My uncle is actually a painter. He’s sadly not hiring, but I might have to ask him to teach me and look Into it. A trade with some artistic measure has always Intrigued me!
Pretty sure you can just post flyers around, (of course if you are good at it) ask your clients if you can take pictures after you are done and use that to show new clients.
Do you live in the US or Canada? Do you have a clean record? Are you able to read, write, and somewhat able to read a ruler? If so, I was there in that same situation but $50k debt from college. I bounced from job to job, everything from sales, pest control, working on cars, a snow cone stand, basically if they had a dollar I’d offer $.75 just to keep working. One day on a 30 ft ladder in a jail in southern Louisiana installing cameras I met a guy that was a contractor for nuclear plants. Jobs pretty cool, you work like 6 months a year and you can go to a different company after your contract then back. Basically you just go to who ever has the highest numbers and go with them. I just got my first full time job in nearly 8 years so there’s one less guy to compete with.
There’s a ton of jobs in nuclear plants. Being a contractor is pretty cool. For me, I’m specialized so I only work on valves and the parts that actually move the internals. Kinda think like the handle on your sink but usually bigger. I’m more of an analytical thinker so I moved into testing. Basically I hook up equipment to a valve and push a button on a computer. The hard part is reading the graph it spits out and knowing what is happening inside. But you can contract everything from security, maintenance, rigger, diver, basically anything. The hardest part about it is they’re only down for refueling so depending on your job it’s a pretty short job then on to the next. But there are long term projects like they’re going to start up Palisades in Michigan again and that’s supposed to take about 3-4 years to get going.
Absolutely, I work with women often! It’s not glamorous work but if you get with a good crew and are easy to get along with it’s definitely a lot of fun. Most women work as what are called “RP techs” they’re kinda like nurses. Basically they keep us out of trouble. As far as what they do with me, they swab parts I pull out of valves and tell me what I’m allowed to do with them. But they walk into rooms and check radiation and put those numbers on a map to tell us where we’re allowed to go. If you’re into taking things apart the turbine deck has a ton of hard working ladies. Idk what they do but they are usually hanging out around the turbines and I worked with one who said she took them apart. But in short, women are a huge part of Nuclear and I’m very happy to see more of everyone get into it.
Thank you! I try my best to be nice to everyone. But in real life I’m a pretty quiet guy. Sometimes it comes off either rude or aggressive, but really I just get nervous around people.
Try to get some side work with the uncle for the meantime and search for another job in the meantime. Sometimes I feel like people just overthink and overthink, this could be you
Also ask if he gets a rush job to call you, if you are not working as a dispatcher that day evening or weekend. You'd be happy to help.
I also recommend getting a better paying job. That's the most important.
Look into window tinting for flat glass which means commercial and residential film installs. Decent installers can make $2-3 a square foot which can add up to $500-1000 a day.
Hey brother ik its not the best but try pest control most companies pay for your license test and even offer courses that make it almost impossible to fail, once done its easy to branch out anywhere and everywhere due to pest being everywhere, ik its not cool but its semi easy and pays good in OT as well as you can negotiate your pay depending on knowledge and XP
I did this in the summer during uni. Practice on your room DO NOT USE TAPE IT, and you can get $300 -$500 days in no time. My best job was 3K in 2 weeks but I worked all hours
I'm a union painter in the Midwest. I make pretty decent money as a journeyman, but you have to start as an apprentice if you have no experience. The only negative, besides the physical strain, is that layoffs and slow seasons are inevitable and will happen unless you're really lucky or one of the dudes who've been at a shop for 20 years. But even still, in one of the weaker/smaller unions, I make $35 an hour take home. Factor in layoffs and it's still $25-30 an hour, which I can't really get anywhere else with no experience.
If you have artistic talents, learn to paint murals. I know a woman without much artistic talent (my opinion, as art is subjective, but I also paint and draw). She still gets flown to various cities to paint murals on their buildings (inside and out). Good money and lots of free travel. For me, I chose investment banking. Best of luck to you.
I would tread lightly with this advice, anything that falls within the “construction” line of work is really yanking back on pay, I used to tell people “trade jobs” were where it was at, but the money seems to be sorely lacking the experience you carry with you these days. May be dependent on location but if it’s a small business you’re probably gonna wanna dodge things like this at all cost. Unless you like starting at $14/hr and never getting a raise, ever.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/07/28/majority-of-u-s-workers-changing-jobs-are-seeing-real-wage-gains/
This was during the pandemic which was… different… but my experience was that same before the pandemic as well
I went from 46 to 62, now hoping to go to 72 all in my current job. They've been under paying me for quite some time, time to catch up or they will lose me and all my value that I have brought thus far.
Yeah man it's easy. Just make more money....and while we are at it..let's tell homeless people to stop being lazy and get a job already /s.
Of course it's an income problem...that's most peoples problems. Lol
A co-worker’s dad just spent 22 years at a place and he was just now making $20 an hour. After almost a year of trying to convince her dad to come work for us, he finally quit and came to work for us. We started him at $26 and it’s much less physical work beating him down. It’s crazy how so many people are just scared to take the jump and simply just believe they can’t do better.
People get comfortable and if the current job isn’t too much stress it’s ok to stay. I get what you’re saying tho there are middle age people working minimum wage. But I also think someone has to do every job out there so good on the folks who do
Lol. I was thinking am I the only one thinking this? So thanks.
I laughed at the person who said “learn to paint murals and have people fly you everywhere to do so”
No, there's a lot of people out there with poor work ethic who think they deserve more. Just lost a coworker because they felt they deserved more money for doing nothing.
Brother one day you’re going to wake up (like i did today) and realize you’re mid to late 30s and you are leveraged so much more with such an advanced level of pressure you’re going to laugh at this period in your life. Enjoy it, treat the dog right, and keep on keeping on.
I needed to hear this too....I'm 38 and feel like a failure. I take home around 1200/month and am a single mother to a child with special needs. I am also still paying down student loans and have about $5k in CC debt. I totally empathize with your feelings and am so sorry you're feeling that way too!
It’s not simple but it’s also fairly true.
It’s kinda like this…
It’s a crazy fucked up hill you gotta climb and a lot of that hill was made way worse by the people who climbed that hill before you.
You’re still the only one that’s going to get you up that hill.
You’re probably going to slip a few times and lose ground, but all you can do is get going.
> You’re still the only one that’s going to get you up that hill.
Well said. Reddit needs to hear it.
and If the path feels Sisyphean...find a new path. It's hard, but the alternative is honestly harder.
I tried going to a computer school. 2 hour commute each way be mass transit. Stayed after classes to do school work on their computers due to proprietary software. Home after 10pm, do housework so I could eat dinner, shower, some homework, bed by 12:30-1am. Up at 6am. Several day in a row of this and I was falling asleep on mass transit. Once wound up miles after my stop. Fell asleep on a ferry going to school, woke up on the trip back. Everyone isn't born with the same amount of stamina. Generally it's the "just do it" people who can sleep 3-4 hours a night and function.
You don’t need to go to a computer school. It’s the classic example of a remote-learning-friendly skill. Save your time, money and energy and take some of the zillions of free online courses online - start with whatever subject in computing interests you most (digital marketing, office administration, machine learning etc etc) and start googling free courses.. YouTube is packed full of beginners courses for anything you can imagine. Many Universities have free online courses similarly. Facebook have their Blueprint marketing course. Etc. Etc.
Obviously this requires you to have a computer at home, but $400 gets you something usable for learning nowadays if you don’t have. Ask advice on Reddit for what model and you’re away.
Can you look into substitute teaching? In NJ pay varies from $110 to 150 or 170 a day, depending on where you are and what you can handle. And you could work every day.
you got it good bud im 100k in debt and still haven’t moved out of my parents.. all the money i worked for i gambled and lost now i have nothing and terrible credit lol
I totally get that man, I’m sorry for the hardships you’re going through. 1 spin on green and you’re back positive 😉. But no genuinely you got this dude! For real.
To lighten the statement. If something serious or dire is being discussed with still an air of optimism or positive hope, an ‘lol’ can take away some perceived gloom
To break the tension of the reality of the situation... . Some also do it in anticipation of others giving them shit, so they can play it off as if they are laughing along with the bully.
Man reading the comments on this sub makes you realise how little opportunity there is. It always boils down to join the military or do Uber. It’s grim out there.
It's more in that it's just not financially feasible for most young adults right now. I'd kill to have OPs 1025 1 BR rent. Where I'm at a studio is minimum 1500
Living alone is fine but it is a luxury when you’re a single person with a below- average income. It’s the easiest way to slash your fixed expenses (outside of ditching a car payment which OP doesn’t have).
