“Have Faith”: Woman Gets Real About Food Struggle Before Payday As Empty Fridge Shows Reality

• A young woman opened up about the reality of living payday to payday, showing her empty fridge with only bread, eggs, and cheese left
• She explained how social media creates false expectations that young people should have everything figured out when they move out, but the reality is different
• South Africans related to her vulnerability, with many sharing their own struggles

A young woman has struck a chord with South Africans after getting brutally honest about the financial struggles most people face before payday. The video, shared by content creator @tinyyy_12 on 28 September 2025, shows the reality of living payday to payday that many people experience but rarely talk about online.

In her emotional and raw video, the woman opens her fridge to show viewers just how empty it is. With only bread, eggs and cheese left, she explains that while she has no meat in her freezer and hasn't been paid yet, she's still grateful because her partner Joshua and she will have something to eat that night.

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The content creator shared the video to show young people and anyone struggling that it's okay not to have everything figured out. She explained how social media creates a false reality where people think they should have full cupboards and everything sorted the minute they move out of their childhood home, but that's simply not the case for most people.

She opened up about her shopping habits, explaining that she doesn't buy from expensive stores like Woolworths unless it's for someone else. Instead, she looks for deals at Checkers and avoids Pick n Pay because it can be pricey. When buying meat, she searches for the cheapest alternatives and splits portions to make them last longer.

The young woman mentioned that staying grateful is what helps her and Joshua get through tough times. Even when they're down to five watts of electricity, not knowing if they can buy more the next day, they always remind themselves that their rent is paid, there's fuel in the car, and they have a roof over their heads.

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SA relates to the food struggle before payday

The comments section was filled with South Africans sharing their own struggles and offering encouragement:

@its_Lana.xo✿♡ shared hope:

"Last month we had no money to buy groceries after debt, I left it in God's hands, 2 weeks after payday I got a reward of R3000 at work, God sustains us till the next payday... God's got you, Hun."

@Sharkie stated:

"I am there, too, it is tough, but God truly does provide."

@Goitsemodimo agreed:

"September was such a rough month for everyone."

@Flower said gratefully:

"It's Sunday, we had bread with jam and peanut butter. I'm grateful that there was something."

@Nomsa Malitsatsi revealed:

"I'm grateful to God, just started working and l don't have transport money, so I walk to and from work every day, and I'm grateful whenever I'm walking to work he keeps me safe."

@Elaine Frysenburg agreed:

"Electricity is super expensive, seriously."

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Understanding hand-to-mouth living

According to research done by Princeton University, 30 to 40 per cent of households live hand-to-mouth, consuming all of their disposable income. Interestingly, two-thirds of those households fall into a category described as the "wealthy hand-to-mouth" with median incomes around $40,000 a year.

Content creator @tinyyy_12 shared a clip showing the reality many face where they find themselves short on cash for daily expenses. The research found that households with the lowest liquid wealth tend to spend large parts of any extra income they receive because they're constantly managing tight budgets, making plans with limited resources, and staying grateful for what they have.

View TikTok clip below:

Other cost of living stories in SA

• Briefly News recently reported on a Johannesburg man who shared tips for cutting electricity costs, but what he revealed about switching from downlights to one lamp could save something that had people rushing to ask where to buy the equipment.
• A couple compared the cost of living in South Africa versus Zimbabwe, but the price differences on basic items like toilet paper and cheesecake had people suggesting a business idea that could make a 100% profit.
• South African prices from the 1980s went viral and left Mzansi in disbelief, but what really shocked people wasn't just groceries but something about big purchases that showed how much things have changed.

Source: Briefly News