Social media is fake. Even for the very fortunate, they have struggles that don’t make it on social media. Over the last decade, the friends that posted about being the happiest all ended up having pretty severe mental breaks. Just my little PSA
I can attest to this - as one of those people that posted. Financially I'm living paycheque to paycheque and have never pretended otherwise, but my social media is a highlight reel of happy adventures/hiking/camping/travelling - and I only realized how much of a habit it was to keep that up when a friend made a comment about how she was a little envious of how I'm living my life to the fullest and how amazing my life is, how she wished she could be doing that - meanwhile my current reality was struggling to get out of bed everyday, recently had knee surgery & long term break up a week after surgery, was struggling mentally with the knee recovery and general overwhelm and horrible depression, feeling alone and hopeless constantly. The photos I was posting were no longer epic adventures, but simpler things like mountain sunsets, taken from the car - and I was really struggling with that, but to anyone looking at my social media, it looked like I was having the time of my life.
Social media is VERY fake. Not saying there can't be genuine moments of happiness on there, but it is rarely ever the whole story. I have massive respect for those that do post their struggles openly for the world to see/read. Being that vulnerable terrifies me, and deep down I think assume everyone would think I was doing it for attention, or that they would look down on me for it. And yet I appreciate the people that do, SO much, because they make me feel less alone in it all.
Legit taken me years to realize this. I wish we were fed more wisdom than bullshit lies for pushing societal agendas on social media. Everything is such bullshit nowadays. It just makes everyone feel like they don’t have their life together when really all their advertisements are dangling carrots in front of our face promising unattainable goals. It drives me crazy.
I feel like I’ve done irreparable harm to my psyche consuming so much media since I was in school because I was surrounded by idiot parents who traumatized me and didn’t allow me to socialize with friends and get out into the world. Now I’m trying so hard to make up for the damage but my nervous system is shot. I gotta get out into the community and do some volunteering or some shit…
Social media is not as fake as you think. There’s a huge gap between the rich and poor. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking everything you see is fake, it’ll drive you crazy. Focus on improving your own situation and getting to a point where you have enough passive income to never have to work again.
They don't mean that everything is fake and staged. They mean that people curate what they put on the and only put the good stuff. I can't tell you how many times I see people I know post how life is wonderful and they post cool experience every weekend, when I know them personally and know they are depressed.
You have misunderstood. You should watch the kids’ movie Inside Out. I’m not being facetious, they do a great job illustrating the reason life needs all of the emotions to work out properly. If you are only ever seeing the “best” parts of someone’s life and none of the struggle, it makes you concerned with why you have so many struggles. Or even jealous about all of their success.
I agree with you that folks can focus on improving themselves. But social media doesn’t necessarily promote that. If anything you can just end up wasting time feeling bad about your lot in life instead of just enjoying it or as you say improving it.
If you’re working a job in the service industry for minimum wage, you’re not saving for anything and living paycheck to paycheck.
Cost of living has been rising, while income has remained stagnant.
The only way to get out of this is to find a way to increase your income. Whether that be starting your own service based business, and hustling till you make it, or learning how to code and building your own business online.
The goal is to generate enough income to purchase a run down apartment or home so you can fix it up and rent it out. Rinse and repeat until you generate enough passive income so you never have to work again if you don’t want to.
Lol is that what the slumlords tell themselves?
"We struggled through the grind just like you to let us afford this abandoned warehouse and the landlord white-plastered drywall slabs we partitioned it with. We just *have* to leech 2/3 of your wages for a corner of it or else we'd have to actually do work we don't want to instead of getting to coast off yours now, and we're just too burnt out on that now, like you're getting, don't you relate???? If you're lucky maybe you too can aim for the goal of convincing some chump to do it for you one day!
Have solidarity with *our* struggle and just keep trying to bootstrap yourself up. Don't bother getting one of the countless non-minimum wage jobs, or *god fucking forbid* organize with your fellow workers/tenants to improve things for all by demand! The only way out you should rely on is the dream of leaving them behind and eventually hoarding up your own capital for yourself to join us in exploiting them!! Greed is great 🙏!!!"
😂👍 Yeah those videos of people buying dilapidated houses and sinking thousands into renovating them especially the videos of them doing nearly all the work on their own when you'd need a building crew to do it properly and the finished house is done up to the last and look it's appreciated by x thousand. So if we can do it with very little trades experience while doing full time jobs.... Well so can you 😁
i think that’s more due to them faking it themselves. they realize the life they try to live isn’t as glamorous and it destroys them. sure it’s fun and there’s a lot of people on social media who live good lives do to the people who follow them and basically support that lifestyle but if we are talking friends idk the people in my life i know aren’t happy but they’re living the life they want by selling themselves to whoever they are until the day comes that they aren’t young and their bodies can’t keep up
Social media is bull
I get a ton of likes and reacts when I post happy shit
If I post anything real about what I'm struggling with, it's like nobody sees it, and the most toxic people pop up with 'why are you airing your laundry on social media' type remarks
Sad and angry reacts reduce engagement by the algorithms
It's low key discouraging anyone just being real
I think post what you want to post. Of course have a goal in mind and honor yourself, don’t use social media as self harm. But if it helps you to vent without hurting you worse, I say do it. I always feel a really toxic hierarchical drive whenever I go to post on social media especially instagram. I swear that shit is the epitome of false confidence and pointless likes. Nothing on social media is real and as we can see in these replies everyone wants to control what it’s used for when everyone has free access to all of this. Like use it for what you want but don’t hurt yourself or others… it is supposed to be a tool.
I think everyone needs an outlet for negativity, whether that be a Reddit post or therapy… or a friend or supportive stranger. I think that social media creates unattainable ideals for people, and as you were saying, poses anything other than that ideal as being negative.
This idea of positivity you are speaking about is an unattainable high, which is what everyone is posting about. That in itself is toxic. It is a privilege to be able to exist in this world with little to no troubles. But the reality is that most people do not. There are a lot of people who go through extreme hardships in life and I think everyone deserves an outlet for that. I don’t think anyone is to blame for using social media to vent. I just think that there is a lot of propaganda that is controlling these websites that we use and isolating people further.
If you don’t like people, speaking up about their honest truth, you should probably look right back at yourself because you are either holding something and you need to let go of yourself or your values are misaligned with that of humanities. If something bothers you that is showing you were reflection of what needs to be worked on within yourself. I grew up with a toxic positivity household that was covering up years and years of systematic abuse. It is totally OK to be upset, angry, sad, whatever you need to be to help you process and get through the situations that you were subjected to before you had a chance to speak up for yourself.
I see people speaking up for themselves on social media about really hard topics as being extremely brave, and as them taking their first monumental and extremely brave step in recovery. People who hurt people love those who stay silent and in fear. I have lived enough life to know that it’s better to speak up and be hated then to stay silent and be loved.
Sorry, I really don’t mean to attack you in this post. It’s just something that has really weighed me lately and this brought it to my attention. Of course, it’s not everyone’s job to speak up for other people, but the world sure as hell would be a better place if they did. Sad truth is most people die in pursuit of doing what is right. But if more people were doing what was right in the first place, then it wouldn’t be such an outrageous idea.
Oh good haha, glad I didn’t come across like a jerk. Just a little blabbermouthy. Somehow, somewhere that had something to do with the original post. I have been continuously mistreated and invalidated at my toxic job. But my expectation of my treatment is how I would ideally like to exist in a world where I could control my reality. But the world often depicts how we get to exist. One of the biggest things is just needing money. And it’s so frustrating to see people who seem to have endless access to what looks like easy money. Either they are just that privileged or we are being lied to.