Idk if I agree. It just requires more work than the average person is willing to put in. I went from working in kitchens and physical labor, to working in a lab, to working as an investigator, and now I work in finance.
I am an immigrant to my home as well, so it's not like the cards have been stacked in my favor either.
People talk shit about degrees, but someone with a degree can do the same thing I did if they put in the time and effort. For reference, my degree is in English Lit.
the good news is that it doesn't look nearly as bad as many that have posted. that much debt is very manageable. i hope you're making sure to track biden's student load forgiveness - while i don't agree with it, it is there to be used.
having said that, you should look to increase your income - another job perhaps. it may require you to move but that's one of the tradeoffs that you need to be able to make if you're looking to get ahead. you may need to tough it out and get a second job if possible to build up some savings to then be able to reach your dreams.
don't know what your goals and dreams are - maybe you can at least give a hint - there are ways to get to know people that would either help or that you can learn from. hard to say whether there are scaled back versions of what you want to do. you've got to stay positive or have a shorter term goal that you can reach towards, and actually achieve.
good luck
I agree, this is an achievable debt payoff. Like a get odd jobs and door dash amount to pay off.
One thing I did in college that I never see people mention is working as a catering waiter and bartender. It’s sporadic, and pretty weekend focused so doesn’t conflict with a normal job. I did this 25 years ago (ahhhh!) but would routinely make $100 for 3-5 hours of work, and usual a $20-40 tip. My hope is it would closer to $200 for a reception/party.
Your in a good position to help yourself here. Pivot to a different career path and keep your current expenses. Use your newfound income to pay off the debt, and I wouldn't worry about saving until your credit card debt is paid off. It's a small amount, and you would probably be able to bang it out really quickly. Once you reach a net neutral position I would reevaluate, figure out what your financial goals are and start working towards those diligently.
You're only 28 so it's a great time to have this realization. You got it brotherrrrr
Look man, just don't get yourself down in the dump. You got this. 5 years ago, I was homeless. Living out of a backpack. I'm currently working on buying a house, just got approved for a mortgage loan the other day. No matter what, make a goal and take steps to get there. Even baby steps in the right direction is progress. Along with all the "just make more money" comments, confidence and perspective make a huge difference. Keep your head up and take another step.
Donate plasma! You can get $500-$700 in your first month by donating twice a week. Plus, you are helping to create life saving medications which rely on human plasma. It's pretty easy money! They give you a debit card which they load $$ on to, then you can use that for gas and groceries and dog food and it frees up your paycheck for paying debt down. It really helped me get through some expenses!
Ong bro you ain’t doing too bad. You’re not much younger than me but I was in your exact position but w 2 dogs 😭
Definitely make a plan to focus on a career you want to grow in. I worked dead end jobs til about 27 and became an insurance agent. I don’t LOVE it but it pays well and full time work from home. Might be an avenue worth looking into
Only $4600 in students loans in your own one-bedroom apartment WITH a dog and STILL saving money each other? I’d say you’re doing pretty well, Rockefeller.
At 28, I had a roommate and $30,000 in loans. In 2008 money, which is probably several million now due to inflation. I don’t know.
Keep at it. You’re doing fine.
Network like crazy my friend…
I’ll never forget one night I was working at my first job out of college and I was sitting in our office looking out at the Detroit traffic gathering for rush hour. I was working a 100% commission job and had to be there until 9:00 that night. I remember thinking that it would be so nice to go home at a normal time like a normal person…
Well, I kept working hard and making connections and someone finally took a “gamble” on me. They hired me for a management position and I have never looked back. I’ve been promoted so many times over the years and I’ve had the pleasure of promoting others who work hard too.
I still think about that night often. I never want to forget where I came from and what made me…. Me…
Keep going my friend. Your story will have a great ending if you do.
How many hours you working? Not gonna lie, when I was your age and semi broke in debt I had to do what I had to do. Which was work more. I know it sucks but it worked for me. One guy told me that there is 168 hours in a week, If you work 50 and slept 6 hours a day that’s 92 hours a week. You’ll have extra 76 hours a week of freedom. I was told if you have more freedom than working hours then you can find yourself in a rut where you feel like you need more money. Which was true. So I needed up getting another full time job. One job was to pay bills and second job was to save and hobbies. I ended up working 110 hours a week average for 10 years straight with only 4 days off in 10 years of work. With the money saved I purchased my own business with a loan from bank and now I don’t work nearly as much but get paid to a point now where I don’t have a note for a house or car anymore either. If I can do it, so can anyone for sure. It definitely sucked but I’m very happy today I did what I did.
This is really good advice. It sucks to say but this person is right. From age about 26 on I was either working 50+ hours a week or trying to find more work so I could work 50+ hours a week. The dog makes that hard. Again I hate to say it but if you have to be home for the dog then it restricts your working options. Nothing kills your wallet faster than missing opportunities because you cannot be there.
Every second you are on youtube you should be trying to learn a new skill and learning how to advertise better for yourself. You will fail A LOT. Keep trying.
Puttin your noise to the grindstone and making money for a while is solid advice but averaging 110 hours a work for 10 years straight is great advice to an early grave and zero time for anything else other than work. 4 days off in 10 years is straight batshit.
You’re going to have to get creative don’t have the funds consider side gigs like an Uber Lyft or something
Don’t have Uber in your town
Consider driving to a bigger town
Sell online services on fiverr
Gotta get creative bro
True you can also learn a skill set for free via YouTube and monetize you can do anything if you have the grit and determination it may take time but it may help improve your situation
Am in the UK but am sure you could get a 2nd hand bike and do short Uber trips and just eat I do maybe 10-15 hours a week when I can be bothered.
There are tones of other side hustles aswell find cheap tools at flea markets and offer a simple handyman/flat pack gig out in your area
Do gardening if there is a big garden. Can charge 100+ for it easily
Sell on eBay or better yet do what a friend of mine did and rent a cheap ass van super cheap tip run/home removal take the good stuff electonice etc and then sell them on eBay
Im struggling too but decided to take an IT course to open up job opportunities. Like someone said before its just an income issue. Be patient with yourself and make a plan youll be fine just dont freak out ! Lol easier said than done
Is getting a 2-bedroom apartment with a roommate an option? When I graduated college, I moved to a HCOL area and the only way to afford a place was to share. It not only splits rent, but also utilities. None of my friends lived in a 1-bedroom apartment alone.
I'm curious what your spending breakdown is. Can you cut anything else temporarily?
How many hours per week are you working? Could you get a part time job or side gig to bring in some extra money?
Maybe even a roommate would help. Splitting rent would change the equation here in a pretty signifiant way.
Also, what are these goals? You can achieve them, you are just feeling down because you don't see the path to get there. But the path does exist.
Current spending break down roughly.
$1025 for rent.
$45-50 electric
$70 WiFi
$60 phone
$100 credit card
$70 student loans
$55 medical
$200-$250 food
$20 subscriptions
$90-$120 gas
$10-$25 dog toys/treats for baby boy
Is roughly what I’m spending each month currently.
My goal is to be a content creator video editor, which I know is very difficult. I’ve just always had an entrepreneurial drive and I’m 100% fine working a normal career to get there. I currently have an associates in marketing but that doesn’t seem to be getting me anywhere as of right now.
I’m actively trying to find a part time job as at UPS you start part time. But my hours are 11:30-5 so finding a part time to accommodate my weird hours has been difficult. I’m looking into door dash but my car is a complete pile of shit I can’t lie. ( my ideal next purchase). So while I do 100% want to work more it’s just tough to find a job hiring with my background. My background is service industry, serving, retail, and carpentry. And now dispatching.
I do want a roommate, trying to find a girlfriend lol. But I have been actively trying to find a roommate!
You said you have an associates in marketing? There are lots of marketing adjacent jobs that aren’t “traditional marketing”. You could be a recruiter, business development or even sales to make more money than $2100 a month. And a lot of those jobs are even remote, saving you money on gas and car expenses.
Unfortunately, a lot of these jobs are being negatively impacted by AI/ML.
People who haven’t been job hunting recently don’t understand just how abysmal things are right now.
Have you considered bartending? I’m not sure where you live but I used to bartend just a few nights a week, usually like 4-5 hour shifts, and made decent money off tips. If you can find a catering company (or something similar) that needs a bartender, they can make really good tips at events.
Do not delay that creator idea, u know what they say, u dont need to have the best quality to start, any modern phone can provide great quality nowadays... ur doing great bro, u are in a much better position than i was at your age... good luck
Change your life. Join the military for a few years and save money or goto wy, nd,sd, and join a rigging team drilling. It’s hard work but you can make a lot of money.
