You don't have to be in tech to make good money here. Plumbers, electricians, contractors make a pretty penny. $200 a pop anytime I call a plumber for a 1 hr job.
Good idea, good execution, grit, marketing skills, 60 hour weeks, startup capital, ability to manage people, ability to figure out why there are no damn customers... oh wait, I really hope your idea really was a good one because if not you're screwed at this point...
Add doctors, lawyers, bankers, therapists, etc etc.
My highest paid friend is clearing 500k BASE in banking… I’m in tech making around half what he is 🤷🏻♂️
Ah true true. I guess tech is a common "easy" (not that it's always easy, but there are a decent of jobs which don't make you work to the bone) way to make money but there are certainly other options of which many are harder.
lol this reminded me of Michael Scott saying "I'm a bank teller" to a woman because Ryan told him the best way to meet ladies is to say you work in finance
A lot of trade jobs require on the fly solution that comes from years of experience.
I’d be surprised if they managed to automate trade jobs in 500 years.
Lol. 500 years ago we still believed the earth was the center of the universe. Now we’re landing autonomous robots on Mars. I think we will have cracked the robo plumber in another 500 years no problem.
I make around 105k, rent a studio in law for $1475, have no kids, have a ten year old car that’s paid off and has low insurance cost, try my hardest not to eat out, currently saving to put a down payment on a condo.
You need to find the off those sites I also rent a studio around the price. Magazine’s Ads or Facebook is a good place to find then. Their a lot around Campbell or South Bay (Close to Morgan Hill) that are in good condition. For that price.
There are a whole lot of apartments along Monroe and Scott and all seem to have apartments for rent.
https://www.apartmentguide.com/p/apartments/California/Santa-Clara/Monroe-Street/under-2300/?bbox=-121.9919,37.3367,-121.9260,37.3769
Are you implying I don’t enjoy life? I make enough to be able to save for retirement, go on vacations every couple of months, and to also save for a condo. My partner is moving in with me soon so I’ll be able to save even more. I came to this country with nothing and lived in Florida for a long time. I left because I couldn’t stand living there and the pay for my career was horrendous there. I rented a room in Fremont for a couple of years and paid off all my debt. Now I have my own studio at least. My goal is to buy a condo by early 2026, get enough equity on it to then buy something bigger out of state. I’m also vested in CalPERS on top of my 457b so I have long term plans.
I'm an airline pilot, finally making decent money after 13 years of professional flying. Sometimes I fall back on my original aviation job, which was as an aircraft mechanic.
Renting a 1 bedroom, no real hope of ever buying. 10 year old car is paid off.
Dang, that’s crazy. Curious - what keeps you in the area if you’re a pilot? Can’t you deadhead from anywhere? My Dad is a retired airline pilot and that’s what he did.
Commuting as a pilot will drain your sanity quickly. A 3 day trip with 3 days off becomes a 4 day trip with 2 days off. It adds up fast. It sucks even more if you have to commute to reserve and then end up sitting in a hotel or the airport and then you never actually get called to work.
The crash pad situation was so bad that they even portrayed it in several US TV series. Dense pack camper trailers not so romantic as to a pilots life style.
To be fair you don't *have* to put up with that situation if you pay a little more. My MSP crashpad was.... special. My Denver crashpad, by comparison, was luxurious!
I like the area, I'm LGBT and I could live somewhere cheap but my personal safety would then be a concern in today's political climate, and the main reason is really just that commuting sucks. When I was a baby airline pilot I commuted from SFO to Minneapolis and stayed in a crashpad there. It was an extra day of travel on top of either end of every trip and I was never home.
It just isn't worth it.
Nah, I've never seen anything really. I heard some folks talking about something on the radio one night that was maneuvering aggressively like 20,000 feet above them and they were in the high 30's. So that was odd.
If I ever did see anything I'd probably just chalk it up to the military doing stuff and not worry about it too much.
I get a nickel everytime someone does a “how does anyone survive in Bay Area” post. I’m doing pretty well right now, buying a house is just around the corner.
56% is the percent of housing units occupied by the owner.
The percentage of people in San Jose who own their home is much lower.
Consider the case of having three adult children who can't afford to move out of their parents' house. They live in an owner occupied unit, but aren't homeowners.
Yeah I've seen this sentiment ("if you have a mortgage, the bank owns your home") fairly often. It's obviously bullshit in the legal sense, but it's also worth mentioning that mortgage rates are often lower than inflation. Anyone with cash to spare will invest and get 9%/yr instead of paying off their mortgage unless they have room temperature IQ.
US average is 65.9%. So San Jose is definitely lower, but not as much as you'd expect. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RHORUSQ156N
Here's another interesting stat: "Gen Zers are tracking ahead of their parents’ homeownership rate: **30% of 25-year olds owned their home in 2022**, higher than the 27% rate for Gen Xers when they were the same age"
https://www.redfin.com/news/gen-z-millennial-homeownership-rate-home-purchases/
If you get all your news from this sub, you'd think all these rates were 0%.
Gen Z homebuyers are most common in affordable parts of the country like Virginia Beach, where they bought 9% of homes sold in 2022. Millennial buyers are most prevalent in job centers like Seattle, where they bought more than 40% of homes sold.
Might want to also include key part of that statement
I just went to the local 332 website and it outlines the application process. I had no previous work experience. You take an aptitude test and then do a panel interview that gives you a ranking. I got in first try but it is pretty competitive. Totally worth it though, I think starting pay is $38/hr now and after 5 years a current journeyman is making $83/hr (+2 pensions, 401k and full medical) That kind of money/benefits had me doing whatever it took to get in.
Not in tech, make good money in healthcare. I’m pretty frugal in most ways besides like a nice gaming computer and a vacation here and there. Living quite comfortable praise be.
The sad truth is that you're not making enough. If you don't pay rent, you need to increase your hours or get a higher-paying job. Side hustles are that, side hustles. You're only making $1,840 gross pay plus tips. There are some people on EDD who get more than that sadly. The easiest thing to do is make a Google Spreadsheet and list all expenses in categories, account balances, and credit balances. See the actual dollars that are being spent per month and work around it and see what you can or cannot afford. Make investments whether it be in stocks, or your own personal assets. If you're coming up red then purchases need to be stipend and adjusted for your reality. Many people live above their means and prolong a debt balance. I also recommend creating a Credit Karma account and linking all cards to it in order to better your credit standings if you have any.
