Are You Living the Low Income Lifestyle?

Are you living a low-income lifestyle? If you are, there are many financial resources, and other types of resources that exist to help you get over the hump and into a more profitable, rewarding, and less stressful lifestyle.

Let me first answer the burning question, "What is a low income lifestyle?" Well, first of all there is the obvious, -- your income has to be low, but just because your income level is low, it does not necessarily mean you are living a low income lifestyle.

Not everyone with low income needs or wants assistance. Some people are happy with their current financial situation, and they maintain quite well. People with low income can be single parents, struggling families, white, black or any other race, they can be disabled or not, and they can be any age or sexual orientation.

There is no perfect description of a low-income lifestyle, but there are a few similarities across the board. If you find that you fall into three or more of the following categories on a constant basis, you are indeed living the low-income lifestyle:

· Are you constantly in danger of being evicted?

· Are your utilities (lights, phone, gas) frequently in danger of being shut off?

· Is it a frequent occurrence for your telephone to be disconnected?

· Do you use rent to own services like Rent-A-Center or Aaron's

· Do you frequently use payday loan services?

· Do you use check-cashing services?

· Do you use the hospital emergency room in place of a regular doctor?

· Do you "Rob Peter to pay Paul" every month just to keep your head above water?

· Are you flat broke until payday? In other words, do you live from paycheck to paycheck?

Living with low income is extremely stressful because you are always in "worry" mode. It might feel as though you cannot put your mind at ease, because as soon as you solve one problem, another one pops. Your whole life centers around keeping the bills paid and solving the crisis of the moment.

The trick to breaking the low-income cycle is to utilize social service resources that were put in place to help you move into a more stable lifestyle.

Public assistance programs such as Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, One Stop Career Services, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Public Housing, and HUD Section 8 can provide valuable assistance while you pursue an education, career training, or job advancement in order to earn a better standard of living.

The task is hard, and the resources have to be utilized in conjunction with a well thought out plan; however, with determination, and hard work, you can secure a happier, and stress-free (or significantly lower stress) life.

Good Luck!