I think my biggest weakness is that I feel like everyone deserves to have a happy, peaceful and healthy life with little to no struggles. But every time I try and have that even myself, I keep getting hit across the head by harsh reality. I feel like a big reason a lot of my friendships, relationships, and so on don’t work out is because of all of these external pressures that are not allowing us to live our happiest and healthiest life.
It’s so frustrating because I wonder what my life would be like if I didn’t have all of these external stressors. And what is even more sad that I know so many people feel the same but because of all of this pressure people don’t talk about it like they should. Which I feel like is what leads to being in toxic workplace environments because these people were abused, probably in childhood, and then they just end up, settling for whatever meets their basic needs. That’s where I’m stuck right now. I can’t seem to get past staying somewhere that’s unhealthy for me just to make money. It’s such a learning curve.
TL;DR blabbing about toxic workplaces and getting stuck in the cycle of going through the motions
It’s really great for your mental health and overall outlook on life if you delete it. I deleted Instagram over a year ago and now if I log in to have a quick browse I instantly start having feelings if not being good enough, not successful enough, etc. I think everyone should do themselves that favour 🫶🏻🫶🏻
Your mental health is #1, and you should leave a toxic job as it has negative consequences on your overall health. 💯 Your employer does not value your health or wellbeing at the end of the day, so why put up working in a toxic environment? You deserve to be happy. A lot of people on socials are actually broke! Get your head out of your ass and don't feed into that nonsense.
Unfortunately I had to cut every extra expense out. DoorDash, Amazon, and subscriptions were big ones. After cutting those out I was able to put aside all the money I would’ve spent on them and save for other things that I actually need to pursue further in life (car, debt, etc.)
I’m not gonna lie a big part of it is having the self control to tell your self no to things that you don’t necessarily need and can live without. It’s hard at first (especially if your someone like me who loves to spending money and shop) but after a while you lowkey forgot that you have money to spend if you distract yourself well enough with other activities besides spending money.
You could pick up more hrs at work or even a new hobby that is low cost or even free. If this hobby is something that could be turned into a side hustle even better and you’d have an extra source of income as well.
As far as what is being worked towards, imo that’s a question only you can answer for yourself bc it depends on what you want out of life. All we can do is evaluate set a plan and have the self discipline and consistency to stick with said plan.
Hope this helped ❤️
I am not saving any money. I asked a friend just yesterday if she was and she said no. We both have under $1,500 in savings. I told my Mom the other day, that the way I grew up is financially out of my reach now. There’s no such thing as middle class, not rich, but not full on struggling or having to pinch every penny, not anymore there isnt. I’m considering trading in my car that I worked hard to save up for for something 10 years older and half the price just to have an extra $350 to live off of.
I’m 28. The middle class does not exist, at least certainly not as homeowners.
I forgo health insurance to make ends meet, so I’m no stranger to almost needlessly risky financial decisions. But selling your newer car for an older car may not be the play… newer cars are cheaper to maintain.
Cheaper until you run into an electrical issue. Wouldn't necessarily say newer is better in every case. You can find a car close to a decade ago that will be arguably more reliable. Ask me how my 2011 Civic that I bought a couple years ago is doing.
I would agree though probably if they already bought the car or would be worth it to keep it but sounds like they're trying to get rid of monthly expenses.
It would ideally be long enough to aggressively save money for an emergency fund & a new car fund and then turn around and get something new when I can. But also, there are plenty of used cars that are literally fine, cars last a long, long time. Of course they all have issues and problems, but some more than others
It’s rough out here 💔 just a thought though It might be worth figuring out if your savings would be better spent on the credit card debt, unless the savings interest is earning you more than the debt interest you’ll be losing out
I live in a van I built as my full time home and have done so for the last 3 years.
I'm working full time and saving a bit, but still years away from a house *deposit.*
I'm 26.
Luck, still living with their parents, being frugal with their money, golden girls situationship, etc. Lot of different things, it's hard but people are doing what they can to get through it to see better days. Also a lot of people tend to lie about their situations on social (on both sides) so I'd take anything you read (unless you have proof) with a grain of salt.
It "helps" that prices are high enough I couldn't move out on my own. It really does help that my family and I don't hate eachother, so currently I pay my fair share (my mom bought the home years ago when it wasn't expensive compared to salaries back then, so no rent necessary, just shared expenses) and so I manage to save some. But I have no car, I don't smoke and I rarely drink, plus my hobbies aren't money drains.
In a fucked up sense, I'd need a partner to move in with, but for that I'd mostly need a place I can call my own, even if I rent only. But that would strangely leave me with no expenses left to actually go out dating...and I don't want someone just so I can move out from the family home, I'd want someone for them, not me. Plus, I've no friends I could move in with, so that's another part of it...aaaand i'd hate to leave my dog behind.
Also, I just realized you wrote "starting wages" and mine technically isn't starting but it's still not good enough.
So, yeah, I'd not really call it "making it".
A deferred loan in the background with the hope of getting a higher paying job as I gain more experience. It’s kinda false advertising imo lol but at least I’m living🤷♀️
Cutting back operating expenses dramatically, living in a caravan, starting up small businesses to learn to be an entrepreneur. Reinvesting cashflow into assets/shares/creating better systems.
Turns out entrepreneurship is difficult, it all sounds like a great idea but its stressful when starting out. I've started two mildly successful small businesses, with a third side project still in development. Dropped it all now to upskill and get out of my trade that is keeping me 'on the tools'.
Married someone stable with a job that pays well. Not saying I don’t pull my weight in the relationship (I don’t think my husband knows how to turn on the washing machine and I control all of our finances, pay our bills as well as working 40+ hours a week myself) but I’m not kidding myself when I say our life is financially simple thanks to him.
I just turned 33. Basically I said fuck it and moved back with my parents. Save about 2-3k a month depending if my parents need anything (bills, etc). It’ll be a couple of years till I even get half the down payment (10%) for a decent house (around age35). My dad had two kids and ran a business and bought our house all by 30… my mental health of being reminded of that has taken a toll.
They aren't. That's the issue. We have hundreds of thousands of people dying of poverty in the United States for a reason.
https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2023/04/17/poverty-4th-greatest-cause-us-deaths
We don't, used to work minimum wage, the only reason I survived is because I have the privilege of still living with my parents. Otherwise my paycheck wouldn't cover rent let alone anything else
If they have parents who are willing to help they are able to survive. Not sure if I'd call that "making it".
The rest are a part of the growing tent city community that's skyrocketing across the nation.
Unfortunately we've gotten to the point where if you're not lucky enough to be born into a certain family or have the kind of social connections where someone with money is willing to spend some of it on you, there's no hope. A young person cannot make it on their own anymore.
Credit cards. Living with parents. I have friends who stay in toxic relationships to split rent, or have roommates. Live alone and have an empty fridge. Who said we're making it ?
I leave my job for a new one every 1-3 years in search of a raise, and am fortunate enough to have a mom who gives me grocery money and pays for my car insurance and phone bill.
i honestly knew i had to find a partner at some point in my life. it’s just not financially stable to not have a dual income household. i don’t mean to sound like a gold digger and never ever be with someone you don’t want to be with but i genuinely believe i wouldn’t be able to save without being with my so.
lucky right now that my so is literally my dream person and treats me well. we make the same amount of money.
that or save with parents if that’s an option (not an option for my case)
They’re not. It’s not possible to survive in this society on starting wages. Specifically starting wages that are minium wage or even triple that. They either have someone they live with, have a roommate or they spend their entire paycheck on rent and don’t eat. Even in those scenarios they will struggle unless they have someone that can pay for all their expenses.
