It's not difficult to empathize with the single mother who must buy medicine for her sick child. Or the father of a large family whose car just broke down for the fourth time.
Desperate situations call for desperate action.
The key may be, as attorney John Ventura suggests, changing one's condition rather than existing from paycheck to paycheck. Shop for the lowest cost credit available from cash advances on credit cards, small loans from a credit union or a small loan company. Consider asking your employer for an advance or turning to friends or family when an emergency arises. Put in writing a good faith agreement to pay them back by a certain date. Some community-based organizations may make small business loans to individuals.