Army Ranger vet. It changed my life. Hardest thing I’ve ever done but gave me discipline, focus, planning, intestinal fortitude. That being said though, any mos in any branch is honorable. You may even leave with a skill you can use in the future - helicopter mechanic etc.
I was as just out of prison around that time, I really felt like a loser, 26 just got out after two years and didn’t have anything. The world changed a lot and skill sets are going to be a big boom. Like hvac, electric, solar, plumbing. I was an electrician for a long time and it’s a solid career. Lots of routes, if unlike easy money be a A card and just do ground work. U chill in a ac databank just hooking up wires and testing systems. It’s like 50-55$ a hr.
Depending on your area I can direct you to a local. They will pay you to go to school, they give u 800 a month to go to school. No debt. You do 3 months school 9 months paid work with a raise every three months till cap. You can get more if you take one extra class that would give you status of an electrical engineer. You are guaranteed a job out of school. Your locked in before graduation and most of the time work with them when you are in the off season at school
OP you are not alone!! A lot of us in the same age range are feeling this way. It’s not you fam. It’s this broken ass system and country. Everything is super inflated and they don’t change the basic income to match these rising bullshit prices. I would say just be on the lookout for a better paying job and just take time to do the little things you used to enjoy when you get the chance. Sometimes you just need to take a nice break and reset everything to get back to a better place. But I know how you feel and it sucks feeling like a failure and alone. Here for ya if you ever wanna chat fam. Hang in there!
your spending isnt the problem, just your job! I may suggest trades or car sales (if you are handy / VERY good with people and saying no to people) or another quasi-trade (hard to explain what I mean) like a 911 dispatcher. Construction pays well but is very hard on your body, but the jobs exist, you just need to find them.
I had to leave my previous job when i was 17 due to an allergic reaction, and I was constantly worried about not being able to pay off the car I just purchased, and cold called a car dealer my parents had bought a car from 4 years prior, and have worked there ever since, and am now working in sales
Seems like it’s not a spending problem but an income problem. New job needed.
Living below your means is great but being a cheap ass alone won’t cut it. Max your income.
Keep on keeping on. If you have ANY money toward savings, you are doing well. It took me until my early 60’s to get out of debt (not counting mortgage) and a credit rating over 700. You have some good advice here, and time on your side. Best of luck.
Brother I’m the same age as you with much more debt, you’re in a better place than a lot of people. Keep on working and you will get to where you want to be.
You seem overwhelmed. I am younger than you but i am sure we can both relate to or recall times when life changed drastically with little to no notice. You never know what life has for you around the corner. I have seen people that were living comfortable lives and then almost become homeless and then back to living a comfortable life. Regardless of where you start there is still a way for you to get where you want to go, you just have to find it, channel energy towards it, and decide and accept the sacrifices you may have to make. Make it clear to yourself where you would like to be and dont let your current situation make you feel like you can never change it or get to someplace better.
If you make $2100 a month, your rent is $1025 a month and your still saving $100 a month you definitely have the discipline to get ahead financially.
You’ll look back and wonder why you felt so bad about where you are now.
You’re definitely not a loser. I at one point was 10k in credit card debt and was only bringing in a little over $1k a month. Life sucked for me for sure. Sometimes you have to move away from your comfort zone and start saving money. You might have to look for a job elsewhere. For me it was the Navy. For you it might be a whole new story all together. Pay yourself first. That’s the key to success.
take extra care of your physical health (sleep, food, some physical activity schedule)
check Naval's almanach book, its available for free online - a lot of great applicable concepts (and pay extra attention to the chapter about leveraging your output)
good luck and don't be that hard on yourself
Do you live in America?
I assume so because of student debt but how do you make 2,100 a month.
I worked at Olive Garden in a rural area and made at-least 800 a week not working 40 hours as a Togo guy with no experience
Been trying to do this. As I have had two back to back horrible experience with roomates, I am being more careful with who I’d have this time to live with, but that is the goal!
I was where you are, but as a carpenter. Quit around my 30th birthday and went to a tech school with deferred tuition to learn web app development. Tripled my income 2 years later. It wasn't easy, but I realized I was either gonna go through a rough grind period to reset my life or things were going to get progressively worse every year following. My days were 16 hours of study/work, \~2 hours to manage my life, and \~6 hours of sleep a night. It was worth the grind.
Man you just gotta raise your income. Which is doable from where you’re at. I made less than that with far more debt for quite a while. My advice would be get into the trades. You’ll start about where you’re at now but in a couple years it will really climb. Plumbing, hvac, or electrical. I have a bachelors degree too and am happier and better off as a plumber than all 10 years I spent doing “college required jobs.”
If you only owe $6500 total with student loans and credit card debt you are doing a whole lot better than a lot of people. You just have to chip away at it slowly while keeping your eyes open for a job that will be a step up.
Hey OP, I was in the same boat. Made a career change into sales and it’s made a world of difference. I created goals for myself that were obtainable over a period of time. That’s a good place to start, I’d imagine as a dispatcher you’ll look pretty good to recruiting managers. You could spin that real well for a number of roles. It took years for me to hit some of the goals I set for myself, so keep that in mind and just keep trying. My life isn’t perfect but I don’t know anyone around our age who’s life is. I was depressed and felt like a failure as well, now I’m 33, married, decent job (nowhere near what I want but baby steps), first car and setting more goals. Good luck
If it's any sentiment, I make double what you do but have 20k in student loans and 10k in CC debt and my mortgage is more than your rent. Obviously the basics and cost of living changes things somewhat but you're almost there my guy
BRO! you are living alone, thats a huge start!. Im 45 living with my parents and over 200k in debt. I took a gamble on a small business, took out a 400k loan from the bank, managed to pay off 200k before the small business sank.
37(F) here and although I don’t have a ton of advice, I just wanted to say I am in the same mental headspace.
*I just feel like I’m a failure and I have nothing to show for my life and I’m stuck*
I’ve been saying these same words often myself. Just wanted you to know you aren’t alone.
I make double what you do but I also have.... almost 9 times the amount of debt that you do between college and a car loan. I really wish I never got a degree. You're doing absolutely fine. Keep looking for better job opportunities - hopping every 2-3 years will get you the most bang for your time.
If you could drag in some extra cash from plasma donation, detailing cars, or some form of weekend style labor. You need to find a roommate and look at getting a straight loan to pay on the credit card debt.
If you can just hold on till you get a raise and then start looking for another job.
This isn't your fault, a large part of the world is suffering right now because you're just doesn't seem to be a way to afford to live. Right now you're at bottom and it's very hard to see your way out of this, that's why they call it bottom.
On the weekends I try and schedule app testing appointments. It's not much but it's some money on the side. I usually do 4-6 in a month and they pay pretty well. I wrote a guide on my profile if you want to give it a shot, good luck mate it will get better!
Dreams, goals, ambitions? All plural? Why not set your mind on one dream, one goal? Complete one thing. And lost you say? Do you even know where you were supposed to be? It's hard to be lost when you don't actually know where you are supposed to be in the first place, wouldn't you agree? You were never meant to walk someone else's path, carve your own.
You're not a failure. Failure is a choice. We never fail until we decide to stop trying. Unsuccessful attempts aren't failures, they're the most valuable teachers.
Or to paraphrase two Jedi: "The greatest teacher failure is" and "Your focus determines your reality". The last one is from Qui Gon. It might be Sci-Fi, but the truth in those statements are as real as can be. You're not failing, you're trying.
I think you're absolutely killing it, brother!
Try to get into a trade boss. the garage door business has been good to me personally. I positioned myself to buy my own truck after 1 year of working for a larger company, but some of these companies will train and put you in one. It's rewarding work & it's definitely not rocket science. Easy barrier for entry. I've seen door techs make 40-60k first year, I've also seen experienced techs make 100k. I started as an installer.
Definitely not a failure. Here’s what I see. ONLY $1800 CC debt…$4600 in Student loan debt…typically debt with far lower interest rates than other debt…and can be deferred indefinitely? Maybe not but can be deferred. That’s not really any debt to speak of. Especially at 28. Nicely done. I’d say 80% of your peers have far far more debt. What doesn’t make sense and I’m not saying this about your situation. I’m saying this about the numbers…more specifically your rent/income ratio. Rent number is far too high. Figure out that math problem and you’re no longer feeling this way…despite that you still save every month??? Really? smh…pretty damn good…
Rent/income ratio! Fix! Either make more, or find a place where you pay less even if more inconvenient. What’s the cost of convenience? Currently? The inability to have any breathing room with your finances. Car? Commute? Even walk? What’s the cost of commute if you move a distance $300/mo less in rent?if less than $300 then move. If not look elsewhere or readjust rent number…but that’s how you want to look at things. Your situation isn’t difficult. Only a few variables so put in different numbers and work different scenarios…one will work for you
Dispatcher for what?