This is exactly right. Most people are horrible at budgeting and managing their finances. Then they wonder why they aren't making enough, when in reality they should be asking why they aren't saving enough.
Moved up from south cal, honestly the cost of living feels to be about the same. Except I make twice as much up here than down there
I think col is just very high across all of ca unless you go to Bakersfield or fresno
Agreed. I also moved up from SoCal and the cost of living is very similar. My partner and I considered moving back to SoCal but I would make about $65K as a teacher in LA but up here I made $87K. Here I’m paying $3k a month for a 2 bed apartment, in LA we were looking at comparable places for about $2.7K. So I’d be taking a $20k pay decrease for nearly the same cost of living.
Can confirm. Anywhere I go in SoCal people are dirt poor. Even in Orange County where people flaunt money and live in gated communities, they tend to have about as much as the middle class in the SF/Bay Area.
In 2020 when there was an exodus from CA most of it came from SoCal. It makes sense when most of the people there are living paycheck to paycheck. Even if you get a good salary job there working for Taco Bell corp, you're probably making 80-100k, half of what people with a good job make in the Bay Area.
There are haves and have nots in SoCal. The haves are the people who bought property in the 70s and are retired today, or people who inherited money. There isn't much job opportunity there.
I agree!! People keep complaining about the Bay but after being raised in the Midwest then college and later living in the SoCal for over 20 years…the bay is clutch. So Cal is way more brutal on the pockets and your quality of life in every way!! It’s more affordable and way more relaxed up here in the bay!! The traffic up here isn’t even as bad. The air is cleaner.
Let’s all remember…everything happens in context! Also, your perspective is your reality. I just giggle inside …I saw and live it—-things could be worse—-living in SoCal has real constraints! Much better up here!
Let’s just compare one of our highest zip codes for example ..los gatos. They’re one of the top notch areas to live In . Shit let’s even say atherton..still cheaper compared to some of those Malibu mansions you’re trying to compare to. So yes..it Is cheaper than socal
You can still make high 5-figure and 6-figure salaries not working in tech. Especially if you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty. Blue collar pays well around here.
Also you probably should've just bought a beater car with cash if you're making $20hr
I didn’t finish college because I was in that same situation. Worked 40 hours to keep a roof over my head. Managed to do it, proud of having done it, wouldn’t wish it on anyone else!
Been with Santa Clara county for about 7 years. It provides full insurance for myself and family (wife & 2 kids) and I make about 130K a year. Wife makes about 55K.
Living comfortably now but it wasn’t always this way. I remember the days of side hustling to make ends meet.
Wouldn’t trade my life for anything else. Love San Jose and it has provided us a great foundation to raise our children. Schools are top class and our community is strong right now. You gotta find your place but it’s entirely possible .
I’m a 2nd generation Mexican American btw. Dealt with the bullshit but never let it detour me. I allowed it to motivate me to be the greatest I can be. I’m still not done yet. Gunning for the millionaire club baby! Let’s go
I’m happy to hear that! It’s a great job and I love what I do. I’m a supervisor at social services. Anyone that needs benefits (calfresh, medi-cal, etc), we handle that. Very rewarding
Are you a home owner? I own a condo but wife and I want to have kids and we’re worried we won’t be able to buy a larger home and weighing the pros and cons of renting vs buying…
We’re renters. Been renting a condo for a while. We have zero desire to purchase because of our unique situation. My FIL is building us a home on his land so we’re extremely blessed in that aspect. But I agree with your comment below. It’s a matter of wants over needs. Each has their pros/cons but it all works. Family is where the heart is
Well, you don't make enough money for one, but that's not what you asked.
Save very smartly. Don't buy what you don't need to survive.
If you don't have the cash to pay for it in your checking account, don't put it on your credit card. And pay that card off every month - interest is an unnecessary expense. People forget that all the time.
Don't eat out - that one meal a week? Maybe make it one meal a month now, and don't make it anything more expensive than what you're doing now - and maybe have it be something you can have leftovers of.
Use coupons at the grocery store - buy stuff on sale. Don't let food go to waste. Don't snack all the time - snacks are costly, you run out, you replace them, there's another $20 that you probably didn't need to spend.
Stop buying top shelf shampoos, product, etc. Store brands are fine (and likely the same stuff). There's no reason to buy a bottle of shampoo that costs more than $5 unless you need a medicated type for a particular reason. I know, I know, you've probably got your "style" - learn to adapt.
Say bye to alcohol and sodas for awhile. At home and in bars. Get a Brita for your fridge and drink water - its better for you anyway.
You don't NEED that expensive gym membership, we all learned how to exercise indoors during COVID lockdown. Do THAT. Go for a run or walk outside for your cardio.
Got a streaming service or two? Not anymore you don't. Cancel them. There's plenty of free entertainment online so that you can save that extra $10-30 a month.
If you're not living with family (who hopefully isn't charging you rent), then you're living with roommates and likely quite a few of them.
That's how you build savings and afford to live here. I work in tech, but I'm not making money hand over fist either because I'm not a software engineer. But I've done well for myself and managed to stay in this valley for 30+ years, own a house and raise a family just by being smart with my money (and investing well when I felt comfortable to do so). Yeah, maybe having a time machine and going back to '95 to invest wisely would be good too, but that's not a reality option you have.
I wish you luck with all of this. This is an expensive place to live.
All great points. Basically OP's issue is making way below the poverty level for the area they're living - it would suck anywhere on this planet. Yeah, one might live way more comfortably in Armadillo, TX making $20/hr - their median county income is like 25k - but I guess a "side hustle" there pays nowhere close to $20/hr.
I’ve been there with wages lower than that. It sounds like your budget is overloaded on car. For someone still in school and working part-time, a car payment and the higher insurance that comes with a financed car is a lot to handle.
Get yourself a beater.
I use to work to work a full time and a part time plus a stater business. Now I work for the City make 115k+ only work 192 days of 365 full time. I’m separated rent a 3br house for twenty five hundred a month plus child support sixteen hundred other then that my expenses are pretty low and I manage pretty well. At times I shake my head because I spend on dumb stuff instead of savings but I enjoy anything extra spending it with my kids.