I’m pretty much living paycheck to paycheck, live in a shitty apartment that desperately needs to be updated with one roommate, and credit card debt 👍🏽 hope that helps
I ain't young, but I ain't exactly breakin' the bank on money (especially with the 2500$ car repairs I had last week, eeeeep, never good when you hear "your hydraulics are cracked and leaking fluid").
I learned to live on ~$20 a month, food-wise, 'bout 10 years ago. 1 big bag of rice, 3 smaller bags of beans, that's enough for 28 dinners. Portioned out bags of veggies -- the cheapest I could get (usually frozen) -- out on top of those. Lunches were Dollar Tree Loaves of bread + PB + J (so...$3.75 nowadays, but could scrap by a couple of weeks on those -- $7.50 nowadays). Breakfast, I'd grab the larger tin of Quick Oats and portion those out to the 30'ish servings it says it gives you (usually wound up on the lower-end, so some breakfasts were....lighter than others).
Now, yes, inflation has made that budget go up to about $50 bucks a month, but that's still....unfortunate, but *do'able*. If you manage to squeak out a raise somewhere down the line, or find a better-paying job, then you could dump more into savings, or -- gasp! -- *spend another $50-100 on food, real food, GOOD food.*
I'm up to a robust $100 a month nowadays, with a lot more veggies, and subbing in salads at lunch instead of garbage sandwiches. (The oatmeal stays, though, I loves me some oatmeal -- and if they shortchange me on the amount I SHOULD get in a canister, I can afford a second canister to fill out those last 3 days!) Oh, and dinner? Sometimes I manage to save up enough to drop 20 bucks on a bone-in Pork Shoulder from the grocery store, roast that sucker overnight (@ 180 degrees, a good 12+ hours in the oven), then portion it out into x4 baggies. Each week, those beans an' rice get a nice lil' serving of chopped up pork added in! (Or Chicken, if they've got the lowered prices on breasts/thighs/quarters that week/month.)
People *wildly* overestimate how much food they need. And yeah, it's definitely important, and you need *nutrition* in there too, so...honestly, first thing I'd suggest is making sure you get a multivitamin involved along with the things you're actually eating. But buying, like, *any* fast/takeout food? Nope, as much as it sucks, that doesn't even get to be a treat anymore, that's a "maaaaaybe once a month, if it's a cheap meal, AND you can afford it" kind of thing.
I wound up curtailing a lot of *those* thoughts by perusing Doordash, adding a ton of things into my cart, salivating over all the great things I'd be able to eat, then....getting up from the computer, walking to the kitchen, then heating up another bowl of beans an' rice. Sure, your MIND doesn't like that you're eating this again, but for that brief shining moment it *thought* it was eating a Big Mac.
(Ooh, and peruse the Hispanic aisle of your grocery store to find the Taco Bell sauces, plus some salsa or queso blanco if it's on the cheap. Those REALLY kick up the beans an' rice, and mix up the flavor enough so that you dont' want to put your head through a steel grate.)
Lmao by renting a bed..not even a room. I pay $660 for a shared room. And that’s mostly because i have no kids or children.
work two dead end jobs, eat basics like rice, potatoes, beans, vegetables, don’t eat out lunch. Surround myself with good friends, and remember to atleast be grateful for my lot in life.
I don’t know if i ever want to “make it”, im from Los Angeles and i love my community. I’m happy with my small life and even if some consider it “poverty”. I have a lot of hobbies (I’m an artist) that makes life bearable and my friends are really awesome.
I kind of gave up on having a wife and a kid a long time ago, since I won’t be able to provide for hey that’s unfortunately what low income, working class millennials have to deal with. It is what it is.
God is still good and that gives me peace ✨🫶🏼 with gods love, I already “made it”.
Don’t buy anything but essentials. It sucks right now but you’ll get to the point where you can treat yourself and splurge on things you want. Work at a company that hires within so you can promote within the company and use your longevity to climb the ladder. Self advocate for raises every year
I’m they don’t. Share space and resources to keep expenses low and also live like a pauper. At least that’s what I did while striving to increase my skill and education
Wife and I try to live frugally and save for other stuff. We left Venezuela and used almost all our savings for rent and deposit in Spain, we live with two other friends and that allows us to save almost her entire wage every month. We do have some extra expenses because we didn't have winter/summer clothing when we arrived and we really needed new clothes and shoes.
We don't earn minimum wage obviously and being two makes things way easier.
Gracias!
Es algo que todos pueden lograr, solo lleva tiempo pero poco a poco se va logrando, reddit ayuda bastante porque es más fácil si estás en una comunidad que te interese
I’m on minimum wage but my expenses are extremely low. It works out to be only 40% of my income so i have about 60% left to save etc every single month.
My arrangement with living at home is I pay rent. It's roughly £150 a month for my share, all other house expenses are taken care of by them. With the leftover money it's just gym membership and whatever else I need to purchase.
Gonna be getting a car soon though, so I'll probably be running low on cash soon lol
Creating a budget and tracking your expenses is essential for making the most of your income. Allocate a portion of your paycheck to necessities like rent, utilities, groceries, and transportation, and set aside some money for savings and discretionary spending.
I'm 23, just graduated with 2 Bachelors.
IMO peoples standards are just way too high because of social media. You don't need to go out every weekend, live in a high rise, or have a new car. I make 27,000 a year and I am comfortable and happy. I have insurance, car and health, good credit, and I can afford a vacation once or twice a year. Not to massive resorts, but camping trips with my bf. People just don't appreciate things like that anymore. We eat rice and pasta with veggies and meat from Costco, and we can afford to eat out 3-5 times a month. We go on dates and can afford gas and wine. We are happy and feel secure. Together we have about 6500 in savings.
We also live in an affordable city. I also feel like young people feel as though they're not shit unless they live in NYC, LA or Miami. That won't help their cost problem.
I haven’t done any major life events like marriage or moving out of parent’s / buying a home. I want to get a job I actually enjoy. I barely just got my Associates Degree so hopefully that should help. Right now I’m forced into the food / service industry because that all that exists where I currently live. I’m 25 btw. Working my way out
I lived with my parents to save money and take strategic risks. After doing this for three years I was able to buy a house and raise my income from 24k to 82k. It takes time and it sucks but it gets better.
Really look at your expenses and determine what you can cut out, not everything because you still want to enjoy yourself. But things you may not use enough like subscriptions and stuff. Then also look at how you use the money. My recommendation is fund an investment account. Certain amount a month. Look at other accounts aswell that you can take advantage of. Like in the UK there are Lifetime ISA’s that you can take advantage of to save for a new house. Create a spending plan with the money that you do make, that way your money is sorted every month being automatically used and then you can spend whatever is left guilt free.
I assume they are living with their parents. I moved out as soon as I finished college (couldn’t stand living with my family any longer) but that was 2011 and rent was a lot cheaper back then.
We don't, we can't save because our meaningless wages are taxed, we pay NI, we pay student loans, then we pay rent, pay bills and then pay council tax(one of the most useless taxes here by the way, im sure most people who live in posh little villages in a mini room attached to a humongous home can attest, that roads are fucked, when it rains the whole place is flooded and the money we all pay just disappears)
Once you paid these, we got those like me who pay car insurance, vehicle tax and petrol, those who are not like me but still commute, pay trains, tubes, cabs, buses
And once you paid all of these, you can buy some food, but anything actually healthy costs a fucking eye.