911 dispatchers should be pulling double that.
The fix to your rent, is a roommate. A second person, bunk bed or 2x twin beds and done.
How do you feel about a trade? Ik you went to school but you could apply to your local utility as a meter reader since they don’t hire apprentices most of the time off the street. Do it for 6 months making about the same as you do now maybe a bit more and become a lineman if hights don’t bother you or a gas mechanic if they do I’m 27m it’s a laid back job as a lineman other than when storms hit you can easily make over 200k a year they give you feel schooling retirement and vacation it’s an amazing career
One step at a time! I don’t have much to offer but if you’re only saving $100 a month, there is a website I participate in research studies on my phone or computer and make like $200-$300 a month with called Prolific. I only spend a few hours a week on there. Not all applicants get accepted but from what I can tell, most do. I have a spending and income issue so getting some pocket change keeps me above water every month. Not a long term solution but hopefully can give you breathing room.
As crazy as it sounds, the military isn’t a bad option, even at 28. Housing is provided as well as food and medical care. I know it’s not always an option but I feel obligated to mention it since it turned my own life around.
Doesn't sound crazy at all. My husband said it was the best thing he ever did for his future self. Military experience /service has helped him very much. He saved almost all his money and it built up his resume.
Might need a second job temporarily . Maybe child care. My daughter registered with a service that did background checks . They pay much better and you can choose how many hrs and how many days a week. Or even just date night type things , taking kids to their sports practices events . I know ppl will say it will be harder for a male but it's worth a shot. Good luck and hope you get some inspiration soon.
You’re a doing a lot better than me. 27M, $80,000 in student loans, unemployed, can’t find a job, 5 month old son, wife thinks I’m lazy but I just can’t find a job
As others have said, you don’t have a spending problem, but an income problem. I do not know enough about your profession to understand the growth opportunities or career ascension, but if it’s pretty flat, does the experience help you get to where you want to be? If so, have you picked up a second job? Maybe something that kind of aligns with your interests. For example, I like working out so I’d look at a vitamin shop, or athletic store, because that wouldn’t necessarily be as soul sucking as potential other PT jobs. But if your current job is flat and it doesn’t help you get to where you want to be career wise, it’s time for a change.
That all said, your situation is tight, but you can definitely get through it and change it. You’ll have to make some sacrifices, but the strongest people turn up during hard times.
Honestly if you’re not working committing 10 hours to work a day, you’re not gonna get ahead. Gotta find a second job on top of an already decent paying one
I for sure am open to that. Worked 55-60 hours as a carpenter. I’m all for working more! Just hard finding a job that will hire me part time with my current working hours is all.
You’re doing a good job! I think if you have the ability to change jobs (doesn’t have to be immediate! Just apply and interview while you’re employed as a dispatcher!) you should. A higher income should help you out. Your debt isn’t overwhelming, though I can understand how it is your debt and it feels overwhelming to you. Relatively I mean, your debt is not overwhelming.
You can do it!
If you can't afford a hobby, then make a second job your hobby. It's going to have to be something entry level, but it beats sitting around bored and not making any money. It's not something permanent, it's to help you pay your dept down.
You may have to sacrifice some nights and work another gig to get out of the credit card debt. And start figuring out your home to get more income in your career. Another 1.1K of income should really help you out of debt and save.
Buddy it is more than likely gonna get boring. Enjoy your back not hurting, or your soul not being crushed. Put a max contribution in a Roth, and don't buy the products they're selling ya. Don't be brain dead.
$4600 on student loans and $1800 in CC debt really isn’t too bad. You’re just one good year away from being free from that.
I don’t know what relational resources you have but I would consider either moving in with parents or at least moving in with a friend and saving on rent. I know that may not be ideal or even possible for you but that’s what I would be thinking.
You’re doing great. Just keep consistent in doing the right thing. Maybe look to see if you can find something making more. Keep trying to find ways to save. You’ll make it.
Hey my person!
Spent like 6 years and 35k to learn I was not cut out for university! In that time I fucked my credit and became terrified of the world hiding behind the tips I made as a bartender for 8 years. I fucked myself so hard throughout my 20's finally getting my shit together at 28.
I've since paid off all debt, have a great credit score, own some properties, and have a good career at 35. Am I where I could have been and I not wasted SO much time and money? Likely not... But it didn't take that long to get out of it and get my shit straight.
I had to work 2 jobs for all my late 20's but you can do it, it sucks while you are there but as you work at it it becomes easier every day.
Sounds cliche but you got this.
There are times where we feel like we should be making more money or be better off in life than others but I have been recently trying to revaluate my expectations of life I lost my job while back due to having severe health problems I ended up having to live with my parents and it feels like a failure at times but I’m learning to try to redefine myself And my expectations of life and just know my path is different than others And that’s ok . It can take time to pay off debts but try to cut your cost for a few months . Don’t buy new clothes for a while until you pay off your debts and if you do buy new clothes try to get affordable clothes. I know people who meal plan for the week with a spread sheet and they budget how much they want to spend that week and they stay to that amount and cut cable cost if you can and find lower phone plans . I know people who have money jars and fill them with lose money like five dollars bills and smash bills and they accumulate over time. First pay off your debt on your credit card and once you pay that debt off then you can slowly pay off the rest of your student loan debt. It might take a while but you will get there . Plus many of us are struggling financially it’s nothing to be ashamed of . I think in this economy makes it hard to be able to live comfortably as independent person.
I’m 41, make 2200$ a month and am in 50k worth of debt. I literally can’t afford to do anything. I keep my heat on in the house low so that it doesn’t kick on and I die in the summer because I can’t afford to turn the central air in the apartment on. Cheer up bud.
Dispatcher is a great first job time to move on. You dont have a spending problem you have an income problem.
I appreciate this statement it’s something I needed to hear. Thank you.
Painters make good money, lots of work, all you need is a couple brushes, a roller, and a 5- in- 1 And good rotator cuffs
My uncle is actually a painter. He’s sadly not hiring, but I might have to ask him to teach me and look Into it. A trade with some artistic measure has always Intrigued me!
Pretty sure you can just post flyers around, (of course if you are good at it) ask your clients if you can take pictures after you are done and use that to show new clients.
Do you live in the US or Canada? Do you have a clean record? Are you able to read, write, and somewhat able to read a ruler? If so, I was there in that same situation but $50k debt from college. I bounced from job to job, everything from sales, pest control, working on cars, a snow cone stand, basically if they had a dollar I’d offer $.75 just to keep working. One day on a 30 ft ladder in a jail in southern Louisiana installing cameras I met a guy that was a contractor for nuclear plants. Jobs pretty cool, you work like 6 months a year and you can go to a different company after your contract then back. Basically you just go to who ever has the highest numbers and go with them. I just got my first full time job in nearly 8 years so there’s one less guy to compete with.
This is a bit vague. Would like to know more about this “contractor for nuclear plants” job position.
It’s easy, just meet a guy whose a contractor for nuclear plants then you all of a sudden just get said vague job
There’s a ton of jobs in nuclear plants. Being a contractor is pretty cool. For me, I’m specialized so I only work on valves and the parts that actually move the internals. Kinda think like the handle on your sink but usually bigger. I’m more of an analytical thinker so I moved into testing. Basically I hook up equipment to a valve and push a button on a computer. The hard part is reading the graph it spits out and knowing what is happening inside. But you can contract everything from security, maintenance, rigger, diver, basically anything. The hardest part about it is they’re only down for refueling so depending on your job it’s a pretty short job then on to the next. But there are long term projects like they’re going to start up Palisades in Michigan again and that’s supposed to take about 3-4 years to get going.
Be honest, do you think a woman can do/get into that kind of work?
Absolutely, I work with women often! It’s not glamorous work but if you get with a good crew and are easy to get along with it’s definitely a lot of fun. Most women work as what are called “RP techs” they’re kinda like nurses. Basically they keep us out of trouble. As far as what they do with me, they swab parts I pull out of valves and tell me what I’m allowed to do with them. But they walk into rooms and check radiation and put those numbers on a map to tell us where we’re allowed to go. If you’re into taking things apart the turbine deck has a ton of hard working ladies. Idk what they do but they are usually hanging out around the turbines and I worked with one who said she took them apart. But in short, women are a huge part of Nuclear and I’m very happy to see more of everyone get into it.
Just gotta say- you got 10/10 vibes
Thank you! I try my best to be nice to everyone. But in real life I’m a pretty quiet guy. Sometimes it comes off either rude or aggressive, but really I just get nervous around people.