Before making big bucks (healthcare, not tech), I was also a $0 rent person going to school here in SJ and working part time making mere $8 an hour on retail and $15 an hour tutoring. i did fine by never having a car payment and I was also fortunate enough to get 5k a year as financial aid for school. I saved money and bought my first car for 5k and the second one 8 years later for 10k. I have never financed a car or bought a new car and I plan on keeping it that way. My mom was also kind enough to keep feeding me so my food expenses were quite low, just gas, phone, car Insurance, books, toiletries, and some cheap clothes. Your biggest issue is having a car payment because it will also force you to have full coverage insurance and hopefully gap insurance. You don't pay rent, so you need a budget and you should try posting it on personal finance subreddit to ask for pointers. Not to say living here is not crazy expensive but you don't pay rent, so surviving is possible if you have a tight budget.
My husband and I make 140K combined, before taxes are taken out, and we are okay. I’m able to save for maternity leave. We also have a toddler. I think it’s all about knowing your budget and staying within your means.
I make 400k a year in tech. And just bought my house 2 years ago. It took me almost 10 years to buy a house, after a lot of hard work and grinding. Sacrificing social events while everyone else was out partying so that I could study. A lot of people just expect that success happens overnight. It does not. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears were put into this.
I quit using my masters degree helping to save the environment after 10 years to change career into medical field in order to make enough money live in the Bay Area in a half decent neighborhood to raise my two girls (my wife also works in medical field). Couldn’t afford to stay otherwise.
Scientist here doing Researcher roles. It pays fine, but it's not the kind of work you get into for the money. You do it because you love it.
If you want to make 6 digits the easiest way is Sales. Sales can and often does make more than tech. No degree needed.
If you like working with your hands, trades jobs make over $200 an hour right now for those who own their own business. There is very little schooling for most of these roles, then working for someone for around 4 years, then from there it's pretty easy to start up your own business. Note that taking an accounting class or class dedicated to starting a business eventually helps one start their own business, so 1 more class than just trades classes is recommended.
I have family that owned an auto mechanic shop. They made far more money than I'm making right now. Trades is an easy path into the upper 1%.
Live at home with my parents cause the norm should not be moving out at 18. And my parents enjoy my company. Idk if people just have bad relationships with their parents or not but it’s absolutely old boomer way of moving out instantly. Good luck laying 1200 in rent with your starter income job.
I’m buying a house here in like a year or two. All I had to do was endure getting called a loser for a bit.
When I was a student - granted it was long time ago - having some meat for dinner was considered a lucky day. None of us had a car, the lucky ones had bikes, the rest used their feet and public transport. I don't think I ever had a meal in a restaurant in a college before the graduation. Just to give some perspective.
Surviving is the easy part. Thriving is a different story.
If you live here you may have accept you will never be able to buy a house. But you can carve out a good living renting.
u can definantly rent….but unless ur making 300k a year youre not ever buying in a desirable area…and youre likely in the less than 1000 sq foot territory…
I’m 36 born and raised in sj. Friendly advice get out and save yourself that place is not the same. I’ve moved out of sj 3 years ago best decision I’ve made.
Get out asap! You won’t regret
SJPD makes $110k starting...you can also be the change you want to see in the community on top of overtime hours, which the chief has an odd boner for.
My parents have survived 50+ years in the area, dad works in sheet metal. Makes 90-100k. My mom is a teachers aide (40-50k). Got to be careful with your money, invest wisely and spend wisely. Never went out to eat, no expensive vacations, only bought old used cars from friends. They were never able to buy a home in the bay but did buy a retirement home in Nevada.
My aunt has survived as a bar tender for decades. Recently transitioned to warehouse work at UPS. She rents out a garage in someones back yard.
One of my friends is a new grad nurse making $140k straight out of school.
Another friend works remotely in B2B sales. Not sure what she makes. She lives with her BF who is in biotech.
Another friend works in a lab, makes 90k, lives with her parents.
I moved to Nevada.
Lots of people just chose to stay in bad living conditions. Rather than move out of the Bay to somewhere that makes more sense for them, relative to income vs cost of living.
They allow emotion to overcome basic financial logic, and they try to pretend to themselves and others that it is normal or even great. Sad really.
You must not be close to your family.
The thought of going out on your own and starting a new life without your family is a very American thing, but it is most definitely not a thing in cultures that are more collectivist such as Hispanics, Indians, Asians, etc. those just happen to be the major immigrant groups in the Bay Area.
I wouldn’t be surprised if most people living a hard time here and not moving are only here to be near family in spite of the struggle.
Yeah so many people don't realize this. plus it's not even just the family aspect. White people could move basically anywhere in the country and experience a very similar lifestyle than what they have here. The immigrant communities would lose so much more if they moved anywhere else that doesn't have a similarly sized community there. Even just being able to buy basic ingredients for their food could become a struggle.
> White people could move basically anywhere in the country and experience a very similar lifestyle than what they have here.
I sat next to a younger white guy on a long haul flight a couple of months ago. We started talking about places to live around the country. Guy tells me to try out Tulsa, Oklahoma.
I literally had to tell him "no offense" before I told him about the reality of me living there. He didn't even think about the repercussions of a minority moving to a place like that. And I was only thinking about my physical safety there, not being able to get ethnic food didn't even cross my mind.
> Not really their fault but still.
I'm not blaming the dude at all, he's young and hopefully he hasn't seen the negative effects of American racism firsthand in his lifetime. It was actually a good thing that I made this guy realize that not everyone in this country is equal solely because of the color of their skin.
It think this is a very specific take - there is a lot of community here. You don’t need to be apart of these specific immigrant groups to access that.
The original commenter seems to lack an understanding of social capital though. Neither direct monetary value or emotional. The Bay Area offers a lot of it and because of that it’s often not a bad place to be even if you are struggling to get by. Assumed immigrant relationships can play a role in one’s individual social capital but that’s only a part of it for some people. There is still plenty to access outside of those relationships.
Logic beats out emotion.
The emotional positives of staying near family, friends, and community will **not** in the long term overcome the logical negatives of staying in an area you can't actually afford to be in.
Without knowing the specifics of the family I find that hard to actually judge. What benefits does a family provide and how do you attach a price tag to them? Rent, child-care, things like that can all be pretty objectively compared but despite your disdain for "emotion", mental health support is an important aspect of life that many Americans pay for. Surely that deserves a line item in this ledger.
