Without a job , California woman forced to live a lieThis story started on CNN iReportBy Christina Zdanowicz , CNNSeptember 24 , 2011 -- Updated 0640 GMT ( 1440 HKT ) Sukhraj Beasla , 30 , was earning up to $ 70 , 000 a year before she was laid off two years ago . STORY HIGHLIGHTSSukhraj Beasla , 30 , lost her job as a bank manager two years ago Her parents still tell their friends she ' s gainfully employed Figures show the poverty rate in the U . S . is at its highest since 1993 Living slightly above the national poverty rate , Beasla still struggles to make ends meet ( CNN ) -- Sukhraj Beasla ' s parents boast that their successful daughter works at a bank . The problem is that it ' s all a lie -- she was laid off more than two years ago . The tentacles of this lie taunt her , adding to mounting familial pressure to get it together . When Beasla visits her parents in Northern California and they go out to dinner or their temple , they brag right along with the other parents . Beasla has no choice but to play along with the lie . " I have to go there and tell them I was able to get my next promotion and that I ' m on track and that there ' s no way the company would let me go because I ' m such a valuable asset and all this bulls ***," Beasla said . Beasla , who is 30 , has been living off part - time work since she lost her job in February 2009 as a project manager and later as a trust manager for LaSalle Bank . She earned an annual salary between $ 65 , 000 to $ 70 , 000 and was about to be promoted to an assistant vice president , but layoffs came instead . Now she ' s making roughly $ 1 , 200 in a bad month and $ 2 , 000 when times are good . Her estimated yearly income will be from $ 15 , 000 to $ 25 , 000 this year . Share your story : How are you coping with tough times ? Last week , new census data showed the nation ' s poverty rate rose to more than 15 % , the highest level since 1993 . More than 46 million Americans are now considered in poverty , 2 . 6 million more than last year . Beasla is still earning enough to keep her above the official national poverty line , which is $ 11 , 139 a year for an individual . But her income barely covers her living expenses in Orange County , where the cost - of - living index is higher than the state or national average . " I will overdraft my account if I have a bad month , " she said . " It sucks because it will mean stocking up on Ramen ( noodles ) . " She ' s online all day promoting various clients for a social media marketing agency . Babysitting , dog walking , tutoring and a collection of random jobs occupy her nights and weekends . It ' s enough to give her 40 to 50 hours of work every week , including weekends , but it ' s not always enough to cover the rent . She ' s paying $ 1 , 300 a month for her one - bedroom apartment in Lake Forest , California . That ' s just under the average monthly rent for Orange County , which is $ 1 , 400 , according to city - data . com . See where U . S . poverty is increasing As all of her work is part - time , she has no benefits . Insurance of any kind is too expensive , she said . She ' s strictly living off what she makes and has not received any assistance from the state since her unemployment benefits ran out in 2010 . She has found creative ways to survive . " I ' ll sell stuff on Ebay to get by , " said Beasla . " I ' ll call for extensions on Internet so I can do my job at home . I can ' t really be without Internet . " Lentils last forever Cutting back and sacrificing more than ever , Beasla has made do with her daily expenses . Going hungry in AmericaLiving with no paycheck for two yearsMalnourished children in AmericaShe leaves her car at home and walks wherever she can -- gas is hovering at $ 4 a gallon in her area . Basic TV , not cable , is free and there ' s always Hulu or the chance to watch cable while she ' s babysitting at night . When friends ask to go out for happy hour , she persuades them to go to Denny ' s or a place where she can afford to spend a few dollars and treat herself . She eats at home whenever possible and tries to buy groceries only once a month . " I look at the Pennysaver religiously and look at ads and decide how many meals I can make , " she said . " I have a book on one - person meals and I make it stretch . I invested in a couple good cookbooks like that . " Lentils last forever and , when mixed with some onions and spices over rice , Beasla says they make a nice meal . Potatoes , frozen food and canned soup , give her a variety of dinner options . Beasla has found happiness in eating on the cheap and blogging about it . Her goal is to write about single meals with a " fresh perspective on Indian food . " But for now , she says , the ingredients are just too expensive . " I ' ve discovered I have this real passion for food and it was born out of this unemployment phase , " she said . " I ' m really enjoying talking about food and my journey through food . If I could , I would travel and write about food . " Parental pressure Beasla , who holds a degree in marketing , took control of her situation shortly after she was laid off in 2009 and launched her own social media business . After a year , her business went under . She had a heart - to - heart talk with her father one night over dinner about how her business had hit a rut . The words that came out of his mouth stung , she said . "' God , you ' re 30 years old and I really expected you to be somewhere right now , '" he told her disappointedly , she recalled . Her mother jumped in with a solution : Marry a doctor and she ' d be set . Family and friends question what she ' s been doing with her time and blanket her with advice like this all the time . " Every day it ' s a challenge and I ' m trying to figure out what to do . I ' m looking for work here or abroad or out of state , " she said . " I appreciate all the help , but I ' m out there working . It ' s not like I ' m not working . " A year - and - a - half after being laid off , Beasla submitted her story to iReport . It was right after her unemployment benefits ran out in summer 2010 , but she said she was still smiling . " I ' ve just found that if I stay positive , I know that eventually I ' ll be back on my feet again and I won ' t have to worry about the next unemployment check , where the money is coming from , or what I ' ll have to cut back on , " she told CNN last year . Now , sadness and frustration have sunken in . She ' s not quite so optimistic anymore . " I ' m still fortunate to have a roof over my head and make do with what I can , but I miss having a decent job and being on track with my life , " she said . " No one really understands you when you ' re poor and can ' t get by . Most of my friends say , ' I don ' t know what I would do if I was you . ' This isn ' t very comforting . " Even my own parents are ashamed of what has happened to me . " A ' black hole ' of job applications Beasla sends out 30 to 50 resumes each day via networking site LinkedIn but wonders if they get sucked into a " black hole . " She ' s targeting marketing and social media work , but has also applied for jobs in the automotive and manufacturing industries , where she held previous positions . She has also tried the retail and reception desk routes , but she ' s been shot down for these minimum - wage jobs because she ' s overqualified . Every day it ' s a challenge . .. I ' m out there working . It ' s not like I ' m not working . -- Shukhaj Beasla , 30 , unemployed " I ' ve been to Starbucks , Nordstrom or places in the mall like Yankee Candle , and they ' ll look at my resume . ' You ' ve done all these different things . Why would you want to work here ? Will you actually want to stay here ? '" they ask . Some employers then say that they are looking for high school or recent college grads , people who they can train who will likely stick around longer , she said . But for Beasla , all she really needs is a job . " Nothing is beneath me , " she said . " I ' m doing what I need to do to survive . " Beasla wishes there was an outlet for people struggling to get back to a steady income . A catalog of local businesses that helps people get back on their feet and a forum where people can encourage each other to keep trying would be nice , she said . After Beasla posted an update on her unchanged employment situation on iReport , she found some solace knowing that she ' s really not as alone as she feels . " I was looking at all of these comments and there are all these people who are worse than I am or in the same position and they weren ' t always like this , " she said . " We need something . We need answers . "