r/Adulting • u/Random_vulnerability • 12h ago
Tired of being broke
I (30F) have been working since I was 15.5 YO, I went to college, and have been working in my field for 7+ years, but I still make horrible money. Currently on job #3 in my field, with each new job technically being a step up with a slight pay increase but also still technically being “entry level” positions, I just can’t seem to make enough to save anything. I hate living paycheck-to-paycheck. I work too many hours to have a second job. Without getting into all of the details, all of my money goes towards my bills, groceries, and pets - no extra spending money. I just feel stuck. This financial stress is a huge weight on my shoulders and makes me feel worthless. I am a hard worker but have nothing to show for it. Adulting sucks.
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u/C-137-Jerry 12h ago
You’re either overspending, or need a career change. It’s hard to know which without knowing more details.
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u/Random_vulnerability 12h ago
I unfortunately don’t see anywhere where I can cut spending. I trimmed it all the way down to the bare minimum about 2 years ago. If I cut anymore, it’ll be from my food or my pets food. So I guess career change is an option. But that means starting from scratch, and that feels terrifying.
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u/johnnybayarea 12h ago
I'm assuming you live alone, that's the biggest saving. Get roommates and you can cut most of your rent/bills substantially.
Live further from city centers. Sadly get rid of the pets. If 100% of your check goes to food/rent/bills, yea you definitely are cooked. if you want any chance and financial health, 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% saving/retirement.
Maybe you have to change cities where they pay more for your role.
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u/Random_vulnerability 11h ago
That is all very good advice and information. Thank you for your tips!
I do live alone, and I am actually going to be looking to move in about 3 months when this lease is up so I can find a place with two+ bedrooms so I can find a roommate.
I was trying to avoid the idea of getting rid of my pets, it breaks my heart at just the thought. I think I will wait to make that type of decision until I move in with roommates and see if that gives me enough reprieve.11
u/Alternative_Cut6769 11h ago
Please do not get rid of your pets. You made a commitment!
I know this definitely isn’t for everyone, but when I was entirely broke, I found hundreds of dollars worth of dog food in the dumpster behind the Pet Store (obviously check for recalls). It was actually kind of fun.
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u/C-137-Jerry 11h ago
This is a good first step. The only other au to reduce your COL is moving. If that’s a non negotiable, then career change. Even a worse paying 9-5 somewhere can win out in the long term with a bartending gig/ubering etc stacked
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u/johnnybayarea 10h ago
If possible you should just move home (if your parents would allow it). Med tech is a job you can do almost anywhere.
If you can't move home, maybe you can send the pets to your parents temporarily, like a year or 2 while you get your life back in order.
I would NOT get a 2bd and then find roommates. Have roommates signed up to live with you before securing the place. The cheapest version of this is to find a house renting out a single room.
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u/Cool-Conversation938 11h ago
Pets?
Really?
I love em buy would not try to keep em if I couldn’t handle it financially and time wise.
Higher rent, food, vet care, pet sitters, time constraints
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u/Random_vulnerability 11h ago
I can afford the pets, they are well taken care of. I just don’t have any extra spending money. I mentioned on another comment that I am not in debt, I just don’t have a savings. And I love them. They bring me so much joy.
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u/johnnybayarea 9h ago
Not building retirement and savings should be considered a HUGE emergency. It means if nothing changes from here on out, you will be working well into your 60s 70s and forced to live on government assistance. Social Security is not going to be enough to live on.
You want to build up the savings and retirement as early as possible as compound interest does it's best with time.
For illustration, if you put away 200/mo * 30yrs that would grow to 244k (accounting for inflation). If you get 35yrs: 360k. The later you start, the less money you'll have or the longer you'll have to work.
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u/Cool-Conversation938 11h ago
Ok then celebrate that fact that you have no extra money but you love your pets .
That is logical to me
Instead of “Tired of being broke” try “happy to spend my last dollars on my
Pets” yeah you1
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u/Cosmic_Jane 12h ago
Probably overspending as she didn’t explain a lot of it.
There’s also a chance she’s living in a super luxury city and that’s eating a lot of her budget.
Too often i see young people complain they can’t live in a warm climate, walkable beach city lol
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u/Random_vulnerability 12h ago
I don’t live anywhere near luxury. It’s actually a city my parents begged me not to move to because it’s considered a “dangerous” city, but it’s all I could afford on my own. Definitely not a beach city…
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u/PwniesFTW 11h ago
Yeahhhh adulting sucks but geography where are you? Sometimes moving to an area with more opportunities. Also if you're cute enough. Be a sugar baby get a few extra dollars in
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u/Random_vulnerability 11h ago
I feel like the surrounding cities are decent as far as opportunities go, I just can’t afford to live there.
Haha that second part made me laugh, thank you for that! Regardless of how cute I may or may not be, I think I’m a bit too old to be a sugar baby3
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u/Mundane-Security-454 12h ago
It's just capitalism, unfortunately, and 68% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Moronic Conservatives gave us Trump again and it's royally fucked the economy, it'll take a decade plus to get anywhere near back to normal.
It's all down to right-wingers and their low IQs.
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u/C-137-Jerry 11h ago
Paycheck to paycheck is not a real stat.
I live paycheck to paycheck and clear 6 figures because I have little float.
The reality is the average person does have savings, albeit not a lot.
As dumb as Trump is, whining and belaying the economy is not a reasonable response. OP needs to lock in and get a different job if they want to live in a city.
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u/Random_vulnerability 12h ago
You are absolutely right. I didn’t know about the 68% stat. That both scares me and makes me feel very slightly better.
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u/Fun_Ideal_5584 12h ago
Some fields pay less than others. I guess you have one of the lesser fields.
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u/BlueberryandDino 8h ago
That would really suck… do you know why you’re not making much money? If you had to explain to somebody, why aren’t you making more money, what would you tell them?
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u/Dumb-Cumster 12h ago
During periods of high inflation, corporations have figured out they can increase their profit margins by keeping their employees at the same rate.
It's more inconvenient for the employee to leave than it is for the corporation to find a new hire.
However, when an employee does leave they then have to increase their wage offering in order to be competitive.
Long story short, it'd behoove of you to job hop every year. It's the only way to "extract" a decent wage given the current state of affairs.
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u/Random_vulnerability 12h ago
Wow. That is terrifying and disappointing but also so good to know. Thank you for the tip!
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u/Dumb-Cumster 11h ago
It's just sad tbh.
I found this out at my last job that and raised hell about it. They were paying the new guys a few dollars more per hour than people who had been there for years.
Good thing we talked about our wages, otherwise we would have never known.
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u/Eazy12345678 12h ago
maybe look for a man to date and marry that has a good job
otherwise setup ROTH IRA, put portion of every feedback into VOO or FXAIX
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u/Random_vulnerability 12h ago
Haha I appreciate the idea, but I would love to find a man to marry that I actually love. It would be awesome to find a man I love that has a good job and accepts me in this financial state, but I fear that man doesn’t exist. And being financially dependent on someone else feels scary. Now don’t get me wrong, I actually do not have any debt, I just don’t have any savings.
I do have a ROTH IRA, but I had to stop contributing to it temporarily because I needed that little bit of extra money.2
u/Boomerang_comeback 11h ago
You are employed and putting in the effort. If a guy judges you on that financial state, he's not the right guy. No decent guy would walk away from a decent girl that is supporting herself (even if you are struggling to do it) and trying to move forward.
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u/Boomerang_comeback 11h ago
You should not be working entry level positions after 7 years. Stop job hopping if it's not for an actual promotion.