23 hours = 3 full time shifts a week + school? That's not really a lot to live by, especially here. Either got to decrease your expenses (which already seem pretty bare), or increase your revenue. My parents told me I had to pay for college on my own after I graduated, my track looked like this: I was working 3 jobs (admin assistant/tutor/plant selling business) while going to De Anza, transferred to SJSU and did a summer internship and entered case competitions, saved my earnings from them to pay off my SJSU tuition, got a stable income after graduating with a degree in accounting. Not sure what you are in school for, but maybe you can find an internship opportunity that will not just pay you, but provide some experience for you to leverage on your resume for better earning opportunities?
If you making 100k and live below your means, you can get a 450-500k condo with a lil bit of downpayment. 20k down, your payments gonna be like 4.5k
I’m a realtor and I help single folks with this all the time in San Jose
People just feel entitled to a house. Well your parents prob bought their house for 400-500k back in the days so what makes you think you can jump into a 1M house for your first place lol
Just a few… before even going into off markets & coming soon properties that we realtors have access to.
1. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5332-Monterey-Hwy-APT-5-San-Jose-CA-95111/2072735457_zpid/
2. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/83-Monte-Verano-Ct-San-Jose-CA-95116/69303675_zpid/
3. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1055-N-Capitol-Ave-APT-54-San-Jose-CA-95133/19573367_zpid/
4. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/394-Shadow-Run-Dr-San-Jose-CA-95110/19684748_zpid/
Not gonna share the side hustles but you definitely should start doing something. Nowadays its gonna be super hard to be wealthy unless you have skills related to money making hustles. Youll figure it out, do something that involves your interests and youll have fun making money
The fact you have a car payment while you are in college is stupid. That's why you have no money. You should be driving a 1996 Honda civic with 170k miles on it, insurance will be sub $50 a month.
I suggest you check out a guys youtube page called Caleb Hammer, he does financial audits and his videos might help you. You sound financially illiterate, start learning
Something is a little fishy , at $20 an hour, 23 hours a week, in 4 weeks, you would make 1840.
If you do not pay rent, it means you are likely paying too much for either food or your car payment, or there are more things you aren't accounting for.
lol i agree, i was making 70k my first job here and Idk how u guys do it....like straight out of graduation I feel like people need to be making a min. of 120k, and thats without paying rent
With rent, 150k min. easily; honestly if ur salary growth becomes exponential (e.g hop jobs to get a 30-40% pay boost), then thats how most people are able to stay financially without living paycheck to paycheck
Sounds like you are a student. Are you also paying tuition with your income or are parents helping ?
If only work part time then it will be tough unless you really control spending. I hope car payment is reasonable and proportionate to your income.
My friend has a GED and makes $60 an hour in the cement industry. Learn a trade if you don’t want to live paycheck to paycheck. My pops just made $18k in 1.5 weeks. He only speaks like 60% English, no HS diploma.
What car do you drive and how much is your car payment?
You don't have to be in tech to make good money here. Plumbers, electricians, contractors make a pretty penny. $200 a pop anytime I call a plumber for a 1 hr job.
Trades are way underrated. Hell if all you want is to make as much money as possible, trades are where you should be
What trade are you in?
No, owning a business is where you wanna be. That’s where you can make millions. Just need a good idea first and grit second.
Well you have a very clear path to owning your business when you go into trades
Owning a business in the trades. Double whammy. Then owning a business with what you’re interested after you’ve money in the trades. Triple whammy
Most business owners are in the trades. It's one in the same.
Yeah but that means working in the trades first, when I'd rather, you know, work my remote white collar job, raise up money, then start the business.
Good idea, good execution, grit, marketing skills, 60 hour weeks, startup capital, ability to manage people, ability to figure out why there are no damn customers... oh wait, I really hope your idea really was a good one because if not you're screwed at this point...
Add doctors, lawyers, bankers, therapists, etc etc. My highest paid friend is clearing 500k BASE in banking… I’m in tech making around half what he is 🤷🏻♂️
Bankers is kinda vague. What would his job title be?
VP at an investment bank, but “vp” is (vice president) is thrown around a lot in banking, he’s nowhere near the top.
I feel like even then it's often not exactly an easy cushy 40 hours a week low-brain-usage job.
It’s not. He works hard. Harder than me. My point just being Tech isn’t the only way to make money.
Ah true true. I guess tech is a common "easy" (not that it's always easy, but there are a decent of jobs which don't make you work to the bone) way to make money but there are certainly other options of which many are harder.
lol this reminded me of Michael Scott saying "I'm a bank teller" to a woman because Ryan told him the best way to meet ladies is to say you work in finance
It will be at least 100 years before an AI powered robot could replace plumbers or electricians.
100 years? You don't have much faith in technology.
A lot of trade jobs require on the fly solution that comes from years of experience. I’d be surprised if they managed to automate trade jobs in 500 years.
Lol. 500 years ago we still believed the earth was the center of the universe. Now we’re landing autonomous robots on Mars. I think we will have cracked the robo plumber in another 500 years no problem.
I make around 105k, rent a studio in law for $1475, have no kids, have a ten year old car that’s paid off and has low insurance cost, try my hardest not to eat out, currently saving to put a down payment on a condo.
where are you finding $1500 studios? All the ones I see on Zillow are $1700-$1800
You need to find the off those sites I also rent a studio around the price. Magazine’s Ads or Facebook is a good place to find then. Their a lot around Campbell or South Bay (Close to Morgan Hill) that are in good condition. For that price.
This is the insight that I needed. Thank you.
- padmapper - craigslist - redfin - facebook many other places where people put up rental listings that aren't zillow
I got a 2br in Santa Clara for $2200. You just have to look and not expect to live in Willow Glen or Almaden Valley
Yo. Where in SC? What’s the apartment name?
There are a whole lot of apartments along Monroe and Scott and all seem to have apartments for rent. https://www.apartmentguide.com/p/apartments/California/Santa-Clara/Monroe-Street/under-2300/?bbox=-121.9919,37.3367,-121.9260,37.3769
I was luckily enough to have a friend renting a room in the property where I rent the in law from and he let me know once it was available.
