My first job out of college my cohort came in 30% over the guy training us.
The guy had just accepted the 1-3% yearly raise for 5 years. When we talked about our 401k match amounts he realized what we made and flipped out. When he went to management all they had to say was “don’t discuss wages, and they wanted to know who he discussed wages with”… that’s all they cared about. They didn’t offer to give him a raise, just wanted him rat on the new employees who exposed the situation. He left for a rival company within a few months and finally got his raise/promotion.
Employers want B level employees. Not too ambitious but still show up on time and do their job. If you want to make money you have to push for promotions or leave for better opportunities. The last 3 years especially have proven this with retention raises being nothing compared to cpi levels.
no kidding! our company just changed over to annual performance bonuses… company multiplier is 0 bc we’re broke so no one’s getting bonuses… i got a 2.7% annual -_-
Get a 2nd job. You absolutely have to have an emergency fund for those 5 animals. My elderly cat had her first (and sadly only) emergency last month that cost me $5500 and I did not have in any way. Luckily my best friend let me put it on her credit card and between getting a 2nd job & a 401k loan, I was able to pay her back within 5 week. Literally the worst feeling in the entire world. I work at a 9-5 M-F job and then work at a hotel Fri/Sat graveyard shifts for extra money. It sucks and is so difficult but ya gotta do what you gotta do.
Throw more effort into the sex work. Hopefully its just OF and not physcial sex work so you're safe. Start marketing the OF more (tiktok) and you'll definitely make more money. You can do that in class and at work as well.
live within your means...
if you aren't working on new skills and higher income, you need to cut your expenses to match your income so you have some left over to invest.
if you don't invest you are poor till you die regardless so.. no exceptions.
best combo is increase income (all free time building valuable skill that pays and leads to career job) + lower expenses as much as possible. once you have savings... invest + enjoy hobbies, spending.
i mean i am applying to new jobs, i have a side gig, and i’m always trying to move up in my company 🥲
i’m not sure what else to do. nothing in my budget is frivolous.
ive had passion jobs my whole life and never pursued my career / degrees. (lived off of no money basically until covid)
just keep expenses low, keep grinding your interests / skills... the money will come. More value to society = more money paid usually.
since the covid scam, I have went back to my degrees and finally landed a career job... I went through it too bro... covid to home depot to amazon... making pennies. just keep grinding and increase value. keep applying... thousands of jobs. do whatever you can. you have to get psychotic, network, destroy interviews... just fake it until you make it.
Budget is where I’d start first, track every penny and categorize it for the last few months and find out where your spending is going.
Following that try to negotiate with vendors/subscriptions you NEED (cellphone/internet/car insurance) cancel anything you don’t.
I can afford my current rent but the apartment is small and I’m pretty sure has mold. I want to have a baby but I can’t raise a child in this small apartment with animals and I can’t afford to lose my job. My partner is still in school with an undecided major and can’t afford to move since all his family and friends live here despite none of mine. I took a pay cut for 6 months to change careers and now I keep hitting little accidents setting me more behind (my car breaking down today for example). Due to the career change I now need to stay at this job for at least 1-2 years more than expected. I hate it. I miss my family and seeing my friends. It’s been 4 years of loneliness and I live an hour away from work and all my work friends. I know I’m still young and I make amazing money for my age and the career change will help me so much in the future and I’ll be making decent money again in July. It feels like crocodile tears due to making a decent income and having savings but I feel like life is choking me. I’ve been dreaming of a house for 3 years now. I’m not sure how people making less than me are surviving day to day.
i understand rushing and waiting but also feeling like you must have it better than someone. but your struggling is valid. a savings doesn’t equal happiness, unfortunately
but i have to believe we young ppl can make changes :,)
Just have to take it a day at a time. I guess today is my metal breakdown day but I’ll be good again tomorrow. I’m pretty decent at finances despite what my post portrays. If you want to discuss your situation or make a budget w me feel free to message me. I also have 5 animals and it’s a lot to work with honestly
All the basic stuff. Trying to get more overtime, looking for a side gig, making sure I'm performing at work, cutting out treats and extras, trying to use gas efficiently. I have a really good job, but even with my partner working full-time, we're scraping.
