To live on 30k a year where i live, I have to give up nearly everything

I live in a small town with a population of 9,000. There is one grocery store opened from 8am-8pm that does not stock anything but basic food staples. We have to drive an hour for anything else. <br><br>To live on 30k a year where i live, I have to give up nearly everything- I have to either give up my car, or get a new job. <br><br>To live on 30k a year I am supposed to spend no more than 20% of my income on my car or transportation, so that is a maximum of 500 a month. <br><br>My car is about to break down for good. I am driving it to the junk yard on the day i pick up my new car. I am getting my car financed because if i pay cash i wont have any money for a car if this one dies. <br><br>The cheapest car in town that can be financed for 60 months for 300 or under a month is a 2019 kia with 30,000 miles. If i get this car, my car payment will cost 260 a month, full coverage insurance for me is 50 a month, the cheapest i have found. <br><br>I am in the middle of the road for car insurance pricing. So between insurance, gas, repairs, and car payment, we are already up to 500 a month. <br><br>I have calculated gas based on 15,000 miles driven a year. Which seems to be high. That is whats averaged for a new college grad with a commute. I dont have half that mileage. <br><br>I wont be surprised if i can get by with less than that. But i really doubt it will be as low as some of you are suggesting. <br><br>Because I am below minimum wage, and have been since the first of the year, i cant afford a car payment. And i cant afford to drive a 15 year old car and rely on it to get to work. I make half minimum wage when i dont get tips. So if i dont have tips, i dont have money to buy gas, so i cant drive. <br><br>But i dont have a reliable car to drive, so i have to worry about breaking down, and not being able to afford to fix it, and not being able to afford a new car. If i dont have a reliable car, then i shouldnt have to pay a car payment. <br><br>If i have to pay a car payment, i should have a reliable car that will last a long time. And i should have a job with enough income that i will be able to afford to pay for repairs. I dont have either. <br><br>I need a new car. I need to be able to pay a car payment. I need a job that pays more or a way to afford a car with a lower payment. Or i need a lot more tips. Or i need to budget my money better. I need one of those things.<br><br>So i guess i need to give up my car? I need to either give up my job or give up my car.<br><br>I also need to give up my phone, either give up my phone or give up my job. A phone is another thing that has to be financed in order for it to be affordable. I have a flip phone! But i need a flip phone. The cheapest phone you can get is a plan for 100 a month or a phone for 100 plus 30 a month. So it seems either way a phone costs 100 a month. <br><br>I have to work 30 hours on minimum wage to afford my phone. But i dont work 30 hours a week. So either i give up my phone or my job. <br><br>Or i need to give up my apartment and get a roommate and give up some more of my life or i need a new job. But i am all out of career options where i live. Even if i get a job that pays a little bit more, i still cant afford everything that i need to live.