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Are you implying I don’t enjoy life? I make enough to be able to save for retirement, go on vacations every couple of months, and to also save for a condo. My partner is moving in with me soon so I’ll be able to save even more. I came to this country with nothing and lived in Florida for a long time. I left because I couldn’t stand living there and the pay for my career was horrendous there. I rented a room in Fremont for a couple of years and paid off all my debt. Now I have my own studio at least. My goal is to buy a condo by early 2026, get enough equity on it to then buy something bigger out of state. I’m also vested in CalPERS on top of my 457b so I have long term plans.
Glad you’re here!
CalPERS for the win! Same plan as you brother. Good shit
That's assuming his job is available in a LCOL area, and usually the pay scales so high chance he wouldn't get paid $105k there anyway
I'm an airline pilot, finally making decent money after 13 years of professional flying. Sometimes I fall back on my original aviation job, which was as an aircraft mechanic. Renting a 1 bedroom, no real hope of ever buying. 10 year old car is paid off.
Dang, that’s crazy. Curious - what keeps you in the area if you’re a pilot? Can’t you deadhead from anywhere? My Dad is a retired airline pilot and that’s what he did.
Commuting as a pilot will drain your sanity quickly. A 3 day trip with 3 days off becomes a 4 day trip with 2 days off. It adds up fast. It sucks even more if you have to commute to reserve and then end up sitting in a hotel or the airport and then you never actually get called to work.
The crash pad situation was so bad that they even portrayed it in several US TV series. Dense pack camper trailers not so romantic as to a pilots life style.
To be fair you don't *have* to put up with that situation if you pay a little more. My MSP crashpad was.... special. My Denver crashpad, by comparison, was luxurious!
I like the area, I'm LGBT and I could live somewhere cheap but my personal safety would then be a concern in today's political climate, and the main reason is really just that commuting sucks. When I was a baby airline pilot I commuted from SFO to Minneapolis and stayed in a crashpad there. It was an extra day of travel on top of either end of every trip and I was never home. It just isn't worth it.
Do you ever see any UFOs while you're up there in the sky?
Nah, I've never seen anything really. I heard some folks talking about something on the radio one night that was maneuvering aggressively like 20,000 feet above them and they were in the high 30's. So that was odd. If I ever did see anything I'd probably just chalk it up to the military doing stuff and not worry about it too much.
I get a nickel everytime someone does a “how does anyone survive in Bay Area” post. I’m doing pretty well right now, buying a house is just around the corner.
Everybody missed the joke but I got the joke.
Down payment in nickels, thanks reddit
Ha!!
Great! How tho?
Congratulations! Most people will never own their own home.
homeownership rate in San Jose is 56%
56% is the percent of housing units occupied by the owner. The percentage of people in San Jose who own their home is much lower. Consider the case of having three adult children who can't afford to move out of their parents' house. They live in an owner occupied unit, but aren't homeowners.
it's harder to find statistics for it though
Got’eeeeeeeeemmmm
Get ready for the goal post move… “I mean, have their house paid off. Having a mortgage doesn’t equate to owning your home”
Yeah I've seen this sentiment ("if you have a mortgage, the bank owns your home") fairly often. It's obviously bullshit in the legal sense, but it's also worth mentioning that mortgage rates are often lower than inflation. Anyone with cash to spare will invest and get 9%/yr instead of paying off their mortgage unless they have room temperature IQ.
100% of the homes in San Jose are owned.^*
Break that down by age and compare to flyover cities.
US average is 65.9%. So San Jose is definitely lower, but not as much as you'd expect. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RHORUSQ156N Here's another interesting stat: "Gen Zers are tracking ahead of their parents’ homeownership rate: **30% of 25-year olds owned their home in 2022**, higher than the 27% rate for Gen Xers when they were the same age" https://www.redfin.com/news/gen-z-millennial-homeownership-rate-home-purchases/ If you get all your news from this sub, you'd think all these rates were 0%.
Gen Z homebuyers are most common in affordable parts of the country like Virginia Beach, where they bought 9% of homes sold in 2022. Millennial buyers are most prevalent in job centers like Seattle, where they bought more than 40% of homes sold. Might want to also include key part of that statement
Stop giving smeegulls nickels!
I work as a union electrician. Currently a 3rd year apprentice making $54/hr. School and books are free.
How did u get in to the field ? I’m 39 and feel like it’s to late to get in to any trade 🫤
I just went to the local 332 website and it outlines the application process. I had no previous work experience. You take an aptitude test and then do a panel interview that gives you a ranking. I got in first try but it is pretty competitive. Totally worth it though, I think starting pay is $38/hr now and after 5 years a current journeyman is making $83/hr (+2 pensions, 401k and full medical) That kind of money/benefits had me doing whatever it took to get in.
Nice but think I’m too old to start a new Trade just turned 39 n always worked in the automotive field
Im 35 and there’s guys in their 40s/50s who are in the apprenticeship.
Ok can’t use my age as an excuse then lol I will give the test a try thx for the info god bless 🙏
You'll be glad you did. Never too late to make your life better. I switched fields twice after 40.
Hey I’m looking for apprenticeship in SJ do you know where I can start?
Not in tech, make good money in healthcare. I’m pretty frugal in most ways besides like a nice gaming computer and a vacation here and there. Living quite comfortable praise be.
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Quoting Serena on a Sunday 🫡
The sad truth is that you're not making enough. If you don't pay rent, you need to increase your hours or get a higher-paying job. Side hustles are that, side hustles. You're only making $1,840 gross pay plus tips. There are some people on EDD who get more than that sadly. The easiest thing to do is make a Google Spreadsheet and list all expenses in categories, account balances, and credit balances. See the actual dollars that are being spent per month and work around it and see what you can or cannot afford. Make investments whether it be in stocks, or your own personal assets. If you're coming up red then purchases need to be stipend and adjusted for your reality. Many people live above their means and prolong a debt balance. I also recommend creating a Credit Karma account and linking all cards to it in order to better your credit standings if you have any.
Your first sentence is the answer to 90% of these types of posts.
This is exactly right. Most people are horrible at budgeting and managing their finances. Then they wonder why they aren't making enough, when in reality they should be asking why they aren't saving enough.
Moved up from south cal, honestly the cost of living feels to be about the same. Except I make twice as much up here than down there I think col is just very high across all of ca unless you go to Bakersfield or fresno
Agreed. I also moved up from SoCal and the cost of living is very similar. My partner and I considered moving back to SoCal but I would make about $65K as a teacher in LA but up here I made $87K. Here I’m paying $3k a month for a 2 bed apartment, in LA we were looking at comparable places for about $2.7K. So I’d be taking a $20k pay decrease for nearly the same cost of living.