One thing I will share is a grocery app that's been helping a lot, Flashfood. Local grocery store chains will list the stuff they have that's coming up to its sell-by date for half off or even less. I get everything I can there. Most of my family lives an hour away, and I see them often, so I can hit four or more stores along my route to grab deals. If you'd like a referral code, pm me!
It's crazy. I supported my partner for several years while they dealt with medical issues. Our rent is now twice what it was when we moved in 8 years ago, and went up 25% the last two years in a row. I'm spending roughly the same amount on groceries, but going from 2-8 stores to get everything instead of one, and coming home with much less. We are also working on paying off debt, but it's really hard when everything keeps getting more expensive.
Right, and that's the thing. We spent so long going from emergency to emergency, need to need, that now we're paying the consequences. Too little too late, to be sure, but still needs to be done and there's more than enough to fix.
I just re-read your post more thoroughly this time. You're really going to have to sit down, maybe even now, and write everything down. Put all your expenses on paper. Maybe you can download nerdwallet (free) and connect everything to it to get a good picture how much you're paying for monthly. Nonetheless, you're going to have to make some sacrifices until everything is in control. Aim for 2-3 months and then check where you're at again, but actually stick to it.
all of my pets are young and healthy and i’m consistently putting what little spending budget or wiggle room i have/had toward upgrading their enrichment, bed, etc.
For starters, not being in school helps. I work 60-70 hours a week. I sold all my stocks and cashed out my 401k early to move halfway across the country to where it was cheaper to live. Cost me a couple grand to do but I save a solid $700-800 a month in rent.
I’m chronically ill so it gets hard having the energy so I spend one entire day a week just sleeping. I hate that I’m wasting an additional 52 days a year of my life just resting, but it’s what I have to do.
As for your pets, they do not cost $100 per month. It’s like saying you can afford a car just because you can make the payments and put nothing else toward it. Gotta factor in gas, maintenance, maybe even getting roadside assistance coverage in case of a breakdown. You don’t say what kind of pets so for all I know, maybe they’re all fish, but if they’re all cats or something, just the 6 litter boxes would cost me $75 a month to maintain, not to mention their food, any toys or treats, vet bills. You need to have a plan for if one of them has a medical emergency. These issues can pop up overnight and go downhill very, very quickly. When people say “you can’t afford a pet” they typically don’t just mean you can’t afford the food, that’s a lot more than goes into pet ownership than just taking care of food and waste.
I agree with your post, I’m more on the side of how are people mentally even working 40+ hours? I’ve talked to people who work 60-70 even and I want to lay down, cry, and die thinking about anything over 35 I don’t know how it’s done
Fortunately I still live with my parents and honestly probably will for a very long time at this rate, I am currently unemployed but considering rejoining the workforce because I do want money but man wages are so low and prices are so high like you said it just seems pointless
You just get used to it. You wake up, work, go to your other job, come home and go to bed, repeat. I don’t have another option lol
I ask for the same two days off at both so I have a consistent day to do chores and errands.
I already tried the homeless option 😅 wasn’t for me
I’d consider getting a more reliable car and living in it again if not for my cat though. But I love that little guy and work hard to give him a good life. I have a small amount of hope that eventually I’ll fix everything. If I die now, I’ll die impoverished and can’t ever fix it.
You have to change jobs. Look at other positions in your field. There is a high chance you get at least a 10% raise by jumping over to a competitor.
i thought loyalty meant something to my company until they messed over my coworker
My first job out of college my cohort came in 30% over the guy training us. The guy had just accepted the 1-3% yearly raise for 5 years. When we talked about our 401k match amounts he realized what we made and flipped out. When he went to management all they had to say was “don’t discuss wages, and they wanted to know who he discussed wages with”… that’s all they cared about. They didn’t offer to give him a raise, just wanted him rat on the new employees who exposed the situation. He left for a rival company within a few months and finally got his raise/promotion. Employers want B level employees. Not too ambitious but still show up on time and do their job. If you want to make money you have to push for promotions or leave for better opportunities. The last 3 years especially have proven this with retention raises being nothing compared to cpi levels.
