<prompt> Human: Hi.I budgeted badly this last two weeks and overspent. That being said, I am out my 100 for the week coming up, and I need to buy groceries, laundry soap, etc. Any reason I shouldnt get a payday loan? There is room in the budget next week to pay back the entire amount and not run out of cash. Especially since I will be travelling for work, so my food, etc expenses are covered.Suggestions for an alternative? I am too embarrassed to ask for money from parentscoworkers, so I think that option is out.  <response>: Okay, Im going to give advice from a little different perspective from some of the other posts here. Ive taken a payday loan before, a few years ago. Im not going to bore you with the details except to say that life sucks and throws curveballs and absolutely wrecked my emergency fund and left me high and dry. However, I took that payday loan knowing exactly how much I was going to have to pay back and knowing that my budget could accommodate it. Do you? Im looking at ACE Cash Express, theyre pretty average for the industry and a common one to use since you can do everything online and get a same or next day direct deposit. Here is their rate chart pdf The minimum finance amount is 200 for a 2 week loan. In the end you will pay back 250.76. If you didnt have 100 this week, how will you comfortably have that extra 50 next week? Payday loans suck every single time, but I do think that sometimes they have their uses. Failure to budget for groceries is not one of them, however, because thats just adding fuel to the fire. You dont need 100 to get through the week. Your clothes can come clean with a drop of dish soap in the tub. Id bet money that if you looked in your pantry right now you could find something to cook. You might not enjoy it, and you are probably going to have to work for it, but itll eat. If you dont have that, look around and find something to pawn. Or just suck it up and ask your parents, its not really that much, and I guarantee a loan from them isnt going to cost you 50 in interest and fees. 