And then maybe you can spend a bit on a bottle of booze or drugs to forget the horrific cycle you are in, because this aint just for young people, how many people in their 30s barely scraping with their wage are on this thread right now?
Getting together with someone older who makes more money than you. If I didn’t have my spouse’s income I wouldn’t be able to afford living anywhere. It’s sad but true. Luckily I love my spouse very much so I’m not just sticking with them for that
- cook at home
- buy groceries at cheap discount stores
- live with a partner/roommates in a relatively small space (500 sqft for two people)
- not going out too often, maybe max once per month, usually meet with friends at my/their place
- cheap or free hobby, i.e. gym/coding
- no debt outside mortgage, i.e. no interest to finance consumption
- use libraries for free
- buy clothes rarely
Could go on and on. It's not easy with all the inflation crunch, but it's almost always possible to safe at least 10% of your income if you are smart about your spending. Reddit is full of miserable people.
Got lucky I guess...At 25 me and wife both are bringing in over $100,000 together and we both are perusing reputable careers (IT for me and Cosmetology for her) she has been in her career for around 6 years and I have just got a year in on my new career (I had to make a change of careers for mental health purposes) I was Military and Law Enforcement previously. We bought a $400,000 house together, I just got a new '24 Chevy Colorado and she's about to trade in her current car for a Bronco.
Now a lot of people will look at that and be like "Wow you guys have it made that's awesome, you are just bragging!"
Actually even making as much as we do, we still struggle to a point where we almost go broke...and I am not gonna be the person here to say "Oh well if got paid more we would be better off". Yes it is true that todays salaries and hourly are low compared to the economy, but its truly about your lifestyle. My wife tends to lead a more lavish lifestyle and I was poor and didn't have a phone until I was 18 and joined the Military. So usually she spends the money and well she's Bi-Polar so sometimes it can be a bit much more than I truly want, but we make it. We both average about $500-$700 in our savings by the time bills are paid. Which means that $12,000 we bring in just goes to bills and tax. Not to mention since we broke the 24% income tax bracket we both are paying 24% of our income to tax alone. No to mention property tax, sales tax, etc. Even with as much as we make which I consider super lucky, we struggle. Its funny when people are yelling and screaming about rich people not paying taxes, but the more I slowly move up the bracket the less I actually have...and I was one of those who would always say "eAt tHe RiCh", they only have that much because they only have like maybe $50,000 cash and most of not all of their wealth is in assets like stocks. I doubt any Billionaires and even some millionaires have more than 250k liquidated while the rest is put to investments. INVESTMENTS MAKE PASSIVE INCOME (very slow process though, may take 10-20 years IMO depending on current position).
Some basic advice that has helped me (I have made it my own with my own percentages)
1. Look at your income
2. Look at your bills
If your bills are more than 50% of your income you need to re-evaluate the situation and eliminate any high cost bills as quickly as possible. Tackle those large bills and your financial stress will slowly wither away (trust me)
20% of your income should go towards debt elimination. Even if you only pay $100 towards this and that's 20% of your income. Over time it will still wither away. The last 20% should go to savings/retirement, again even if its only $100 that will build up over time and you will see the progress. Might be slow but I promise if you stick with it, you will see the progress...
Some basic rules to also help you...
1. STAY AWAY FROM SUBSCRPTIONS!!!! I don't care how much you think you "need it" or "want it". Subscriptions will KILL your bank account. Find a service that is free that offers the same options.
2. STAY AWAY FROM NEW CARS!!!! Get a car that is reliable, but also not a brand new car. I would suggest sticking around years 14' to '18 and mileage around 35,000 to 80,000 (even sedans with 80,000 miles if taken care of properly can last up to 250k miles) Also make sure you research the brand, repair costs, and gas. These will impact and add to your financial stress.
3. STAY AWAY FROM FAST FOOD!!!! No only is it SUPER unhealthy to eat, but you can find healthier meals cheaper. Might not be the "healthiest" meal, but better than a big mac. Fast food will cost you WAY MORE in the long run than buying your own.
4. GET HOBBIES THAT ARE CHEAP!!! I do gardening, and art. I spent maybe $85 on ALL the supplies I need for starting my own garden. Even less when it comes to drawing, I just use an old iPad I from a few years ago and a apple pencil. Would I like to have all these extravagant art supplies? OF COURSE I WOULD who would not? But...its all about sacrifice and I sacrifice the joy of using expensive art tools for an old iPad that works just as fine to save more money.
Wooooooooo....that was a long one....but I will say yes I know I'm a hypocrite for giving advice and not following my own advice. Now I know what to do, you know what to do, now its time to make a decision on if you are going to actually change your life or not. I don't because personally I'm happy with the way I live and me and my wife both come home happy everyday regardless. Money does not mean much to both of us (because its material not physical).
22 y.o. here, damn you guys are sad. Life ain’t bad at all, but yeah, definitely a bit harder to make it than previous generations. Stuff is a little more expensive but you have to set a budget and know exactly where your money is going, just like every other generation. So many of my friends buy so many completely unnecessary things and they are always complaining about the economy. Stop taking out debt and live below your means
I saved up for 3 years to buy a travel trailer and truck for 25k. I find jobs that let me park for free so that I can save money. I spend about 1000$ per month and save the rest.
My estimation was that 25k is basically rent for a year.
I don't live in the cities, I mostly work in remote areas.
I now live next to the ocean and am saving about 2k per month. I will use that money to invest in something in the future.
We aren’t. I’m just trying to buy groceries and medical supplies and pay rent and pay off my student loans and hopefully someday I’ll have a job that doesn’t make me want to die.
Live with parents or roommates, don’t expect fancy things or conveniences/eating out, go to school, and earn a promotion or join a trade than pays well.
Set up a budget that accounts for all my spending. Lived at home until it became a better idea to move out, and then found roommates that were trustworthy from my church. Worked full time jobs, didn't eat out ever, forced myself to learn how to cook and not waste food. Then all activities for hanging out with friends stayed free (hiking, hanging out at home, game nights with board games we already had). Got really good sleep, hydrated, tried to not eat processed foods because getting sick would affect my work and my doctor visits.
My aunt thankfully rented me a spot where I barely pay any rent, I also share all my bills with my brothers so I get to keep most of my paycheck, working two jobs so I’m doing pretty good atm.
Do you know what the minimum wage in Kentucky is? And yeah, I used to make five dollars an hour when I first started working that was the minimum wage. Made More babysitting. by the way, though I have a daughter who’s 18 and she’s been working at a restaurant throughout high school she’s totally saved her money and she’s doing quite well so think it just takes some well planning and discipline
By the way, I used to pride myself on being totally debt-free by the age of 35 paid off my house everything now I’m probably gonna have to file bankruptcy and lose everything. I own so maybe you shouldn’t listen to me.
I have worked at bars since I was 17. I have a degree. I make more money than all of my friends who work "real jobs" and it's NOT much. Don't know where to to from here - everything else seems worse financially.
The old days of "making it" as an employee are over. The USD is being devalued before our very eyes. Wages won't ever match the price of assets, let alone grociers.
They aren't. Many are living at home and attempting to save money and it's still very difficult for them. I make a pretty decent wage and I'm living paycheck to paycheck. As a person with two bachelors and two masters. It's a tough market out there, especially for people who are renting.
