Single mom living on food stamps shares why she has no retirement plans at the age of 41

As the days go by, the economy is pushing middle-class and poorer sections of society into a ditch of financial crisis that is hard to navigate. Married couples are struggling to pay their bills with two sources of income and single parents are facing worse circumstances. So, a single mother—who goes by @my_untold_secret on TikTok—took to the community to share her woes about how she has zero retirement plans at the age of 41.

"I am 41 years old and I have no savings for retirement," she stated at the beginning of her video. "I've spent the last 10 or 12 years being a broke single mom and at times living off of food stamps." Anytime she was making some financial progress, the unfortunate mom had to face certain setbacks. She is currently in a $14,000 credit card debt and $83,000 in student debt loan. The mom doesn't even have a master's degree despite attending the University of Phoenix, where she got scammed.

"I am hoping to get my University of Phoenix loan forgiven, but that is still pending," she continues. "I still owe $27,000 in loans because I ended up going to a brick-and-mortar school. So, I don't know when I am ever going to retire. I plan on dying in my cubicle." To give a little backstory about how she ended up in this situation, the mom made another video and elaborated on her transition from a traditional "trad" wife to a single mom. "I was 19 years old when I got pregnant. When our daughter was a week old, we just eloped at the courthouse," she explained. "My job was to be a wife and a mom. I wasn't supposed to have any time or any thoughts about doing anything other than that."

She had no regrets about having kids early in her life but expressed her regret for choosing the wrong husband. As a young mother, she had low self-esteem and had no other purpose than managing the household and taking care of the children. Her husband not only belittled her but also never left any opportunity to mock and make fun of her for the smallest things. The mom admitted that she had no voice even when she left her abusive husband and set on a new journey. With the financial security from her husband gone, the single mother knew she had to face the consequences.

Single moms and those buried in debt and living off food stamps sympathized with this mother in the comment section and even shared their own stories. @gh005tie wrote, "I'm 41 with a bachelor's degree and 20 years of experience with two separate careers and zero retirement. Welcome to the club." @tegucci1995 advised, "Start a Roth IRA. I started last year and set it to invest aggressively. It's never too late. Now I have something to show for and it's only been one year. I'm in my 40's." @jennyjofrench quipped, "I am 62, raised three boys on my own, we always lived from paycheck to paycheck, so I have no savings, no retirement, nothing."

@islandgirlinmanhattan remarked, "Wiser words were never spoken. I realized soon after marriage, which is unfortunate that I had picked the wrong dad. And I was determined not to have kids with him. We are getting a divorce now." @wwwjbd43 worried, "The saddest part is you still have to protect the kids from him. I have a feeling he uses your dislike for him against your kids by your words." @love11..11 added, "Ladies, don't ever stay home. It's a huge setback and if you do it, get back to work as soon as you can."

You can follow @my_secrets_untold on TikTok for more videos on life, work and single motherhood.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 24, 2024. It has since been updated.