As a early 20-something I starved for 3-days due to no money for food until payday finally hit and we could get our ramen and other super cheap food stuffs to get by on. That was between HS and early college when I wasn't sure what I was going to do with myself and the early jobs just weren't cutting it. Thankfully my GF (now wife) was not only beautiful but smart and pushed us into college. 20 years later, let's just say I don't even think about money really, let alone how I'm going to eat.

$40,000 in debt coming out of college a couple years ago, and unable to find any full time work in the career I had chosen. Worked part time in my field, spent very little outside of necessary things. Still not where I want to be, but the debt is almost gone.

That's me in  6 months :). Least I get a degree eh.

When I moved to another city. Had to ask my father for some money cause my old landlord wasn't willing to pay back my security deposit in time for the new apartment.
So he owed me money and I owed my dad, so I was technically never in debt in my life.

Luck and blessing played no part in it, my family was poor, i just got off my ass and grafted, paper round and yard work till old enough to work, then full time night job while going through college and university (to pay for college and university).
At one point running two jobs in chain because the initial job switched from full time to part time.

Trouble is most people these days think they're owed something just for existing, and don't have the drive to get off their backsides and work for what they want.

I had to hide my car in a nearby neighborhood so it wouldn't be repossessed. Literally had to eat ramen noodles and other cheap food for a few months in the winter of 2002.

eh for me I have to go back to when I was a kid (ya you said not when you were a wee lad).

When I was 8 we were evicted from our home and our church let us live on the premises. Granted as an 8 year old this was pretty cool. We had a gym and playground at our disposal. As an adult I realize how desperate we really were.

2006 was bad for me after mortgage crash. Took me 7 months to find job. After I found work everything was ok again but life is very stressful when your unemployed.

2007 crash, made redundant, had no money left, joined the army. Get decently payed now.

Everybody should do what you did, then.

-The person looking for a job but can't find one because of where they were born

-The people who worked at a lucrative place for decades only to have it go out of business because the market changed

-The person who tried very hard in school but just barely passed

They should all do what you did instead of making bad decisions. Every person in retail, fast food, making minimum wage--they should all have made better decisions and quit feeling like they were owed something.

Hey, I feel you man. My family was extremely poor growing up. Now, I have two sisters that are teachers, one who is a nurse, and I work at a nuclear power plant. Virtually no debt, great credit score, my own land with my own house, etc. Alot of things feel into place and luck even played a part in it. I worked two full time jobs, as well. There are people who were way more motivated than me doing a lot worse than I am. It's just the way the world is. I don't regret or feel guilty about being successful.

I'm still blessed and lucky, though. Doesn't mean anything was handed to me. When I see people struggling, I think "That could have been me." or "That used to be me."