I'm in US. Going to start when I first moved out on my own, almost a decade ago, I was single and was unable to afford food while working 2 jobs(grocery stocker and fast food something). I smoked cigarettes' and drank coffee to keep my hunger away. My now wife moved in with me. I told her I just needed a roommate to help keep up with bills. She applied for foodstamps about 3 months into it and that was the first time I could afford food and rent ($350).
A year later we're pregnant. I had moved to being a pizza delivery driver and we still need foodstamps to get by. My daughter was about 8 months when the restaurant closed. We ended up moving in with family.
After a year of that, we come up with the idea to go to college. My wife had one in mind that was 3 cities over and a 5 hour drive. I took off one day to find a job and an apartment. Total success. Move my family across state. Put myself through college delivering, still needed foodstamps and the college loans were the only thing helping my life make sense. My wife at this point didn't drive ever and I was picking up my daughter and dropping her at daycare (This was 1 1/2 years later and she was about 3 at the time.) I landed a job straight out of college(Feb 2019), it didn't last long because the manager sucked. I then ended up bouncing from job to job for a full year. Super stressful when I was the only one that could pull off holding down a job at the time(wife still wouldn't drive for another year).
I landed a job I liked(Oct 2020). I was told that the manager was getting ready to retire. I thought things were going to work out finally. I work there for 6 months, taking on more work than I should be comfortable with. CEO promises me a raise. CEO goes to prison. New CEO says I deserve a raise. fast forward 18 months my boss is getting more and more toxic and I finally get a 3% raise after holding out for 18 months(I like what I do, doing it safely without people breathing down my neck is above getting paid top dollar). Manager/boss declares he's isn't going to retire( I would've taken his job). I've been looking for another job for 6 months at that point. Land a job with a government contractor. Get paid top dollar for SIGNIFACANTLY less work. Am eating peanuts still because it's a scary world.