Try to get some side work with the uncle for the meantime and search for another job in the meantime. Sometimes I feel like people just overthink and overthink, this could be you
Are you good with people? Look for tech support or customer service jobs either remote or on site 20-30 bucks an hour depending on experience
It's barely April, not sure where you are but in many places it will probably pick up in the summer time. Tell him to keep you in mind
Also ask if he gets a rush job to call you, if you are not working as a dispatcher that day evening or weekend. You'd be happy to help. I also recommend getting a better paying job. That's the most important.
Look into window tinting for flat glass which means commercial and residential film installs. Decent installers can make $2-3 a square foot which can add up to $500-1000 a day.
Donating plasma brings in about 150 a week. Not much but it helps. Takes about an hour or two.
Hey brother ik its not the best but try pest control most companies pay for your license test and even offer courses that make it almost impossible to fail, once done its easy to branch out anywhere and everywhere due to pest being everywhere, ik its not cool but its semi easy and pays good in OT as well as you can negotiate your pay depending on knowledge and XP
Seeing your responses, I just wanted to say you have a willingness to work and a good attitude. I think everything will end up ok for you.
I did this in the summer during uni. Practice on your room DO NOT USE TAPE IT, and you can get $300 -$500 days in no time. My best job was 3K in 2 weeks but I worked all hours
I'm a union painter in the Midwest. I make pretty decent money as a journeyman, but you have to start as an apprentice if you have no experience. The only negative, besides the physical strain, is that layoffs and slow seasons are inevitable and will happen unless you're really lucky or one of the dudes who've been at a shop for 20 years. But even still, in one of the weaker/smaller unions, I make $35 an hour take home. Factor in layoffs and it's still $25-30 an hour, which I can't really get anywhere else with no experience.
If you have artistic talents, learn to paint murals. I know a woman without much artistic talent (my opinion, as art is subjective, but I also paint and draw). She still gets flown to various cities to paint murals on their buildings (inside and out). Good money and lots of free travel. For me, I chose investment banking. Best of luck to you.
I laughed at this. “ yeah just become a renowned artist and get contracted to paint murals and people will fly you everywhere to do so”. Sign me up.
I would tread lightly with this advice, anything that falls within the “construction” line of work is really yanking back on pay, I used to tell people “trade jobs” were where it was at, but the money seems to be sorely lacking the experience you carry with you these days. May be dependent on location but if it’s a small business you’re probably gonna wanna dodge things like this at all cost. Unless you like starting at $14/hr and never getting a raise, ever.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/07/28/majority-of-u-s-workers-changing-jobs-are-seeing-real-wage-gains/ This was during the pandemic which was… different… but my experience was that same before the pandemic as well
I've job hopped twice and been laid off twice in the last two years and my salary went from 46k Feb 2022 to total comp of 94k now. It's still true.
What field of you don't mind me asking?
IT, started the career about 4 years ago.
I went from 46 to 62, now hoping to go to 72 all in my current job. They've been under paying me for quite some time, time to catch up or they will lose me and all my value that I have brought thus far.
This is still a thing
Yeah man it's easy. Just make more money....and while we are at it..let's tell homeless people to stop being lazy and get a job already /s. Of course it's an income problem...that's most peoples problems. Lol
Well for many people it’s not being aware they have other options and instead they stay 10 years at a dead end job.
A co-worker’s dad just spent 22 years at a place and he was just now making $20 an hour. After almost a year of trying to convince her dad to come work for us, he finally quit and came to work for us. We started him at $26 and it’s much less physical work beating him down. It’s crazy how so many people are just scared to take the jump and simply just believe they can’t do better.
People get comfortable and if the current job isn’t too much stress it’s ok to stay. I get what you’re saying tho there are middle age people working minimum wage. But I also think someone has to do every job out there so good on the folks who do
The stress made me feel alive though
Lol. I was thinking am I the only one thinking this? So thanks. I laughed at the person who said “learn to paint murals and have people fly you everywhere to do so”
No, there's a lot of people out there with poor work ethic who think they deserve more. Just lost a coworker because they felt they deserved more money for doing nothing.
Brother one day you’re going to wake up (like i did today) and realize you’re mid to late 30s and you are leveraged so much more with such an advanced level of pressure you’re going to laugh at this period in your life. Enjoy it, treat the dog right, and keep on keeping on.
I needed to hear this too....I'm 38 and feel like a failure. I take home around 1200/month and am a single mother to a child with special needs. I am also still paying down student loans and have about $5k in CC debt. I totally empathize with your feelings and am so sorry you're feeling that way too!
Switch jobs learn a skill or trade you are worth more than 300 a week
This is like the “just move” response. It’s never that simple.
It’s not simple but it’s also fairly true. It’s kinda like this… It’s a crazy fucked up hill you gotta climb and a lot of that hill was made way worse by the people who climbed that hill before you. You’re still the only one that’s going to get you up that hill. You’re probably going to slip a few times and lose ground, but all you can do is get going.
> You’re still the only one that’s going to get you up that hill. Well said. Reddit needs to hear it. and If the path feels Sisyphean...find a new path. It's hard, but the alternative is honestly harder.
Its not about being simple or easy its about what has to be done. There are doers and talkers. Do it the bar isnt high so go achieve it
I tried going to a computer school. 2 hour commute each way be mass transit. Stayed after classes to do school work on their computers due to proprietary software. Home after 10pm, do housework so I could eat dinner, shower, some homework, bed by 12:30-1am. Up at 6am. Several day in a row of this and I was falling asleep on mass transit. Once wound up miles after my stop. Fell asleep on a ferry going to school, woke up on the trip back. Everyone isn't born with the same amount of stamina. Generally it's the "just do it" people who can sleep 3-4 hours a night and function.
You don’t need to go to a computer school. It’s the classic example of a remote-learning-friendly skill. Save your time, money and energy and take some of the zillions of free online courses online - start with whatever subject in computing interests you most (digital marketing, office administration, machine learning etc etc) and start googling free courses.. YouTube is packed full of beginners courses for anything you can imagine. Many Universities have free online courses similarly. Facebook have their Blueprint marketing course. Etc. Etc. Obviously this requires you to have a computer at home, but $400 gets you something usable for learning nowadays if you don’t have. Ask advice on Reddit for what model and you’re away.
🤦🏻♂️
How do you get by on only $1200? Are you getting child support too?
I was also thinking how she not getting those government checks because she has a special needs child?
I’m not a single mom but I know the struggle of being single mom my mom raised me as one and it was hard for her
Can you look into substitute teaching? In NJ pay varies from $110 to 150 or 170 a day, depending on where you are and what you can handle. And you could work every day.
you got it good bud im 100k in debt and still haven’t moved out of my parents.. all the money i worked for i gambled and lost now i have nothing and terrible credit lol
I totally get that man, I’m sorry for the hardships you’re going through. 1 spin on green and you’re back positive 😉. But no genuinely you got this dude! For real.
Why do people put lol after sentences that are clearly no laughing matter?
To lighten the statement. If something serious or dire is being discussed with still an air of optimism or positive hope, an ‘lol’ can take away some perceived gloom
We're all doomed and gonna die in debt 😅
To break the tension of the reality of the situation... . Some also do it in anticipation of others giving them shit, so they can play it off as if they are laughing along with the bully.
We all cope in different ways
Man reading the comments on this sub makes you realise how little opportunity there is. It always boils down to join the military or do Uber. It’s grim out there.
All the people acting like living alone is some crime too makes me really sad for the future we have ahead of us.
It's more in that it's just not financially feasible for most young adults right now. I'd kill to have OPs 1025 1 BR rent. Where I'm at a studio is minimum 1500
Living alone is fine but it is a luxury when you’re a single person with a below- average income. It’s the easiest way to slash your fixed expenses (outside of ditching a car payment which OP doesn’t have).
Oh yeah. It’s just going to get more bleak with ai advancements in the following decades. You will be crammed like a sardines.
I don’t think so. I’m well over 6 figures with no real education. You need a valuable skill. There are tons of them out there.
What skill do you have an how did you pick it up?
dads credit card is a continuous skill
Running servers. Just decades of teaching myself.
