$25k per year is plenty of money to have a decent car+insurance+a decent place to live. It's no surprise that a limousine liberal such as yourself has now idea how to live well with a $25k budget.
Maybe it's because I don't live in the woods. Maybe not everyone lives in a depressed area of the country. Maybe where I live, the average price for a
one bedroom is $1,395/month, and it's illegal to have more than two people + 1 infant living in it. I couldn't make that, plus food, thrift-store clothing, misc expenses, any kind of medical care, at all, electric bills, and still get a car that would pass inspection, plus fees, taxes, insurance and still be able to put gas in it. And the less spent on the car, the more on repairs. I've lived in destitution. That is destitution in this area. I wouldn't take that just to have a long vacation. Not on your life. Bring it up to $50k and I'd take it -- spend that time getting an advanced degree, one class at a time.
A single mom with children would be
lucky to find a 2 bedroom, even in a bad neighborhood, for less than $1200/month. That alone is 14,400 out of your 25k, leaving you with 12 k to feed & cloth herself and the two kids, get medication for them when they're sick, and find a car, gas and insurance. Food will cost you at least 2k for the year, bringing it down to 10k. Even at thrift stores, clothing for an adult and 2 kids will be at least 500/year, leaving you with 9.5. Healthcare for the two kids would be around a grand a year, so 8.5.
And if
anything goes wrong, you're screwed because you could possibly save on that.