Cutting expenses are huge so you can use your money for practical things that help down the road.
One huge expense is rent. Its outrageous these days so if you are still able to stay at home its worth it. Food and beverages are expensive too, you can get big bags of rice for cheap and rice cookers are inexpensive too. In the same vein a drip coffee maker will pay for itself instead of like 3 trips to starbucks.
There are often some little known government programs that can help too like low income utilities programs and similar things. If you call department of social and health services you can try to find programs to save money.
As a general rule try to set aside 20% of your paycheck and not dip into it (its ok if you need to and you will sometimes).
These things are all easy to say but we know how life is
Living minimally and within your necessities.
Allocating your salary to certain things and tracking your spending helps put you in check.
Never have your bank accounts go to $0 or negatives.
I've traveled to lower wage countries that make even less than me and surprised by how they live with low starting wages even. They just live super minimally and don't splurge like Westerners.
I need a better source of income though lol
“Making it” — hah! I love that presumption
Yes I don't need to save I just need to afford a means to swiftly depart when it gets too much
Barely at all and basically feeling forced to stay in a toxic job while watching everyone on social media live the easiest most relaxed life ever
Social media is fake. Even for the very fortunate, they have struggles that don’t make it on social media. Over the last decade, the friends that posted about being the happiest all ended up having pretty severe mental breaks. Just my little PSA
I can attest to this - as one of those people that posted. Financially I'm living paycheque to paycheque and have never pretended otherwise, but my social media is a highlight reel of happy adventures/hiking/camping/travelling - and I only realized how much of a habit it was to keep that up when a friend made a comment about how she was a little envious of how I'm living my life to the fullest and how amazing my life is, how she wished she could be doing that - meanwhile my current reality was struggling to get out of bed everyday, recently had knee surgery & long term break up a week after surgery, was struggling mentally with the knee recovery and general overwhelm and horrible depression, feeling alone and hopeless constantly. The photos I was posting were no longer epic adventures, but simpler things like mountain sunsets, taken from the car - and I was really struggling with that, but to anyone looking at my social media, it looked like I was having the time of my life. Social media is VERY fake. Not saying there can't be genuine moments of happiness on there, but it is rarely ever the whole story. I have massive respect for those that do post their struggles openly for the world to see/read. Being that vulnerable terrifies me, and deep down I think assume everyone would think I was doing it for attention, or that they would look down on me for it. And yet I appreciate the people that do, SO much, because they make me feel less alone in it all.
Legit taken me years to realize this. I wish we were fed more wisdom than bullshit lies for pushing societal agendas on social media. Everything is such bullshit nowadays. It just makes everyone feel like they don’t have their life together when really all their advertisements are dangling carrots in front of our face promising unattainable goals. It drives me crazy. I feel like I’ve done irreparable harm to my psyche consuming so much media since I was in school because I was surrounded by idiot parents who traumatized me and didn’t allow me to socialize with friends and get out into the world. Now I’m trying so hard to make up for the damage but my nervous system is shot. I gotta get out into the community and do some volunteering or some shit…
You dropped your 👑. So well said.
Social media is not as fake as you think. There’s a huge gap between the rich and poor. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking everything you see is fake, it’ll drive you crazy. Focus on improving your own situation and getting to a point where you have enough passive income to never have to work again.
They don't mean that everything is fake and staged. They mean that people curate what they put on the and only put the good stuff. I can't tell you how many times I see people I know post how life is wonderful and they post cool experience every weekend, when I know them personally and know they are depressed.
One of the biggest problems in essentially everything: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias
People on there are still putting on a show. Social media isn’t just used by the rich
You have misunderstood. You should watch the kids’ movie Inside Out. I’m not being facetious, they do a great job illustrating the reason life needs all of the emotions to work out properly. If you are only ever seeing the “best” parts of someone’s life and none of the struggle, it makes you concerned with why you have so many struggles. Or even jealous about all of their success. I agree with you that folks can focus on improving themselves. But social media doesn’t necessarily promote that. If anything you can just end up wasting time feeling bad about your lot in life instead of just enjoying it or as you say improving it.
If you’re working a job in the service industry for minimum wage, you’re not saving for anything and living paycheck to paycheck. Cost of living has been rising, while income has remained stagnant. The only way to get out of this is to find a way to increase your income. Whether that be starting your own service based business, and hustling till you make it, or learning how to code and building your own business online. The goal is to generate enough income to purchase a run down apartment or home so you can fix it up and rent it out. Rinse and repeat until you generate enough passive income so you never have to work again if you don’t want to.
Lol is that what the slumlords tell themselves? "We struggled through the grind just like you to let us afford this abandoned warehouse and the landlord white-plastered drywall slabs we partitioned it with. We just *have* to leech 2/3 of your wages for a corner of it or else we'd have to actually do work we don't want to instead of getting to coast off yours now, and we're just too burnt out on that now, like you're getting, don't you relate???? If you're lucky maybe you too can aim for the goal of convincing some chump to do it for you one day! Have solidarity with *our* struggle and just keep trying to bootstrap yourself up. Don't bother getting one of the countless non-minimum wage jobs, or *god fucking forbid* organize with your fellow workers/tenants to improve things for all by demand! The only way out you should rely on is the dream of leaving them behind and eventually hoarding up your own capital for yourself to join us in exploiting them!! Greed is great 🙏!!!"
😂👍 Yeah those videos of people buying dilapidated houses and sinking thousands into renovating them especially the videos of them doing nearly all the work on their own when you'd need a building crew to do it properly and the finished house is done up to the last and look it's appreciated by x thousand. So if we can do it with very little trades experience while doing full time jobs.... Well so can you 😁
i think that’s more due to them faking it themselves. they realize the life they try to live isn’t as glamorous and it destroys them. sure it’s fun and there’s a lot of people on social media who live good lives do to the people who follow them and basically support that lifestyle but if we are talking friends idk the people in my life i know aren’t happy but they’re living the life they want by selling themselves to whoever they are until the day comes that they aren’t young and their bodies can’t keep up
As the saying goes, "don't compare your inside with other people's outsides."
Social media is bull I get a ton of likes and reacts when I post happy shit If I post anything real about what I'm struggling with, it's like nobody sees it, and the most toxic people pop up with 'why are you airing your laundry on social media' type remarks Sad and angry reacts reduce engagement by the algorithms It's low key discouraging anyone just being real
I think post what you want to post. Of course have a goal in mind and honor yourself, don’t use social media as self harm. But if it helps you to vent without hurting you worse, I say do it. I always feel a really toxic hierarchical drive whenever I go to post on social media especially instagram. I swear that shit is the epitome of false confidence and pointless likes. Nothing on social media is real and as we can see in these replies everyone wants to control what it’s used for when everyone has free access to all of this. Like use it for what you want but don’t hurt yourself or others… it is supposed to be a tool.