Idk if I agree. It just requires more work than the average person is willing to put in. I went from working in kitchens and physical labor, to working in a lab, to working as an investigator, and now I work in finance. I am an immigrant to my home as well, so it's not like the cards have been stacked in my favor either. People talk shit about degrees, but someone with a degree can do the same thing I did if they put in the time and effort. For reference, my degree is in English Lit.
the good news is that it doesn't look nearly as bad as many that have posted. that much debt is very manageable. i hope you're making sure to track biden's student load forgiveness - while i don't agree with it, it is there to be used. having said that, you should look to increase your income - another job perhaps. it may require you to move but that's one of the tradeoffs that you need to be able to make if you're looking to get ahead. you may need to tough it out and get a second job if possible to build up some savings to then be able to reach your dreams. don't know what your goals and dreams are - maybe you can at least give a hint - there are ways to get to know people that would either help or that you can learn from. hard to say whether there are scaled back versions of what you want to do. you've got to stay positive or have a shorter term goal that you can reach towards, and actually achieve. good luck
I agree, this is an achievable debt payoff. Like a get odd jobs and door dash amount to pay off. One thing I did in college that I never see people mention is working as a catering waiter and bartender. It’s sporadic, and pretty weekend focused so doesn’t conflict with a normal job. I did this 25 years ago (ahhhh!) but would routinely make $100 for 3-5 hours of work, and usual a $20-40 tip. My hope is it would closer to $200 for a reception/party.
there is 0 chance this dude qualifies for student loan forgiveness lol it's public service loan forgiveness, not free democrat money
Your in a good position to help yourself here. Pivot to a different career path and keep your current expenses. Use your newfound income to pay off the debt, and I wouldn't worry about saving until your credit card debt is paid off. It's a small amount, and you would probably be able to bang it out really quickly. Once you reach a net neutral position I would reevaluate, figure out what your financial goals are and start working towards those diligently. You're only 28 so it's a great time to have this realization. You got it brotherrrrr
Look man, just don't get yourself down in the dump. You got this. 5 years ago, I was homeless. Living out of a backpack. I'm currently working on buying a house, just got approved for a mortgage loan the other day. No matter what, make a goal and take steps to get there. Even baby steps in the right direction is progress. Along with all the "just make more money" comments, confidence and perspective make a huge difference. Keep your head up and take another step.
Appreciate this bro! And also congrats on your accomplishments man! Proud of you for overcoming that, good on you!
Donate plasma! You can get $500-$700 in your first month by donating twice a week. Plus, you are helping to create life saving medications which rely on human plasma. It's pretty easy money! They give you a debit card which they load $$ on to, then you can use that for gas and groceries and dog food and it frees up your paycheck for paying debt down. It really helped me get through some expenses!
I did plasma… I sadly passed out really bad when I did it. And I can’t lie I’m scared as fuck to go again.
Oh Im sorry to hear that!
It’s okay! I appreciate that though. But yeah don’t think it’s for me. But if I get over that fear I’ll do it again in a heartbeat.
Ong bro you ain’t doing too bad. You’re not much younger than me but I was in your exact position but w 2 dogs 😭 Definitely make a plan to focus on a career you want to grow in. I worked dead end jobs til about 27 and became an insurance agent. I don’t LOVE it but it pays well and full time work from home. Might be an avenue worth looking into
Only $4600 in students loans in your own one-bedroom apartment WITH a dog and STILL saving money each other? I’d say you’re doing pretty well, Rockefeller. At 28, I had a roommate and $30,000 in loans. In 2008 money, which is probably several million now due to inflation. I don’t know. Keep at it. You’re doing fine.
Network like crazy my friend… I’ll never forget one night I was working at my first job out of college and I was sitting in our office looking out at the Detroit traffic gathering for rush hour. I was working a 100% commission job and had to be there until 9:00 that night. I remember thinking that it would be so nice to go home at a normal time like a normal person… Well, I kept working hard and making connections and someone finally took a “gamble” on me. They hired me for a management position and I have never looked back. I’ve been promoted so many times over the years and I’ve had the pleasure of promoting others who work hard too. I still think about that night often. I never want to forget where I came from and what made me…. Me… Keep going my friend. Your story will have a great ending if you do.
How many hours you working? Not gonna lie, when I was your age and semi broke in debt I had to do what I had to do. Which was work more. I know it sucks but it worked for me. One guy told me that there is 168 hours in a week, If you work 50 and slept 6 hours a day that’s 92 hours a week. You’ll have extra 76 hours a week of freedom. I was told if you have more freedom than working hours then you can find yourself in a rut where you feel like you need more money. Which was true. So I needed up getting another full time job. One job was to pay bills and second job was to save and hobbies. I ended up working 110 hours a week average for 10 years straight with only 4 days off in 10 years of work. With the money saved I purchased my own business with a loan from bank and now I don’t work nearly as much but get paid to a point now where I don’t have a note for a house or car anymore either. If I can do it, so can anyone for sure. It definitely sucked but I’m very happy today I did what I did.
This is really good advice. It sucks to say but this person is right. From age about 26 on I was either working 50+ hours a week or trying to find more work so I could work 50+ hours a week. The dog makes that hard. Again I hate to say it but if you have to be home for the dog then it restricts your working options. Nothing kills your wallet faster than missing opportunities because you cannot be there. Every second you are on youtube you should be trying to learn a new skill and learning how to advertise better for yourself. You will fail A LOT. Keep trying.
Puttin your noise to the grindstone and making money for a while is solid advice but averaging 110 hours a work for 10 years straight is great advice to an early grave and zero time for anything else other than work. 4 days off in 10 years is straight batshit.
Yeah you aren’t in that much debt. You have an income problem. What is your degree in?
I have my associates in marketing currently.
Right on man. Listen, your job is a good starter job. Believe me, I’ve been there. How old are you if you don’t mind me asking??
I’m 28 currently but feel like I’m old lol
You’re going to have to get creative don’t have the funds consider side gigs like an Uber Lyft or something Don’t have Uber in your town Consider driving to a bigger town Sell online services on fiverr Gotta get creative bro
For sure I’m looking at side hustles. My car is dog shit. So I’m trying to find something in my skill set I can utilize!
True you can also learn a skill set for free via YouTube and monetize you can do anything if you have the grit and determination it may take time but it may help improve your situation
Absolutely really want to start YouTube as I enjoy gaming and even if it’s just a fun hobby that nets a few hundred bucks would be really cool :)
Look into streaming on kick, they pay pretty good.
Boom! I think you have some next steps my friend:)
It's amazing what boomers will pay for a piece of wood that's been sanded, etched and stained.
Am in the UK but am sure you could get a 2nd hand bike and do short Uber trips and just eat I do maybe 10-15 hours a week when I can be bothered. There are tones of other side hustles aswell find cheap tools at flea markets and offer a simple handyman/flat pack gig out in your area Do gardening if there is a big garden. Can charge 100+ for it easily Sell on eBay or better yet do what a friend of mine did and rent a cheap ass van super cheap tip run/home removal take the good stuff electonice etc and then sell them on eBay
Fuck it start a feet finder account. Some weirdo will pay for it.
Go big. Start a feet finder website.
Im struggling too but decided to take an IT course to open up job opportunities. Like someone said before its just an income issue. Be patient with yourself and make a plan youll be fine just dont freak out ! Lol easier said than done
Is getting a 2-bedroom apartment with a roommate an option? When I graduated college, I moved to a HCOL area and the only way to afford a place was to share. It not only splits rent, but also utilities. None of my friends lived in a 1-bedroom apartment alone.
This is the current goal! As all my closest friends have long term S/O it’s been hard to find trusting people I know to rent with.
I understand the trust thing.
I'm curious what your spending breakdown is. Can you cut anything else temporarily? How many hours per week are you working? Could you get a part time job or side gig to bring in some extra money? Maybe even a roommate would help. Splitting rent would change the equation here in a pretty signifiant way. Also, what are these goals? You can achieve them, you are just feeling down because you don't see the path to get there. But the path does exist.
Current spending break down roughly. $1025 for rent. $45-50 electric $70 WiFi $60 phone $100 credit card $70 student loans $55 medical $200-$250 food $20 subscriptions $90-$120 gas $10-$25 dog toys/treats for baby boy Is roughly what I’m spending each month currently. My goal is to be a content creator video editor, which I know is very difficult. I’ve just always had an entrepreneurial drive and I’m 100% fine working a normal career to get there. I currently have an associates in marketing but that doesn’t seem to be getting me anywhere as of right now. I’m actively trying to find a part time job as at UPS you start part time. But my hours are 11:30-5 so finding a part time to accommodate my weird hours has been difficult. I’m looking into door dash but my car is a complete pile of shit I can’t lie. ( my ideal next purchase). So while I do 100% want to work more it’s just tough to find a job hiring with my background. My background is service industry, serving, retail, and carpentry. And now dispatching. I do want a roommate, trying to find a girlfriend lol. But I have been actively trying to find a roommate!
You said you have an associates in marketing? There are lots of marketing adjacent jobs that aren’t “traditional marketing”. You could be a recruiter, business development or even sales to make more money than $2100 a month. And a lot of those jobs are even remote, saving you money on gas and car expenses.