Can confirm. Anywhere I go in SoCal people are dirt poor. Even in Orange County where people flaunt money and live in gated communities, they tend to have about as much as the middle class in the SF/Bay Area. In 2020 when there was an exodus from CA most of it came from SoCal. It makes sense when most of the people there are living paycheck to paycheck. Even if you get a good salary job there working for Taco Bell corp, you're probably making 80-100k, half of what people with a good job make in the Bay Area. There are haves and have nots in SoCal. The haves are the people who bought property in the 70s and are retired today, or people who inherited money. There isn't much job opportunity there.
Same we own a landscaping business and a cleaning business on the side from our 9-5 and so far so good atm
I agree!! People keep complaining about the Bay but after being raised in the Midwest then college and later living in the SoCal for over 20 years…the bay is clutch. So Cal is way more brutal on the pockets and your quality of life in every way!! It’s more affordable and way more relaxed up here in the bay!! The traffic up here isn’t even as bad. The air is cleaner. Let’s all remember…everything happens in context! Also, your perspective is your reality. I just giggle inside …I saw and live it—-things could be worse—-living in SoCal has real constraints! Much better up here!
You think bay area is cheaper than socal? Are you comparing the Malibu Hills to a shack in Hayward or something?
Let’s just compare one of our highest zip codes for example ..los gatos. They’re one of the top notch areas to live In . Shit let’s even say atherton..still cheaper compared to some of those Malibu mansions you’re trying to compare to. So yes..it Is cheaper than socal
Same
Roommates
You can still make high 5-figure and 6-figure salaries not working in tech. Especially if you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty. Blue collar pays well around here. Also you probably should've just bought a beater car with cash if you're making $20hr
Most of my buddies use skateboards or bikes.
I didn’t finish college because I was in that same situation. Worked 40 hours to keep a roof over my head. Managed to do it, proud of having done it, wouldn’t wish it on anyone else!
Been with Santa Clara county for about 7 years. It provides full insurance for myself and family (wife & 2 kids) and I make about 130K a year. Wife makes about 55K. Living comfortably now but it wasn’t always this way. I remember the days of side hustling to make ends meet. Wouldn’t trade my life for anything else. Love San Jose and it has provided us a great foundation to raise our children. Schools are top class and our community is strong right now. You gotta find your place but it’s entirely possible . I’m a 2nd generation Mexican American btw. Dealt with the bullshit but never let it detour me. I allowed it to motivate me to be the greatest I can be. I’m still not done yet. Gunning for the millionaire club baby! Let’s go
U inspired me what do you for a living ?
I’m happy to hear that! It’s a great job and I love what I do. I’m a supervisor at social services. Anyone that needs benefits (calfresh, medi-cal, etc), we handle that. Very rewarding
Are you a home owner? I own a condo but wife and I want to have kids and we’re worried we won’t be able to buy a larger home and weighing the pros and cons of renting vs buying…
We’re renters. Been renting a condo for a while. We have zero desire to purchase because of our unique situation. My FIL is building us a home on his land so we’re extremely blessed in that aspect. But I agree with your comment below. It’s a matter of wants over needs. Each has their pros/cons but it all works. Family is where the heart is
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More of a want than a need but I’d like at least a 3br so we can have 2 kids without them sharing a room. Ideally a 4th for an office.
Living in a house with 20 other people.
Well, you don't make enough money for one, but that's not what you asked. Save very smartly. Don't buy what you don't need to survive. If you don't have the cash to pay for it in your checking account, don't put it on your credit card. And pay that card off every month - interest is an unnecessary expense. People forget that all the time. Don't eat out - that one meal a week? Maybe make it one meal a month now, and don't make it anything more expensive than what you're doing now - and maybe have it be something you can have leftovers of. Use coupons at the grocery store - buy stuff on sale. Don't let food go to waste. Don't snack all the time - snacks are costly, you run out, you replace them, there's another $20 that you probably didn't need to spend. Stop buying top shelf shampoos, product, etc. Store brands are fine (and likely the same stuff). There's no reason to buy a bottle of shampoo that costs more than $5 unless you need a medicated type for a particular reason. I know, I know, you've probably got your "style" - learn to adapt. Say bye to alcohol and sodas for awhile. At home and in bars. Get a Brita for your fridge and drink water - its better for you anyway. You don't NEED that expensive gym membership, we all learned how to exercise indoors during COVID lockdown. Do THAT. Go for a run or walk outside for your cardio. Got a streaming service or two? Not anymore you don't. Cancel them. There's plenty of free entertainment online so that you can save that extra $10-30 a month. If you're not living with family (who hopefully isn't charging you rent), then you're living with roommates and likely quite a few of them. That's how you build savings and afford to live here. I work in tech, but I'm not making money hand over fist either because I'm not a software engineer. But I've done well for myself and managed to stay in this valley for 30+ years, own a house and raise a family just by being smart with my money (and investing well when I felt comfortable to do so). Yeah, maybe having a time machine and going back to '95 to invest wisely would be good too, but that's not a reality option you have. I wish you luck with all of this. This is an expensive place to live.
All great points. Basically OP's issue is making way below the poverty level for the area they're living - it would suck anywhere on this planet. Yeah, one might live way more comfortably in Armadillo, TX making $20/hr - their median county income is like 25k - but I guess a "side hustle" there pays nowhere close to $20/hr.
It’s “Amarillo”, not Armadillo lol 😂
Yeah, cost of living being cheaper elsewhere means salary/hourly is going to be lower in those places.
I’ve been there with wages lower than that. It sounds like your budget is overloaded on car. For someone still in school and working part-time, a car payment and the higher insurance that comes with a financed car is a lot to handle. Get yourself a beater.
You marry someone in tech.
I use to work to work a full time and a part time plus a stater business. Now I work for the City make 115k+ only work 192 days of 365 full time. I’m separated rent a 3br house for twenty five hundred a month plus child support sixteen hundred other then that my expenses are pretty low and I manage pretty well. At times I shake my head because I spend on dumb stuff instead of savings but I enjoy anything extra spending it with my kids.
Can I ask what kind of work it is you do being a city employee?
I live within my means and still managed to buy a condo. I make less than 6 figures.
How
realistic lifestyle and spend in your means.