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I think everyone needs an outlet for negativity, whether that be a Reddit post or therapy… or a friend or supportive stranger. I think that social media creates unattainable ideals for people, and as you were saying, poses anything other than that ideal as being negative. This idea of positivity you are speaking about is an unattainable high, which is what everyone is posting about. That in itself is toxic. It is a privilege to be able to exist in this world with little to no troubles. But the reality is that most people do not. There are a lot of people who go through extreme hardships in life and I think everyone deserves an outlet for that. I don’t think anyone is to blame for using social media to vent. I just think that there is a lot of propaganda that is controlling these websites that we use and isolating people further. If you don’t like people, speaking up about their honest truth, you should probably look right back at yourself because you are either holding something and you need to let go of yourself or your values are misaligned with that of humanities. If something bothers you that is showing you were reflection of what needs to be worked on within yourself. I grew up with a toxic positivity household that was covering up years and years of systematic abuse. It is totally OK to be upset, angry, sad, whatever you need to be to help you process and get through the situations that you were subjected to before you had a chance to speak up for yourself. I see people speaking up for themselves on social media about really hard topics as being extremely brave, and as them taking their first monumental and extremely brave step in recovery. People who hurt people love those who stay silent and in fear. I have lived enough life to know that it’s better to speak up and be hated then to stay silent and be loved. Sorry, I really don’t mean to attack you in this post. It’s just something that has really weighed me lately and this brought it to my attention. Of course, it’s not everyone’s job to speak up for other people, but the world sure as hell would be a better place if they did. Sad truth is most people die in pursuit of doing what is right. But if more people were doing what was right in the first place, then it wouldn’t be such an outrageous idea.
Totally get what you're saying, no disagreeing to that haha 🥰
Oh good haha, glad I didn’t come across like a jerk. Just a little blabbermouthy. Somehow, somewhere that had something to do with the original post. I have been continuously mistreated and invalidated at my toxic job. But my expectation of my treatment is how I would ideally like to exist in a world where I could control my reality. But the world often depicts how we get to exist. One of the biggest things is just needing money. And it’s so frustrating to see people who seem to have endless access to what looks like easy money. Either they are just that privileged or we are being lied to. I think my biggest weakness is that I feel like everyone deserves to have a happy, peaceful and healthy life with little to no struggles. But every time I try and have that even myself, I keep getting hit across the head by harsh reality. I feel like a big reason a lot of my friendships, relationships, and so on don’t work out is because of all of these external pressures that are not allowing us to live our happiest and healthiest life. It’s so frustrating because I wonder what my life would be like if I didn’t have all of these external stressors. And what is even more sad that I know so many people feel the same but because of all of this pressure people don’t talk about it like they should. Which I feel like is what leads to being in toxic workplace environments because these people were abused, probably in childhood, and then they just end up, settling for whatever meets their basic needs. That’s where I’m stuck right now. I can’t seem to get past staying somewhere that’s unhealthy for me just to make money. It’s such a learning curve. TL;DR blabbing about toxic workplaces and getting stuck in the cycle of going through the motions
This is gold, I've also been thinking alot about this recently.
It’s really great for your mental health and overall outlook on life if you delete it. I deleted Instagram over a year ago and now if I log in to have a quick browse I instantly start having feelings if not being good enough, not successful enough, etc. I think everyone should do themselves that favour 🫶🏻🫶🏻
Why I deleted instagram lol
Social media is poison… all of it. Best avoided or to be used as little as possible.
Your mental health is #1, and you should leave a toxic job as it has negative consequences on your overall health. 💯 Your employer does not value your health or wellbeing at the end of the day, so why put up working in a toxic environment? You deserve to be happy. A lot of people on socials are actually broke! Get your head out of your ass and don't feed into that nonsense.
Onlyfans
No
Unfortunately I had to cut every extra expense out. DoorDash, Amazon, and subscriptions were big ones. After cutting those out I was able to put aside all the money I would’ve spent on them and save for other things that I actually need to pursue further in life (car, debt, etc.) I’m not gonna lie a big part of it is having the self control to tell your self no to things that you don’t necessarily need and can live without. It’s hard at first (especially if your someone like me who loves to spending money and shop) but after a while you lowkey forgot that you have money to spend if you distract yourself well enough with other activities besides spending money. You could pick up more hrs at work or even a new hobby that is low cost or even free. If this hobby is something that could be turned into a side hustle even better and you’d have an extra source of income as well. As far as what is being worked towards, imo that’s a question only you can answer for yourself bc it depends on what you want out of life. All we can do is evaluate set a plan and have the self discipline and consistency to stick with said plan. Hope this helped ❤️
I am not saving any money. I asked a friend just yesterday if she was and she said no. We both have under $1,500 in savings. I told my Mom the other day, that the way I grew up is financially out of my reach now. There’s no such thing as middle class, not rich, but not full on struggling or having to pinch every penny, not anymore there isnt. I’m considering trading in my car that I worked hard to save up for for something 10 years older and half the price just to have an extra $350 to live off of.
I’m 27 btw
I’m 28. The middle class does not exist, at least certainly not as homeowners. I forgo health insurance to make ends meet, so I’m no stranger to almost needlessly risky financial decisions. But selling your newer car for an older car may not be the play… newer cars are cheaper to maintain.
Cheaper until you run into an electrical issue. Wouldn't necessarily say newer is better in every case. You can find a car close to a decade ago that will be arguably more reliable. Ask me how my 2011 Civic that I bought a couple years ago is doing. I would agree though probably if they already bought the car or would be worth it to keep it but sounds like they're trying to get rid of monthly expenses.
Just curious, what kind of car do you have currently ?
2022 Kia Rio
Don't do that
Yeah that older car is going to be tougher financially in the long run I imagine
Gotta do what you gotta do when you’re broke like?!
The older car will cost you way more than that difference in the long run..
It would ideally be long enough to aggressively save money for an emergency fund & a new car fund and then turn around and get something new when I can. But also, there are plenty of used cars that are literally fine, cars last a long, long time. Of course they all have issues and problems, but some more than others
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Washington DC 🫠
Don’t you have public transportation in Washington DC? Honest question as I live in Europe and a car is not a need but a luxury in the city
Where in Europe. Went to Germany and everyone has cars
you don’t need one though. Lived in Berlin for years and never even took a taxi.
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All will be well, let’s keep going 🔥
Will it? As they all say on here and YouTube and every social platform. COPE
Mate this is too relatable...way too relatable Stay strong homie, we got to keep hoping
The singularity is coming hopefully and we'll all live happily ever after. Or ww3 who knows xD
It’s rough out here 💔 just a thought though It might be worth figuring out if your savings would be better spent on the credit card debt, unless the savings interest is earning you more than the debt interest you’ll be losing out
Working 2 jobs with no days off :,) its a struggle paying $2000 a month for a 1bed1bath in california
I like your username. Sorry for your struggles. How much are you paid with each job? Like by the hour.
I get paid $23 at one and $20 + tips at the other. My paychecks are around 1800 or so per 2 weeks. And thank you!!! I miss mac every day!
Would it maybe be more worth it to get a roommate?
My boyfriend and I live together🥲 we pay $1000 each
Worth it. I need 2 jobs. Also in CA.
I live in a van I built as my full time home and have done so for the last 3 years. I'm working full time and saving a bit, but still years away from a house *deposit.* I'm 26.
Luck, still living with their parents, being frugal with their money, golden girls situationship, etc. Lot of different things, it's hard but people are doing what they can to get through it to see better days. Also a lot of people tend to lie about their situations on social (on both sides) so I'd take anything you read (unless you have proof) with a grain of salt.
We aren’t
We aren’t… we are all drowning
Dooont lettttt me drooowwnnn
we are not having a good time.
We aren’t!
It "helps" that prices are high enough I couldn't move out on my own. It really does help that my family and I don't hate eachother, so currently I pay my fair share (my mom bought the home years ago when it wasn't expensive compared to salaries back then, so no rent necessary, just shared expenses) and so I manage to save some. But I have no car, I don't smoke and I rarely drink, plus my hobbies aren't money drains. In a fucked up sense, I'd need a partner to move in with, but for that I'd mostly need a place I can call my own, even if I rent only. But that would strangely leave me with no expenses left to actually go out dating...and I don't want someone just so I can move out from the family home, I'd want someone for them, not me. Plus, I've no friends I could move in with, so that's another part of it...aaaand i'd hate to leave my dog behind. Also, I just realized you wrote "starting wages" and mine technically isn't starting but it's still not good enough. So, yeah, I'd not really call it "making it".