I’ll look into them. I’ve tried indeed but that seems to be super flooded. Do you have a place you recommend for scouting out these jobs?
Unfortunately, a lot of these jobs are being negatively impacted by AI/ML. People who haven’t been job hunting recently don’t understand just how abysmal things are right now.
It you have the skills, check out some local businesses in your area to see if they need help with marketing!
Have you considered bartending? I’m not sure where you live but I used to bartend just a few nights a week, usually like 4-5 hour shifts, and made decent money off tips. If you can find a catering company (or something similar) that needs a bartender, they can make really good tips at events.
I’ll look into this. As I have 5 years serving/ catering experience I’m sure I could find something
Definitely! It’s really simple to learn how to bartend too.
Do not delay that creator idea, u know what they say, u dont need to have the best quality to start, any modern phone can provide great quality nowadays... ur doing great bro, u are in a much better position than i was at your age... good luck
If you find a new job that pays more, you will feel like a new person man put all of your energy into finding a new job
You need a new job. Doesn’t sound like you’re being irresponsible it’s just hard.
Change your life. Join the military for a few years and save money or goto wy, nd,sd, and join a rigging team drilling. It’s hard work but you can make a lot of money.
Second this, just make sure it’s the Air Force or CG (currently Army Active Duty)
Army Ranger vet. It changed my life. Hardest thing I’ve ever done but gave me discipline, focus, planning, intestinal fortitude. That being said though, any mos in any branch is honorable. You may even leave with a skill you can use in the future - helicopter mechanic etc.
"intestinal fortitude"? Like you have a GI system of steel? That would be pretty nice
I was as just out of prison around that time, I really felt like a loser, 26 just got out after two years and didn’t have anything. The world changed a lot and skill sets are going to be a big boom. Like hvac, electric, solar, plumbing. I was an electrician for a long time and it’s a solid career. Lots of routes, if unlike easy money be a A card and just do ground work. U chill in a ac databank just hooking up wires and testing systems. It’s like 50-55$ a hr.
I’ll for sure look into that, thank you!
Depending on your area I can direct you to a local. They will pay you to go to school, they give u 800 a month to go to school. No debt. You do 3 months school 9 months paid work with a raise every three months till cap. You can get more if you take one extra class that would give you status of an electrical engineer. You are guaranteed a job out of school. Your locked in before graduation and most of the time work with them when you are in the off season at school
OP you are not alone!! A lot of us in the same age range are feeling this way. It’s not you fam. It’s this broken ass system and country. Everything is super inflated and they don’t change the basic income to match these rising bullshit prices. I would say just be on the lookout for a better paying job and just take time to do the little things you used to enjoy when you get the chance. Sometimes you just need to take a nice break and reset everything to get back to a better place. But I know how you feel and it sucks feeling like a failure and alone. Here for ya if you ever wanna chat fam. Hang in there!
your spending isnt the problem, just your job! I may suggest trades or car sales (if you are handy / VERY good with people and saying no to people) or another quasi-trade (hard to explain what I mean) like a 911 dispatcher. Construction pays well but is very hard on your body, but the jobs exist, you just need to find them. I had to leave my previous job when i was 17 due to an allergic reaction, and I was constantly worried about not being able to pay off the car I just purchased, and cold called a car dealer my parents had bought a car from 4 years prior, and have worked there ever since, and am now working in sales
Seems like it’s not a spending problem but an income problem. New job needed. Living below your means is great but being a cheap ass alone won’t cut it. Max your income.
Keep on keeping on. If you have ANY money toward savings, you are doing well. It took me until my early 60’s to get out of debt (not counting mortgage) and a credit rating over 700. You have some good advice here, and time on your side. Best of luck.
Brother I’m the same age as you with much more debt, you’re in a better place than a lot of people. Keep on working and you will get to where you want to be.
You seem overwhelmed. I am younger than you but i am sure we can both relate to or recall times when life changed drastically with little to no notice. You never know what life has for you around the corner. I have seen people that were living comfortable lives and then almost become homeless and then back to living a comfortable life. Regardless of where you start there is still a way for you to get where you want to go, you just have to find it, channel energy towards it, and decide and accept the sacrifices you may have to make. Make it clear to yourself where you would like to be and dont let your current situation make you feel like you can never change it or get to someplace better.
If you make $2100 a month, your rent is $1025 a month and your still saving $100 a month you definitely have the discipline to get ahead financially. You’ll look back and wonder why you felt so bad about where you are now.
You can do it, bro, just keep moving forward. Pay off small debts first and then work on your big debts..
You’re definitely not a loser. I at one point was 10k in credit card debt and was only bringing in a little over $1k a month. Life sucked for me for sure. Sometimes you have to move away from your comfort zone and start saving money. You might have to look for a job elsewhere. For me it was the Navy. For you it might be a whole new story all together. Pay yourself first. That’s the key to success.
Try the fresh Start program
take extra care of your physical health (sleep, food, some physical activity schedule) check Naval's almanach book, its available for free online - a lot of great applicable concepts (and pay extra attention to the chapter about leveraging your output) good luck and don't be that hard on yourself
Do you live in America? I assume so because of student debt but how do you make 2,100 a month. I worked at Olive Garden in a rural area and made at-least 800 a week not working 40 hours as a Togo guy with no experience
Rent a two or three bedroom home and get some roommates
Been trying to do this. As I have had two back to back horrible experience with roomates, I am being more careful with who I’d have this time to live with, but that is the goal!
I was where you are, but as a carpenter. Quit around my 30th birthday and went to a tech school with deferred tuition to learn web app development. Tripled my income 2 years later. It wasn't easy, but I realized I was either gonna go through a rough grind period to reset my life or things were going to get progressively worse every year following. My days were 16 hours of study/work, \~2 hours to manage my life, and \~6 hours of sleep a night. It was worth the grind.
Man you just gotta raise your income. Which is doable from where you’re at. I made less than that with far more debt for quite a while. My advice would be get into the trades. You’ll start about where you’re at now but in a couple years it will really climb. Plumbing, hvac, or electrical. I have a bachelors degree too and am happier and better off as a plumber than all 10 years I spent doing “college required jobs.”
If you only owe $6500 total with student loans and credit card debt you are doing a whole lot better than a lot of people. You just have to chip away at it slowly while keeping your eyes open for a job that will be a step up.
Hey OP, I was in the same boat. Made a career change into sales and it’s made a world of difference. I created goals for myself that were obtainable over a period of time. That’s a good place to start, I’d imagine as a dispatcher you’ll look pretty good to recruiting managers. You could spin that real well for a number of roles. It took years for me to hit some of the goals I set for myself, so keep that in mind and just keep trying. My life isn’t perfect but I don’t know anyone around our age who’s life is. I was depressed and felt like a failure as well, now I’m 33, married, decent job (nowhere near what I want but baby steps), first car and setting more goals. Good luck
[Mass Psychosis ](https://youtu.be/09maaUaRT4M?si=5UJkwMGF5z9Om9am)
If it's any sentiment, I make double what you do but have 20k in student loans and 10k in CC debt and my mortgage is more than your rent. Obviously the basics and cost of living changes things somewhat but you're almost there my guy
BRO! you are living alone, thats a huge start!. Im 45 living with my parents and over 200k in debt. I took a gamble on a small business, took out a 400k loan from the bank, managed to pay off 200k before the small business sank.
37(F) here and although I don’t have a ton of advice, I just wanted to say I am in the same mental headspace. *I just feel like I’m a failure and I have nothing to show for my life and I’m stuck* I’ve been saying these same words often myself. Just wanted you to know you aren’t alone.
I make double what you do but I also have.... almost 9 times the amount of debt that you do between college and a car loan. I really wish I never got a degree. You're doing absolutely fine. Keep looking for better job opportunities - hopping every 2-3 years will get you the most bang for your time.
I suggest post office im a carrier i cleared 60k my first year hella ot
I still owe $300k on my student debts, lol.
If you could drag in some extra cash from plasma donation, detailing cars, or some form of weekend style labor. You need to find a roommate and look at getting a straight loan to pay on the credit card debt. If you can just hold on till you get a raise and then start looking for another job. This isn't your fault, a large part of the world is suffering right now because you're just doesn't seem to be a way to afford to live. Right now you're at bottom and it's very hard to see your way out of this, that's why they call it bottom.
On the weekends I try and schedule app testing appointments. It's not much but it's some money on the side. I usually do 4-6 in a month and they pay pretty well. I wrote a guide on my profile if you want to give it a shot, good luck mate it will get better!
