A Gen X mom makes $25,000 at Applebee's and can only afford one meal a day. She's one of many Americans who live paycheck to paycheck but don't qualify for government help.

Fri, 04/26/2024 - 10:45

Woman in a grocery story holding an empty basket — More Americans are becoming ALICEs — people who are asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed but struggle to afford rent and groceries. The subject of the story is not pictured above.
Oscar Wong / Getty Images

Cherie Tobias, 48, lives above the poverty line but struggles to afford necessities, like food.
She's considered an ALICEs — asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed.
Tobias makes $25,064 as an Applebee's server but can't pay for medicine and electricity.

Cherie Tobias, 48, hasn't been grocery shopping in over a year because she can't afford it.

She's a server at an Applebee's in Hastings, Michigan, and works at least 40 hours a week for $25,064 annually, per documents viewed by Business Insider. Still, Tobias said people "aren't tipping like they used to," and most of the time, she can only afford one meal a day.