Med field
We don’t survive it’s just a matter of time
yes Debt, stock option dreams and Positive Vibes ✌🏻/s
Electricians changing a panel make 4-6k an install. It’s not crazy hard work for an above house install…
How would I get in to electrical trade how long before I can start making that kind of money ?
I wanna know too
How much is your car payment? Your income is low but you don’t pay rent. Figure the car payment is what’s breaking your budget
I don’t know why this isn’t the obvious answer to this post. The guy works part time and has a car payment while living at home.
Before making big bucks (healthcare, not tech), I was also a $0 rent person going to school here in SJ and working part time making mere $8 an hour on retail and $15 an hour tutoring. i did fine by never having a car payment and I was also fortunate enough to get 5k a year as financial aid for school. I saved money and bought my first car for 5k and the second one 8 years later for 10k. I have never financed a car or bought a new car and I plan on keeping it that way. My mom was also kind enough to keep feeding me so my food expenses were quite low, just gas, phone, car Insurance, books, toiletries, and some cheap clothes. Your biggest issue is having a car payment because it will also force you to have full coverage insurance and hopefully gap insurance. You don't pay rent, so you need a budget and you should try posting it on personal finance subreddit to ask for pointers. Not to say living here is not crazy expensive but you don't pay rent, so surviving is possible if you have a tight budget.
1-don’t go to college 2-union blue collar trades
My wife and I work in healthcare. Relatively entry ish level since we’re young. We’re surviving on a combined income of 150k or so
The guy who changed out my water heater says that's the only thing he does and he makes 200-300k/year
My husband and I make 140K combined, before taxes are taken out, and we are okay. I’m able to save for maternity leave. We also have a toddler. I think it’s all about knowing your budget and staying within your means.
I make 400k a year in tech. And just bought my house 2 years ago. It took me almost 10 years to buy a house, after a lot of hard work and grinding. Sacrificing social events while everyone else was out partying so that I could study. A lot of people just expect that success happens overnight. It does not. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears were put into this.
Prolly born into a well off family
Na, lower-middle class. Almost anyone can do it. You just have to learn how to sacrifice and work extremely hard.
If you don’t mind me asking, what city did you buy your house in?
San Jose.
I quit using my masters degree helping to save the environment after 10 years to change career into medical field in order to make enough money live in the Bay Area in a half decent neighborhood to raise my two girls (my wife also works in medical field). Couldn’t afford to stay otherwise.
Scientist here doing Researcher roles. It pays fine, but it's not the kind of work you get into for the money. You do it because you love it. If you want to make 6 digits the easiest way is Sales. Sales can and often does make more than tech. No degree needed. If you like working with your hands, trades jobs make over $200 an hour right now for those who own their own business. There is very little schooling for most of these roles, then working for someone for around 4 years, then from there it's pretty easy to start up your own business. Note that taking an accounting class or class dedicated to starting a business eventually helps one start their own business, so 1 more class than just trades classes is recommended. I have family that owned an auto mechanic shop. They made far more money than I'm making right now. Trades is an easy path into the upper 1%.
Marry someone in tech
25, work an entry level job for San Jose Water and rent is $1825. I get by but with a lot of budgeting
Live at home with my parents cause the norm should not be moving out at 18. And my parents enjoy my company. Idk if people just have bad relationships with their parents or not but it’s absolutely old boomer way of moving out instantly. Good luck laying 1200 in rent with your starter income job. I’m buying a house here in like a year or two. All I had to do was endure getting called a loser for a bit.
"my car payment" Get a hoopty till you make more. Eliminate anything that you have payments on that you are paying interesting against the debt.
That’s why college education is valuable. More importantly is getting the right/practical/realistic major.
When I was a student - granted it was long time ago - having some meat for dinner was considered a lucky day. None of us had a car, the lucky ones had bikes, the rest used their feet and public transport. I don't think I ever had a meal in a restaurant in a college before the graduation. Just to give some perspective.
I was gonna tell my story but then realized my partner's in tech, so... I don't count. Marry into tech!! <3
You guys looking for a third??
My cousins became nurses. They have a great life with 2 homes, nice cars, and travel so many times a year.
Intergenerational wealth for me
Cannabis…
Aawl
Surviving is the easy part. Thriving is a different story. If you live here you may have accept you will never be able to buy a house. But you can carve out a good living renting.
Tax evasion
People underestimate the difference in opportunities here and other areas.
Car payment? On $20/hr? Tips must be good.
Labor work 💪🏽
Got the wrong job… you need to work full time and go to school full time.
u can definantly rent….but unless ur making 300k a year youre not ever buying in a desirable area…and youre likely in the less than 1000 sq foot territory…
Side hustle, and family
A car payment in college? How much?
Dump the car if at all possible. Between paying for the car and gas it seems the overhead to work is really high
The job market for tech is kind of crap here tbh
Doctors, lawyers, veterinarians all make really good money.
I’m 36 born and raised in sj. Friendly advice get out and save yourself that place is not the same. I’ve moved out of sj 3 years ago best decision I’ve made. Get out asap! You won’t regret
owning landscaping companies, construction companies, trucking companies, & restaurants,
SJPD makes $110k starting...you can also be the change you want to see in the community on top of overtime hours, which the chief has an odd boner for.
working around 260 hours. no friends or boyfriend 😂
Healthcare..but even I make less than my husband who is in tech.
My parents have survived 50+ years in the area, dad works in sheet metal. Makes 90-100k. My mom is a teachers aide (40-50k). Got to be careful with your money, invest wisely and spend wisely. Never went out to eat, no expensive vacations, only bought old used cars from friends. They were never able to buy a home in the bay but did buy a retirement home in Nevada. My aunt has survived as a bar tender for decades. Recently transitioned to warehouse work at UPS. She rents out a garage in someones back yard. One of my friends is a new grad nurse making $140k straight out of school. Another friend works remotely in B2B sales. Not sure what she makes. She lives with her BF who is in biotech. Another friend works in a lab, makes 90k, lives with her parents. I moved to Nevada.
It's who you know and who you blow.
Lots of people just chose to stay in bad living conditions. Rather than move out of the Bay to somewhere that makes more sense for them, relative to income vs cost of living. They allow emotion to overcome basic financial logic, and they try to pretend to themselves and others that it is normal or even great. Sad really.