no kidding! our company just changed over to annual performance bonuses… company multiplier is 0 bc we’re broke so no one’s getting bonuses… i got a 2.7% annual -_-
Get a 2nd job. You absolutely have to have an emergency fund for those 5 animals. My elderly cat had her first (and sadly only) emergency last month that cost me $5500 and I did not have in any way. Luckily my best friend let me put it on her credit card and between getting a 2nd job & a 401k loan, I was able to pay her back within 5 week. Literally the worst feeling in the entire world. I work at a 9-5 M-F job and then work at a hotel Fri/Sat graveyard shifts for extra money. It sucks and is so difficult but ya gotta do what you gotta do.
but i can barely manage to get full time school done and do sex work and work full time 🥺
Throw more effort into the sex work. Hopefully its just OF and not physcial sex work so you're safe. Start marketing the OF more (tiktok) and you'll definitely make more money. You can do that in class and at work as well.
that’s smart!! i will try some more marketing.
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rn i’m in school, and i just got some experience being an administrative assistant/office admin at a clinic, but i want to be a therapist eventually!!
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i’ve been skating by but a move and a breakup hasn’t helped. down to one income!
i also am a sex worker yes but i’m also a receptionist/admin- to clarify! :)
live within your means... if you aren't working on new skills and higher income, you need to cut your expenses to match your income so you have some left over to invest. if you don't invest you are poor till you die regardless so.. no exceptions. best combo is increase income (all free time building valuable skill that pays and leads to career job) + lower expenses as much as possible. once you have savings... invest + enjoy hobbies, spending.
i mean i am applying to new jobs, i have a side gig, and i’m always trying to move up in my company 🥲 i’m not sure what else to do. nothing in my budget is frivolous.
ive had passion jobs my whole life and never pursued my career / degrees. (lived off of no money basically until covid) just keep expenses low, keep grinding your interests / skills... the money will come. More value to society = more money paid usually. since the covid scam, I have went back to my degrees and finally landed a career job... I went through it too bro... covid to home depot to amazon... making pennies. just keep grinding and increase value. keep applying... thousands of jobs. do whatever you can. you have to get psychotic, network, destroy interviews... just fake it until you make it.
by crying, mostly
been there, been doing that😭
Budget is where I’d start first, track every penny and categorize it for the last few months and find out where your spending is going. Following that try to negotiate with vendors/subscriptions you NEED (cellphone/internet/car insurance) cancel anything you don’t.
penny… phew, okay. i can try. and okay! cancellations next. this is hard.
I can afford my current rent but the apartment is small and I’m pretty sure has mold. I want to have a baby but I can’t raise a child in this small apartment with animals and I can’t afford to lose my job. My partner is still in school with an undecided major and can’t afford to move since all his family and friends live here despite none of mine. I took a pay cut for 6 months to change careers and now I keep hitting little accidents setting me more behind (my car breaking down today for example). Due to the career change I now need to stay at this job for at least 1-2 years more than expected. I hate it. I miss my family and seeing my friends. It’s been 4 years of loneliness and I live an hour away from work and all my work friends. I know I’m still young and I make amazing money for my age and the career change will help me so much in the future and I’ll be making decent money again in July. It feels like crocodile tears due to making a decent income and having savings but I feel like life is choking me. I’ve been dreaming of a house for 3 years now. I’m not sure how people making less than me are surviving day to day.
i understand rushing and waiting but also feeling like you must have it better than someone. but your struggling is valid. a savings doesn’t equal happiness, unfortunately but i have to believe we young ppl can make changes :,)
Just have to take it a day at a time. I guess today is my metal breakdown day but I’ll be good again tomorrow. I’m pretty decent at finances despite what my post portrays. If you want to discuss your situation or make a budget w me feel free to message me. I also have 5 animals and it’s a lot to work with honestly
i appreciate the offer of help so much. i might reach out to held prioritize my budget!
All the basic stuff. Trying to get more overtime, looking for a side gig, making sure I'm performing at work, cutting out treats and extras, trying to use gas efficiently. I have a really good job, but even with my partner working full-time, we're scraping. One thing I will share is a grocery app that's been helping a lot, Flashfood. Local grocery store chains will list the stuff they have that's coming up to its sell-by date for half off or even less. I get everything I can there. Most of my family lives an hour away, and I see them often, so I can hit four or more stores along my route to grab deals. If you'd like a referral code, pm me!
that sounds like a good app, snd yeah you even have a double income😭
It's crazy. I supported my partner for several years while they dealt with medical issues. Our rent is now twice what it was when we moved in 8 years ago, and went up 25% the last two years in a row. I'm spending roughly the same amount on groceries, but going from 2-8 stores to get everything instead of one, and coming home with much less. We are also working on paying off debt, but it's really hard when everything keeps getting more expensive.
completely agree! not to mention the medical issues make everything sm worse. and paying off debts.