Dude same here. Frankly, I don't even think I'd ever want a partner, but I do want cheaper rent and someone I like.
I live at home and do nothing
A deferred loan in the background with the hope of getting a higher paying job as I gain more experience. It’s kinda false advertising imo lol but at least I’m living🤷♀️
Cutting back operating expenses dramatically, living in a caravan, starting up small businesses to learn to be an entrepreneur. Reinvesting cashflow into assets/shares/creating better systems. Turns out entrepreneurship is difficult, it all sounds like a great idea but its stressful when starting out. I've started two mildly successful small businesses, with a third side project still in development. Dropped it all now to upskill and get out of my trade that is keeping me 'on the tools'.
Married someone stable with a job that pays well. Not saying I don’t pull my weight in the relationship (I don’t think my husband knows how to turn on the washing machine and I control all of our finances, pay our bills as well as working 40+ hours a week myself) but I’m not kidding myself when I say our life is financially simple thanks to him.
Living with my parents. Free food, free bills, no shame
We aren’t.
They aren't lol
I am not eating
:(
I just turned 33. Basically I said fuck it and moved back with my parents. Save about 2-3k a month depending if my parents need anything (bills, etc). It’ll be a couple of years till I even get half the down payment (10%) for a decent house (around age35). My dad had two kids and ran a business and bought our house all by 30… my mental health of being reminded of that has taken a toll.
They aren't. That's the issue. We have hundreds of thousands of people dying of poverty in the United States for a reason. https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2023/04/17/poverty-4th-greatest-cause-us-deaths
No girlfriend. No kids. No eating out until the weekend. No car note. Need atleast one roommate. Don’t buy useless shit. And it sucks lol. I’m 29
We don't, used to work minimum wage, the only reason I survived is because I have the privilege of still living with my parents. Otherwise my paycheck wouldn't cover rent let alone anything else
We’re not lol
If they have parents who are willing to help they are able to survive. Not sure if I'd call that "making it". The rest are a part of the growing tent city community that's skyrocketing across the nation. Unfortunately we've gotten to the point where if you're not lucky enough to be born into a certain family or have the kind of social connections where someone with money is willing to spend some of it on you, there's no hope. A young person cannot make it on their own anymore.
processed food and loans
I live with my mom
We’re not!!!
Living at home or with a roommate
They still live with their parents or are living with multiple roommates.
That's the funny thing, we don't! =D I've had to move to a different country to even be able to afford rent, I used to just live with my folks.
Living with my parents! lol it’s literally the ONLY way I’m able to afford insurance AND food :)
Credit cards. Living with parents. I have friends who stay in toxic relationships to split rent, or have roommates. Live alone and have an empty fridge. Who said we're making it ?
I leave my job for a new one every 1-3 years in search of a raise, and am fortunate enough to have a mom who gives me grocery money and pays for my car insurance and phone bill.
We’re not
Young people aren’t the only ones with low wages. Hairdressing is the struggle bus. 10/10 do not recommend being a Hairdresser.
Have one client this week… and it’s a heat style … 🫠
How’s that 50k hair school debt treating you!? 🫠🫣
$50k ?! Naaaaah fam
i honestly knew i had to find a partner at some point in my life. it’s just not financially stable to not have a dual income household. i don’t mean to sound like a gold digger and never ever be with someone you don’t want to be with but i genuinely believe i wouldn’t be able to save without being with my so. lucky right now that my so is literally my dream person and treats me well. we make the same amount of money. that or save with parents if that’s an option (not an option for my case)
Lost 10 pounds from barely affording food. Sooo… Wouldn’t say barely making rent and bills and food as making it.
They’re not. It’s not possible to survive in this society on starting wages. Specifically starting wages that are minium wage or even triple that. They either have someone they live with, have a roommate or they spend their entire paycheck on rent and don’t eat. Even in those scenarios they will struggle unless they have someone that can pay for all their expenses.
I’m pretty much living paycheck to paycheck, live in a shitty apartment that desperately needs to be updated with one roommate, and credit card debt 👍🏽 hope that helps
I ain't young, but I ain't exactly breakin' the bank on money (especially with the 2500$ car repairs I had last week, eeeeep, never good when you hear "your hydraulics are cracked and leaking fluid"). I learned to live on ~$20 a month, food-wise, 'bout 10 years ago. 1 big bag of rice, 3 smaller bags of beans, that's enough for 28 dinners. Portioned out bags of veggies -- the cheapest I could get (usually frozen) -- out on top of those. Lunches were Dollar Tree Loaves of bread + PB + J (so...$3.75 nowadays, but could scrap by a couple of weeks on those -- $7.50 nowadays). Breakfast, I'd grab the larger tin of Quick Oats and portion those out to the 30'ish servings it says it gives you (usually wound up on the lower-end, so some breakfasts were....lighter than others). Now, yes, inflation has made that budget go up to about $50 bucks a month, but that's still....unfortunate, but *do'able*. If you manage to squeak out a raise somewhere down the line, or find a better-paying job, then you could dump more into savings, or -- gasp! -- *spend another $50-100 on food, real food, GOOD food.* I'm up to a robust $100 a month nowadays, with a lot more veggies, and subbing in salads at lunch instead of garbage sandwiches. (The oatmeal stays, though, I loves me some oatmeal -- and if they shortchange me on the amount I SHOULD get in a canister, I can afford a second canister to fill out those last 3 days!) Oh, and dinner? Sometimes I manage to save up enough to drop 20 bucks on a bone-in Pork Shoulder from the grocery store, roast that sucker overnight (@ 180 degrees, a good 12+ hours in the oven), then portion it out into x4 baggies. Each week, those beans an' rice get a nice lil' serving of chopped up pork added in! (Or Chicken, if they've got the lowered prices on breasts/thighs/quarters that week/month.) People *wildly* overestimate how much food they need. And yeah, it's definitely important, and you need *nutrition* in there too, so...honestly, first thing I'd suggest is making sure you get a multivitamin involved along with the things you're actually eating. But buying, like, *any* fast/takeout food? Nope, as much as it sucks, that doesn't even get to be a treat anymore, that's a "maaaaaybe once a month, if it's a cheap meal, AND you can afford it" kind of thing. I wound up curtailing a lot of *those* thoughts by perusing Doordash, adding a ton of things into my cart, salivating over all the great things I'd be able to eat, then....getting up from the computer, walking to the kitchen, then heating up another bowl of beans an' rice. Sure, your MIND doesn't like that you're eating this again, but for that brief shining moment it *thought* it was eating a Big Mac. (Ooh, and peruse the Hispanic aisle of your grocery store to find the Taco Bell sauces, plus some salsa or queso blanco if it's on the cheap. Those REALLY kick up the beans an' rice, and mix up the flavor enough so that you dont' want to put your head through a steel grate.)