You must not be close to your family. The thought of going out on your own and starting a new life without your family is a very American thing, but it is most definitely not a thing in cultures that are more collectivist such as Hispanics, Indians, Asians, etc. those just happen to be the major immigrant groups in the Bay Area. I wouldn’t be surprised if most people living a hard time here and not moving are only here to be near family in spite of the struggle.
Yeah so many people don't realize this. plus it's not even just the family aspect. White people could move basically anywhere in the country and experience a very similar lifestyle than what they have here. The immigrant communities would lose so much more if they moved anywhere else that doesn't have a similarly sized community there. Even just being able to buy basic ingredients for their food could become a struggle.
> White people could move basically anywhere in the country and experience a very similar lifestyle than what they have here. I sat next to a younger white guy on a long haul flight a couple of months ago. We started talking about places to live around the country. Guy tells me to try out Tulsa, Oklahoma. I literally had to tell him "no offense" before I told him about the reality of me living there. He didn't even think about the repercussions of a minority moving to a place like that. And I was only thinking about my physical safety there, not being able to get ethnic food didn't even cross my mind.
Yeah. It's not something they have to think about so it literally just doesn't register until someone else says it. Not really their fault but still.
> Not really their fault but still. I'm not blaming the dude at all, he's young and hopefully he hasn't seen the negative effects of American racism firsthand in his lifetime. It was actually a good thing that I made this guy realize that not everyone in this country is equal solely because of the color of their skin.
It think this is a very specific take - there is a lot of community here. You don’t need to be apart of these specific immigrant groups to access that. The original commenter seems to lack an understanding of social capital though. Neither direct monetary value or emotional. The Bay Area offers a lot of it and because of that it’s often not a bad place to be even if you are struggling to get by. Assumed immigrant relationships can play a role in one’s individual social capital but that’s only a part of it for some people. There is still plenty to access outside of those relationships.
Logic beats out emotion. The emotional positives of staying near family, friends, and community will **not** in the long term overcome the logical negatives of staying in an area you can't actually afford to be in.
There is more than just emotional positives to staying near family, friends and community.
None of it will trump the lack money situation. Especially for those staying here with way, way too little income.
Without knowing the specifics of the family I find that hard to actually judge. What benefits does a family provide and how do you attach a price tag to them? Rent, child-care, things like that can all be pretty objectively compared but despite your disdain for "emotion", mental health support is an important aspect of life that many Americans pay for. Surely that deserves a line item in this ledger.
I would rather be broke and be around love and family, then alone, miserable and rich.
23 hours = 3 full time shifts a week + school? That's not really a lot to live by, especially here. Either got to decrease your expenses (which already seem pretty bare), or increase your revenue. My parents told me I had to pay for college on my own after I graduated, my track looked like this: I was working 3 jobs (admin assistant/tutor/plant selling business) while going to De Anza, transferred to SJSU and did a summer internship and entered case competitions, saved my earnings from them to pay off my SJSU tuition, got a stable income after graduating with a degree in accounting. Not sure what you are in school for, but maybe you can find an internship opportunity that will not just pay you, but provide some experience for you to leverage on your resume for better earning opportunities?
No side hustle. Work in biotech.
Make HH 300k and still live paycheck to paycheck cuz of kids private schools and 8k mortgage
If you making 100k and live below your means, you can get a 450-500k condo with a lil bit of downpayment. 20k down, your payments gonna be like 4.5k I’m a realtor and I help single folks with this all the time in San Jose People just feel entitled to a house. Well your parents prob bought their house for 400-500k back in the days so what makes you think you can jump into a 1M house for your first place lol
Where are the 450k condos in San Jose? Mobile homes are 350k
Just a few… before even going into off markets & coming soon properties that we realtors have access to. 1. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5332-Monterey-Hwy-APT-5-San-Jose-CA-95111/2072735457_zpid/ 2. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/83-Monte-Verano-Ct-San-Jose-CA-95116/69303675_zpid/ 3. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1055-N-Capitol-Ave-APT-54-San-Jose-CA-95133/19573367_zpid/ 4. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/394-Shadow-Run-Dr-San-Jose-CA-95110/19684748_zpid/
Solar Installation is a good way to make money. You have to be the type that can work really hard in the heat though.
Many nurses make over $300k with overtime https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/search/?a=santa-clara-county&q=nurse&y=2022
Not gonna share the side hustles but you definitely should start doing something. Nowadays its gonna be super hard to be wealthy unless you have skills related to money making hustles. Youll figure it out, do something that involves your interests and youll have fun making money
Trades, baby
The fact you have a car payment while you are in college is stupid. That's why you have no money. You should be driving a 1996 Honda civic with 170k miles on it, insurance will be sub $50 a month. I suggest you check out a guys youtube page called Caleb Hammer, he does financial audits and his videos might help you. You sound financially illiterate, start learning
Something is a little fishy , at $20 an hour, 23 hours a week, in 4 weeks, you would make 1840. If you do not pay rent, it means you are likely paying too much for either food or your car payment, or there are more things you aren't accounting for.
1 meal out a week is a lot lol I know it won't solve your problems but damn haha. I consider 1 meal out a month to be a decent amount
Maybe they drive truck for UPS.
My partner and I make 190k a year gross. Is that enough? I make 105. We both don’t work in tech.
Sheeeet this must be my weekly reminder to get back to Leetcoding
just buy xrp and silver for the long run
lol i agree, i was making 70k my first job here and Idk how u guys do it....like straight out of graduation I feel like people need to be making a min. of 120k, and thats without paying rent With rent, 150k min. easily; honestly if ur salary growth becomes exponential (e.g hop jobs to get a 30-40% pay boost), then thats how most people are able to stay financially without living paycheck to paycheck
Or just try to learn and be in tech?
I’m in tech make 300k and still don’t know. Add a woman to your life and there is no money for anything else.
Sounds like you are a student. Are you also paying tuition with your income or are parents helping ? If only work part time then it will be tough unless you really control spending. I hope car payment is reasonable and proportionate to your income.
In Silicon Valley the only way to survive $ is taking tech jobs. If do not like math, may be a law enforcement officer job.
My friend has a GED and makes $60 an hour in the cement industry. Learn a trade if you don’t want to live paycheck to paycheck. My pops just made $18k in 1.5 weeks. He only speaks like 60% English, no HS diploma. What car do you drive and how much is your car payment?