<prompt> Human: I come from generations of people in poverty. I now have a wife and a child. We are still living pay check to pay check and struggle to even live off of that, how do you break the cycle? How do you break the chains? My mom was sold for sex to local guys when she was a kid and lived in ruins, my dad came from almost nothing as well, i was raised watching my father struggle just to put food on the table ..I live and respect them for doing everything that they did to provide for me, but I do not wish the same for my daughter or my wife. Any one know how to break the cycle?  <response>: I was going to say 1. Dont have kids until you are financially secure, because kids cost a lot of money childcare, housing, medical, etc. Since that is off the table, instead I will say...1. Dont have additional kids. 2. Avoid childcare for the kid you have. If you dont have a relative to take care of your kid for free it may be best for the lowest earning spouse to become a home daycare provider assuming you can make more money watching kids than you can working another job and paying daycare costs.3. Stay out of unnecessary debt. Its really hard to dig yourself out of a hole. Do whatever you can to stay away from paycheck places and credit card debt. This goes for excessive student debt too. 4. Dont get stuck in the multiple low-paying job situation. The end goal is to shoot for something that pays decently. Keep applying until something sticks. You will probably need school or training. Online or at night will probably be your best bet. If not, short-term would probably be better. Check your local unemployment office for opportunities for short-term paid training or board certification organizations for lists of short-term programs. ETA: Even if you dont go to school, you or your wife have to try your best to leverage your experience into the highest paying job you can. Dont be afraid to apply for jobs that you dont meet all the requirements for. 