Enjoy this guest post from the community!

Yes “dead broke”, it is a strange saying to a lot of people, because they have never been there before.

Defining Dead Broke

When you have to look for change in the couch or under your car seats then you know you are completely out of money, and it is really a scary scenario when that happens.

Some of us find ourselves in this position without trying to get there, obviously. We find ourselves there without trying and without being frivolous.

We pay our bills and we eat a lot of spaghetti and bean and we live frugally, yet we still have no extra money to make it through to the next payday.

When you set and cry because you do not know how you will find the extra money to buy gas you know you are dead broke.

I remember a time when I was out of money and out of gas and had to get to work. I put a piece of paper over the gas gage and prayed it would not run out until I could find a dollar to get more gas. I know that might sound strange to some but sometimes faith is all you have to go with when you are truly dead broke.

Payday Loan Mistakes When You Are Broke 

I was once so desperate for money once that I tried payday loans.

That was a bad mistake on my part and I regret ever using payday loans even though I was so broke at the time.

They charge so much money for those and it does not really help you when you need every penny you have! When you start one of those payday loans it expands into an every month thing that makes your problem worse because of the extra money it takes from you! Eventually you will find yourself into them for your whole check just to repay the fees and interest that accumulates.

So you think once you’re stuck in the payday loan cycle – I will get a loan to pay them off! If you even have credit when you are broke to get a loan you will most likely have to go to a finance company that also charges very high interest.

Once you get into this cycle you are stuck in it and there is a snowball effect that makes it grow and grow and makes it harder to get out.

Once you fall into the debt trap when you are broke, it is much harder to get out.

Finding A Way Out

When you are dead broke it is much better to put yourself on a budget and sacrifice until you can get a better job.

If you have older children that are working and helping out or you can ask for help to contribute to the household. You can also find help from your church since many offer options to help people when they are down on their luck. And if all else fails and you can’t get out of the situation, then you can apply for welfare programs designed to help.

Many people get to the point that they end up homeless, helpless, and afraid because of money. This happens way too many times in a country as rich as ours yet it does. Every day. I’ve been close myself but luckily my periods of being dead broke ended and I reached a better place thanks to creating and sticking to a budget.

Giving Back Once You’re Past Being Broke

In our country it shouldn’t happen. We throw away food enough to feed many a starving person, we buy things we do not need instead of donating to homeless shelters, we don’t think about the people that have needs and are stuck in the dead broke cycle unable to break free.

Please try to think about someone else if you have more than you need. If you aren’t dead broke, if you are financially comfortable, don’t be a scrooge and hold on so tightly to your money and time and love. If you do find yourself clinging too closely to your money, remember there may not be an angel to come show you the way through Christmas Eve night.

This post is meant to make you think a little bit about others and try to make you ponder your own circumstances. Please think very hard before you put yourself into a hole of debt that you cannot dig out of.

There are so many ways to live and live comfortable without all the many things that the world says you must have to be happy!

The only true happiness is one without stress, stress that bills and lack of money cause, so think about yourself, love others and learn to live within your means.

We all need to watch for the next person we see that is down on there luck and dead broke and remember “There but the grace of God go I!”