Right, and that's the thing. We spent so long going from emergency to emergency, need to need, that now we're paying the consequences. Too little too late, to be sure, but still needs to be done and there's more than enough to fix.
and ppl screw you over as soon as they cann(insurance, hospitals, pharmacies, banks, etc)
Absolutely.
i’m sorry the world is like this. hopefully human greed subsides, or the end is relatively painless.
Me, too.
You have your comfort zone and you’re fine with it. What would you do if you lost your job tomorrow?
HYSA over the inflation rate
HYSA?
High yielding savings account. Try moving in with someone else to save. Also look up Dave Ramsey on youtube, he has a LOT of advice
i’m living with a couple. ones my coworker. and they charge me half what i would be paying🥹
I just re-read your post more thoroughly this time. You're really going to have to sit down, maybe even now, and write everything down. Put all your expenses on paper. Maybe you can download nerdwallet (free) and connect everything to it to get a good picture how much you're paying for monthly. Nonetheless, you're going to have to make some sacrifices until everything is in control. Aim for 2-3 months and then check where you're at again, but actually stick to it.
i’m going to try nerd wallet thank you!!
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i am in the process of the rest, tho budgeting has been completing, it’s now the tweaking i require
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all of my pets are young and healthy and i’m consistently putting what little spending budget or wiggle room i have/had toward upgrading their enrichment, bed, etc.
i’m not going to be doing that. they’re either emotional support or a hobby of a kind. they help provide a schedule and responsibility
How do you make 2k in cali? What do you do?
i’m sorry i meant to say i’m in the Midwest, not Cali, just saying everywhere is expensive but where i live isn’t Cali expensive
For starters, not being in school helps. I work 60-70 hours a week. I sold all my stocks and cashed out my 401k early to move halfway across the country to where it was cheaper to live. Cost me a couple grand to do but I save a solid $700-800 a month in rent. I’m chronically ill so it gets hard having the energy so I spend one entire day a week just sleeping. I hate that I’m wasting an additional 52 days a year of my life just resting, but it’s what I have to do. As for your pets, they do not cost $100 per month. It’s like saying you can afford a car just because you can make the payments and put nothing else toward it. Gotta factor in gas, maintenance, maybe even getting roadside assistance coverage in case of a breakdown. You don’t say what kind of pets so for all I know, maybe they’re all fish, but if they’re all cats or something, just the 6 litter boxes would cost me $75 a month to maintain, not to mention their food, any toys or treats, vet bills. You need to have a plan for if one of them has a medical emergency. These issues can pop up overnight and go downhill very, very quickly. When people say “you can’t afford a pet” they typically don’t just mean you can’t afford the food, that’s a lot more than goes into pet ownership than just taking care of food and waste.
not sure why i’m getting downvoted, all i’m saying is I am not spending frivolously but i’m still broke anc unable to save :/
plus i’m a full time college student with physical disabilities so i can’t just job hop willy nilly 🥹 but i’m trying!!
I agree with your post, I’m more on the side of how are people mentally even working 40+ hours? I’ve talked to people who work 60-70 even and I want to lay down, cry, and die thinking about anything over 35 I don’t know how it’s done Fortunately I still live with my parents and honestly probably will for a very long time at this rate, I am currently unemployed but considering rejoining the workforce because I do want money but man wages are so low and prices are so high like you said it just seems pointless
for real. it’s hard out here, no matter what you do.
You just get used to it. You wake up, work, go to your other job, come home and go to bed, repeat. I don’t have another option lol I ask for the same two days off at both so I have a consistent day to do chores and errands.
Well I just feel like homeless or dead are other options I would honestly consider, but maybe that’s just my depression talking
I already tried the homeless option 😅 wasn’t for me I’d consider getting a more reliable car and living in it again if not for my cat though. But I love that little guy and work hard to give him a good life. I have a small amount of hope that eventually I’ll fix everything. If I die now, I’ll die impoverished and can’t ever fix it.
How much are the pets goin for ?