How do I get a woman when I cannot support her financially?

Josh writes, "I worked with a woman for over a year and during that time we developed a very close friendship. We talked about everything, even things deemed inappropriate by some people. As time went by I started to have feelings for her; soon those feelings turned to love but during this time I found out she had a boyfriend. Needless to say I was upset. Through a mutual friend I learned that she has feelings for me and her boyfriend but is torn between us. The only advantage this guy holds over me is that she lives with him and if she moved out she'd have no place to go. I would love for her to be with me but I recently moved back with my parents to help them out financially, so it's not possible at the moment. I know she's not happy with him; he never acknowledges her as his girlfriend to anyone. In fact he dumped her once already because of their age difference; she's 45 and he's 34 but they got back together. In my opinion he doesn't deserve her; he treats her more like a maid than a girlfriend. I'm just 24; I know I'm a lot younger than her but to me age is nothing but a number. I honestly don't know what to do. I want to be with her so much that it hurts but at the same time her happiness is more important and in the end that's all that matters."

You are in a very difficult situation. You are literally half her age, she is not single at the moment, and you are unable to provide what she needs now (a boyfriend who can also provide her with a place to live).

Do you really want to be with a woman in a relationship?

On one hand, I think that you should simply maintain a friendship with her, considering that she is a nice person, but the idea of a real, long-term relationship is a risky one (I don't like dating desperate women and she is desperate). You are young and romantic and I am sure that you will meet a lot of better women (both young and old) who are also single so that you two can date freely.

How to be with a woman who is not independent and unavailable?

On the other hand, if you think that this is the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with, be patient. Tell her so and ask her to be patient while you build the financial cushion you need to move out of your parent's home and then invite her to live with you and eventually marry her.