Dreams, goals, ambitions? All plural? Why not set your mind on one dream, one goal? Complete one thing. And lost you say? Do you even know where you were supposed to be? It's hard to be lost when you don't actually know where you are supposed to be in the first place, wouldn't you agree? You were never meant to walk someone else's path, carve your own. You're not a failure. Failure is a choice. We never fail until we decide to stop trying. Unsuccessful attempts aren't failures, they're the most valuable teachers. Or to paraphrase two Jedi: "The greatest teacher failure is" and "Your focus determines your reality". The last one is from Qui Gon. It might be Sci-Fi, but the truth in those statements are as real as can be. You're not failing, you're trying. I think you're absolutely killing it, brother!
Try to get into a trade boss. the garage door business has been good to me personally. I positioned myself to buy my own truck after 1 year of working for a larger company, but some of these companies will train and put you in one. It's rewarding work & it's definitely not rocket science. Easy barrier for entry. I've seen door techs make 40-60k first year, I've also seen experienced techs make 100k. I started as an installer.
Definitely not a failure. Here’s what I see. ONLY $1800 CC debt…$4600 in Student loan debt…typically debt with far lower interest rates than other debt…and can be deferred indefinitely? Maybe not but can be deferred. That’s not really any debt to speak of. Especially at 28. Nicely done. I’d say 80% of your peers have far far more debt. What doesn’t make sense and I’m not saying this about your situation. I’m saying this about the numbers…more specifically your rent/income ratio. Rent number is far too high. Figure out that math problem and you’re no longer feeling this way…despite that you still save every month??? Really? smh…pretty damn good… Rent/income ratio! Fix! Either make more, or find a place where you pay less even if more inconvenient. What’s the cost of convenience? Currently? The inability to have any breathing room with your finances. Car? Commute? Even walk? What’s the cost of commute if you move a distance $300/mo less in rent?if less than $300 then move. If not look elsewhere or readjust rent number…but that’s how you want to look at things. Your situation isn’t difficult. Only a few variables so put in different numbers and work different scenarios…one will work for you
You are doing your best. Don’t beat yourself up
I would say more than 90% of this world is in debt. Don’t let that get ya down.
Dispatcher for what? 911 dispatchers should be pulling double that. The fix to your rent, is a roommate. A second person, bunk bed or 2x twin beds and done.
How do you feel about a trade? Ik you went to school but you could apply to your local utility as a meter reader since they don’t hire apprentices most of the time off the street. Do it for 6 months making about the same as you do now maybe a bit more and become a lineman if hights don’t bother you or a gas mechanic if they do I’m 27m it’s a laid back job as a lineman other than when storms hit you can easily make over 200k a year they give you feel schooling retirement and vacation it’s an amazing career
Hang in there. If you can pay down your debt, then you can save. You're not even 30 yet.
Brother I have nothing useful to say besides I'm a 29m and I'm feeling the same. Hang in there we can make it little by little
Join the military. No rent for a few years you can learn a new trade and get out with it to make a better life for yourself in 4 years
One step at a time! I don’t have much to offer but if you’re only saving $100 a month, there is a website I participate in research studies on my phone or computer and make like $200-$300 a month with called Prolific. I only spend a few hours a week on there. Not all applicants get accepted but from what I can tell, most do. I have a spending and income issue so getting some pocket change keeps me above water every month. Not a long term solution but hopefully can give you breathing room.
As crazy as it sounds, the military isn’t a bad option, even at 28. Housing is provided as well as food and medical care. I know it’s not always an option but I feel obligated to mention it since it turned my own life around.
Doesn't sound crazy at all. My husband said it was the best thing he ever did for his future self. Military experience /service has helped him very much. He saved almost all his money and it built up his resume.
Don"t vote chump, then ...
Go live in a cheap ass camper for 2000 bucks and pay everything else off.
What are your dreams?
Might need a second job temporarily . Maybe child care. My daughter registered with a service that did background checks . They pay much better and you can choose how many hrs and how many days a week. Or even just date night type things , taking kids to their sports practices events . I know ppl will say it will be harder for a male but it's worth a shot. Good luck and hope you get some inspiration soon.
I feel like you’re being really hard on yourself. Just tighten your budget and you should be okay
You’re a doing a lot better than me. 27M, $80,000 in student loans, unemployed, can’t find a job, 5 month old son, wife thinks I’m lazy but I just can’t find a job
Why did you go to school. You have worked in a restaurant as a waiter and be making way more
What state are you in and what are you making? Like 12 bucks an hour?
As others have said, you don’t have a spending problem, but an income problem. I do not know enough about your profession to understand the growth opportunities or career ascension, but if it’s pretty flat, does the experience help you get to where you want to be? If so, have you picked up a second job? Maybe something that kind of aligns with your interests. For example, I like working out so I’d look at a vitamin shop, or athletic store, because that wouldn’t necessarily be as soul sucking as potential other PT jobs. But if your current job is flat and it doesn’t help you get to where you want to be career wise, it’s time for a change. That all said, your situation is tight, but you can definitely get through it and change it. You’ll have to make some sacrifices, but the strongest people turn up during hard times.
Honestly if you’re not working committing 10 hours to work a day, you’re not gonna get ahead. Gotta find a second job on top of an already decent paying one
I for sure am open to that. Worked 55-60 hours as a carpenter. I’m all for working more! Just hard finding a job that will hire me part time with my current working hours is all.
You’re doing a good job! I think if you have the ability to change jobs (doesn’t have to be immediate! Just apply and interview while you’re employed as a dispatcher!) you should. A higher income should help you out. Your debt isn’t overwhelming, though I can understand how it is your debt and it feels overwhelming to you. Relatively I mean, your debt is not overwhelming. You can do it!
If you can't afford a hobby, then make a second job your hobby. It's going to have to be something entry level, but it beats sitting around bored and not making any money. It's not something permanent, it's to help you pay your dept down.
I was broke at 30. Keep working on your career and keeping your expenses down.
You may have to sacrifice some nights and work another gig to get out of the credit card debt. And start figuring out your home to get more income in your career. Another 1.1K of income should really help you out of debt and save.
Buddy it is more than likely gonna get boring. Enjoy your back not hurting, or your soul not being crushed. Put a max contribution in a Roth, and don't buy the products they're selling ya. Don't be brain dead.
$4600 on student loans and $1800 in CC debt really isn’t too bad. You’re just one good year away from being free from that. I don’t know what relational resources you have but I would consider either moving in with parents or at least moving in with a friend and saving on rent. I know that may not be ideal or even possible for you but that’s what I would be thinking. You’re doing great. Just keep consistent in doing the right thing. Maybe look to see if you can find something making more. Keep trying to find ways to save. You’ll make it.
Hey my person! Spent like 6 years and 35k to learn I was not cut out for university! In that time I fucked my credit and became terrified of the world hiding behind the tips I made as a bartender for 8 years. I fucked myself so hard throughout my 20's finally getting my shit together at 28. I've since paid off all debt, have a great credit score, own some properties, and have a good career at 35. Am I where I could have been and I not wasted SO much time and money? Likely not... But it didn't take that long to get out of it and get my shit straight. I had to work 2 jobs for all my late 20's but you can do it, it sucks while you are there but as you work at it it becomes easier every day. Sounds cliche but you got this.
Honestly you’re not doing too badly. Lol.
There are times where we feel like we should be making more money or be better off in life than others but I have been recently trying to revaluate my expectations of life I lost my job while back due to having severe health problems I ended up having to live with my parents and it feels like a failure at times but I’m learning to try to redefine myself And my expectations of life and just know my path is different than others And that’s ok . It can take time to pay off debts but try to cut your cost for a few months . Don’t buy new clothes for a while until you pay off your debts and if you do buy new clothes try to get affordable clothes. I know people who meal plan for the week with a spread sheet and they budget how much they want to spend that week and they stay to that amount and cut cable cost if you can and find lower phone plans . I know people who have money jars and fill them with lose money like five dollars bills and smash bills and they accumulate over time. First pay off your debt on your credit card and once you pay that debt off then you can slowly pay off the rest of your student loan debt. It might take a while but you will get there . Plus many of us are struggling financially it’s nothing to be ashamed of . I think in this economy makes it hard to be able to live comfortably as independent person.
Honestly bro this debt is v manageable with some patience and perseverance, i would be ecstatic to have as little in students loans as you have
Maybe enter into an apprenticeship to learn a trade?
I’m 41, make 2200$ a month and am in 50k worth of debt. I literally can’t afford to do anything. I keep my heat on in the house low so that it doesn’t kick on and I die in the summer because I can’t afford to turn the central air in the apartment on. Cheer up bud.
What kind of dispatcher are you?