I understand the money thing and how it affects a person. I tend to vary radically in my income, on a graph it would look like a large zigzag the last 20 years. I have had money problems so bad that someone giving me a postage stamp nearly made me cry, and then a couple years later drove a corporate luxury car as mine and made more income than I would have dreamed of.
I've never been particularly good with money, and I've nearly always worked in entrepreneurial firms, usually start-ups. Money is hard, minimal, sometimes late, work is long, stress is high, nature of the jobs. Then sometimes you make a lot. No risk, no glory, basically. Anyway, so I've spent a lot of my life being pitiful in the financial zone, and even now at the age of 38 I really suck at keeping a proper budget. This is mostly because my minimum bills exceed my income, so I end up paying what I have to and what is screaming loudest.
Living check to check--and with no guarantee of job continuance for sure--and it sucks. I know.
For whatever reason, that doesn't make me eat.
However, my father visiting and doing his Critical Disapproving Act can put me in the give-me-food mode in about 7 seconds flat!
So I guess it's a different trigger for everybody.
One thing to consider is that age really shouldn't matter. I know in a way it does. But finances are heavily dependent on a person's situation--not only job, but home and car and for that matter, even where you are living. Sometimes they're worse than usual, sometimes they are ok. It does not make YOU a personal failure, regardless of age, if your income isn't meeting the cost of living in your area.
I used to work 2 and 3 jobs regularly. When I wanted more money, it never occurred to me to scrimp, I just figured I needed to work more. A part time job might be good for you, if you have the energy. It doesn't have to be 20 hours, you can probably find something just one or two nights a week. I've done nearly every job imaginable since I was 15, and never been too proud to sweep the floor at a beauty parlor or sell cokes at a 7-11 or make posters for the blood bank or do data entry or reception work on weekends for a car lot or whatever, if I needed extra money. It was usually good experience, a little extra exercise, and the extra income, even if small, really helped.
PJ