planet where people look different from you, then take all their shit. Historically speaking, this has been an extremely effective get rich quick scheme

  • Dessa [she/her]
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    3 days ago

    I'm sorry, but to qualify for doing crimes, you must first be gay

  • EmoThugInMyPhase [he/him]
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    edit-2
    3 days ago

    No, you shouldn’t. For starters you’ll need a fence - there are shady recyclers but you probably won’t know who they are - which isn’t exactly a quick process. And second, you’re just dooming another person into poverty. Plus, bikes may have GPS trackers or other identifying information. What happens if you don’t realize or have time to remove them? What happens when a fence gets caught and snitches and they’re able to cross reference the locations/ID with you?

    Weed dispensaries can only use cash for the most part. If they don’t have armed security or any advanced security gates, you know where I’m going here. In addition to the cash, if you take the weed products then there are dumb middle and high schoolers willing to drop a dime for a joint, especially if they don’t know anyone else who can provide it or knowledgable in street prices. The same can be said about pharmacies, although your clientele probably won’t be secondary school students.

    As for clothes, I would say honestly just swipe shit from the thrift shops. Like most of it is old clothes and will be landfill. 99% of people won’t try to be heroes of grand dad’s old clothes. But 99% of those clothes will be clean and wearable. Use masks and different outfits, obviously, especially if you can’t travel to multiple stores. Don’t create a pattern, put a pebble in your shoe. Case it out before hand to see where the formal and business casual clothes are sectioned - this is to wear for your job interview. And this is gonna sound fucked up - but since you’re not harming them, I don’t think it’s too bad - but GoodWill exploits a lot of disabled workers. You probably won’t be tackled by anyone if you’re spotted. 99% of the time there’s like 3 workers so you probably don’t need to be brazen with a ski mask or anything lol. Just walk out.

    For food, you can try dumpster diving. Though it may be locked. But, with the weed, you can bribe some kid working at the store to keep it open for you. If the store isn’t being monitored by a mall cop, you can just walk out. Most greeters and receipt checkers are like 90 years old and probably won’t chase you down (you have the legal right to simply walk away if a worker asks for your receipt. You only become legally detained if you agree to be searched). A lot of stores will have little traffic in certain areas that lead you to the outer edge of the store, i.e., the path where customers leave the store. Act natural and even mall cops won’t bother you. But be aware that cameras are watching.

    • imogen_underscore [it/its, she/her]
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      edit-2
      3 days ago

      holding up a business is terrible advice if that's what you're getting at, way too easy to get caught and risk getting the book thrown at you. absolute last resort. swiping what you need off shelves and stuff is better advice and more sustainable I think

      • ChestRockwell [comrade/them, any]
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        edit-2
        3 days ago

        Honestly the fact is that shoplifting bananas and shit is way more moral than holding up a store ethically as well.

        Hell, you can even ring up everything as bananas at the self checkout, though it's probably simpler to just walk out.

        It's always been moral to jean valjean that bread. Beyond that, it becomes murkier and I really can't endorse holding places up.

        • Kuori [she/her]
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          3 days ago

          yeah ngl pointing guns at innocent workers is pretty awful stuff. it is traumatizing to have a gun shoved in your face

      • EmoThugInMyPhase [he/him]
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        edit-2
        2 days ago

        You don’t need to hold places up depending on who’s working. If they’re lanky and alone you can can probably just hop over and take stuff without interacting with them lol. But you’ll be putting them on edge anyway if you walk in with masks and hoodies

        But if you don’t want to risk felonies stealing money, you can just take the weed and resell it.

    • very_poggers_gay [they/them]
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      3 days ago

      i've heard that hanging around a coffeeshop or bakery near or after close is a good way to get free food.

      i've had different friends who've been on both sides of that kind of deal: Workers who see through the bullshit of corporate policy that dictates edible food must be thrown out instead of given out, and people in need of food during hard times.

      • EmoThugInMyPhase [he/him]
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        edit-2
        3 days ago

        I’ve worked in a grocery store before, and I truly started hating everything when I went back to the storage. So much food wasted because someone forgot to put it away, or maybe a box got punctured and now everything goes. Putting back perishables wasn’t prioritized because who cares if a perfectly edible package of meat or carton of milk spoils? We have infinite supply!

        I also know people who work in the distribution side of things and no one is allowed to take anything that’s slightly bruised and on its way to be destroyed. But they are allowed to sell it back to workers, ie recirculate your wages. But the funny thing is that people kept stealing those and now they won’t even bother selling busted up shit to workers. Can’t let the value fall down