Exhausted Woman Doesn't Understand Why She Can't Afford Rent Despite 'Cutting Back On Eating' To Pay Her Bills
Sadly, her struggles are not uncommon.
Basicdog / Shutterstock It's no secret that the current economic crisis has made life much more difficult. Prices have risen on nearly everything, whether it's groceries or clothing, and almost everything in between.
And TikToker Ora Hardesty is no exception. She shared on the platform that she's struggling to eat and afford rent.
Hardesty questioned why she couldn't afford to pay her bills after her rent increased by $500.
Hardesty's video is not only hard to watch but also completely relatable.
Crying on the floor in a state of sheer desperation, Hardesty candidly revealed, "This is the first month I won't be able to afford rent."
She explained her dilemma centered around the fact that her rent had increased from $1,300 to $1,800 per month.
“I am not a rich person. I don’t have a lot of stuff,” she said. “I have basic household necessities... I don’t have a lot of lavish things.”
In the past, Hardesty said she always found a way to cut back on spending and budget to ensure her bills were paid, but this latest rent increase made cutting back even more impossible. Like most Americans, she confessed to feeling overworked and underpaid.
“You don’t catch a break when you grow up poor,” Hardesty shared.
She insisted that her dream was simple: to live with her cats in peace. She went so far as to implore viewers to help make her TikTok viral in the hopes of earning some extra cash.
Viewers were less than sympathetic to Hardesty's strife.
Instead of sympathizing, most commenters were critical of Hardesty, seemingly convinced that her circumstances were of her own doing. One went so far as to question her employment status.
“I just came back from work,” Hardesty said while showing off her uniform.
Another suggested finding a man to support her, but Hardesty wasn't interested in that lifestyle and was adamant that relationships should be equal partnerships.
“I want to be the breadwinner. I want to take home all the bread and eat it,” she teased. “We’re both going to get that bread at the end of the day somehow, or another way.”
Even her self-care routine was questioned as if anyone should feel guilty for prioritizing their well-being.
The current economic climate should be common ground for understanding and empathy.
Hardesty's struggles are sadly not unique.
Despite data that shows rent is no longer rising at alarming rates and has actually been in a slow steady decline over the last eight months, nearly half of U.S. tenants are still struggling to pay. That's an alarming statistic and one that proves Hardesty's financial concerns are not limited to her unique set of circumstances.
The sad reality is that despite the collective financial crisis, people are still willing to point the finger at individuals for their money problems. Hardesty is not struggling to afford rent because she got her nails done, and that rhetoric is both alarming and damaging.
Instead, we should be helping each other when we can. And if financial help isn't an option, at the very least we should be offering a sympathetic ear.
Lauren Reams is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news.