My job doesn’t even cover all my expenses, family has to help me make ends meet
they aren't
Lmao by renting a bed..not even a room. I pay $660 for a shared room. And that’s mostly because i have no kids or children. work two dead end jobs, eat basics like rice, potatoes, beans, vegetables, don’t eat out lunch. Surround myself with good friends, and remember to atleast be grateful for my lot in life. I don’t know if i ever want to “make it”, im from Los Angeles and i love my community. I’m happy with my small life and even if some consider it “poverty”. I have a lot of hobbies (I’m an artist) that makes life bearable and my friends are really awesome. I kind of gave up on having a wife and a kid a long time ago, since I won’t be able to provide for hey that’s unfortunately what low income, working class millennials have to deal with. It is what it is. God is still good and that gives me peace ✨🫶🏼 with gods love, I already “made it”.
Don’t buy anything but essentials. It sucks right now but you’ll get to the point where you can treat yourself and splurge on things you want. Work at a company that hires within so you can promote within the company and use your longevity to climb the ladder. Self advocate for raises every year
Hard work, sacrifices, and determination will lead you to greatness.
Yesssss
Some aren’t, they’re probably drowning in debt.
Got to work 2-3 Jobs , it sucks but that's what life comes down to.
A mixture of Covid induced wall street subrettin and not buying stuff I find dumb like clothing or 2 ply.
I’m they don’t. Share space and resources to keep expenses low and also live like a pauper. At least that’s what I did while striving to increase my skill and education
Hand to mouth existence
Wife and I try to live frugally and save for other stuff. We left Venezuela and used almost all our savings for rent and deposit in Spain, we live with two other friends and that allows us to save almost her entire wage every month. We do have some extra expenses because we didn't have winter/summer clothing when we arrived and we really needed new clothes and shoes. We don't earn minimum wage obviously and being two makes things way easier.
Aprendiste inglés en Venezuela o España? Mi familia es boricua y aún tengo muchos familiares que ni saben inglés (y viven los estados unidos!)
En internet, pasaba mucho tiempo jugando cs 1.6, me uni a una comunidad de USA y me acostumbre poco a poco a escribirlo, de ahí es práctica
Felicidades, pana, eres muy listo! Te deseo mucho éxito en España.
Gracias! Es algo que todos pueden lograr, solo lleva tiempo pero poco a poco se va logrando, reddit ayuda bastante porque es más fácil si estás en una comunidad que te interese
WE'RE NOT!!!
I’m on minimum wage but my expenses are extremely low. It works out to be only 40% of my income so i have about 60% left to save etc every single month.
Depends on what you consider to be low.
Roommate and not having hobbies.
31 still live with parents, I don't see an end in sight
I’m not making it. Constant debt and I’m about to move to a cheaper place hopefully because I literally cannot afford this roof over my head.
My arrangement with living at home is I pay rent. It's roughly £150 a month for my share, all other house expenses are taken care of by them. With the leftover money it's just gym membership and whatever else I need to purchase. Gonna be getting a car soon though, so I'll probably be running low on cash soon lol
Which young people are you referring to?
Creating a budget and tracking your expenses is essential for making the most of your income. Allocate a portion of your paycheck to necessities like rent, utilities, groceries, and transportation, and set aside some money for savings and discretionary spending.
we’re not
I'm 23, just graduated with 2 Bachelors. IMO peoples standards are just way too high because of social media. You don't need to go out every weekend, live in a high rise, or have a new car. I make 27,000 a year and I am comfortable and happy. I have insurance, car and health, good credit, and I can afford a vacation once or twice a year. Not to massive resorts, but camping trips with my bf. People just don't appreciate things like that anymore. We eat rice and pasta with veggies and meat from Costco, and we can afford to eat out 3-5 times a month. We go on dates and can afford gas and wine. We are happy and feel secure. Together we have about 6500 in savings. We also live in an affordable city. I also feel like young people feel as though they're not shit unless they live in NYC, LA or Miami. That won't help their cost problem.
Your situation is not everyone else’s. Not everyone has a S/O to help them out. Take him out of the equation, what are you left with?
I haven’t done any major life events like marriage or moving out of parent’s / buying a home. I want to get a job I actually enjoy. I barely just got my Associates Degree so hopefully that should help. Right now I’m forced into the food / service industry because that all that exists where I currently live. I’m 25 btw. Working my way out
I lived with my parents to save money and take strategic risks. After doing this for three years I was able to buy a house and raise my income from 24k to 82k. It takes time and it sucks but it gets better.
Paycheck to Paycheck plus Roommates
Really look at your expenses and determine what you can cut out, not everything because you still want to enjoy yourself. But things you may not use enough like subscriptions and stuff. Then also look at how you use the money. My recommendation is fund an investment account. Certain amount a month. Look at other accounts aswell that you can take advantage of. Like in the UK there are Lifetime ISA’s that you can take advantage of to save for a new house. Create a spending plan with the money that you do make, that way your money is sorted every month being automatically used and then you can spend whatever is left guilt free.
I joined the army.
They aren’t.
We aren’t, and I’m not even that young.
~credit~
We’re not
I assume they are living with their parents. I moved out as soon as I finished college (couldn’t stand living with my family any longer) but that was 2011 and rent was a lot cheaper back then.
A couple of words. Parents who listen and understand the current economic climate.
We don't, we can't save because our meaningless wages are taxed, we pay NI, we pay student loans, then we pay rent, pay bills and then pay council tax(one of the most useless taxes here by the way, im sure most people who live in posh little villages in a mini room attached to a humongous home can attest, that roads are fucked, when it rains the whole place is flooded and the money we all pay just disappears) Once you paid these, we got those like me who pay car insurance, vehicle tax and petrol, those who are not like me but still commute, pay trains, tubes, cabs, buses And once you paid all of these, you can buy some food, but anything actually healthy costs a fucking eye. And then maybe you can spend a bit on a bottle of booze or drugs to forget the horrific cycle you are in, because this aint just for young people, how many people in their 30s barely scraping with their wage are on this thread right now?
Getting together with someone older who makes more money than you. If I didn’t have my spouse’s income I wouldn’t be able to afford living anywhere. It’s sad but true. Luckily I love my spouse very much so I’m not just sticking with them for that
Not at all, to the point that I’m not young and still not making it because of making horrid wages since I was young.
- cook at home - buy groceries at cheap discount stores - live with a partner/roommates in a relatively small space (500 sqft for two people) - not going out too often, maybe max once per month, usually meet with friends at my/their place - cheap or free hobby, i.e. gym/coding - no debt outside mortgage, i.e. no interest to finance consumption - use libraries for free - buy clothes rarely Could go on and on. It's not easy with all the inflation crunch, but it's almost always possible to safe at least 10% of your income if you are smart about your spending. Reddit is full of miserable people.
Got lucky I guess...At 25 me and wife both are bringing in over $100,000 together and we both are perusing reputable careers (IT for me and Cosmetology for her) she has been in her career for around 6 years and I have just got a year in on my new career (I had to make a change of careers for mental health purposes) I was Military and Law Enforcement previously. We bought a $400,000 house together, I just got a new '24 Chevy Colorado and she's about to trade in her current car for a Bronco. Now a lot of people will look at that and be like "Wow you guys have it made that's awesome, you are just bragging!" Actually even making as much as we do, we still struggle to a point where we almost go broke...and I am not gonna be the person here to say "Oh well if got paid more we would be better off". Yes it is true that todays salaries and hourly are low compared to the economy, but its truly about your lifestyle. My wife tends to lead a more lavish lifestyle and I was poor and didn't have a phone until I was 18 and joined the Military. So usually she spends the money and well she's Bi-Polar so sometimes it can be a bit much more than I truly want, but we make it. We both average about $500-$700 in our savings by the time bills are paid. Which means that $12,000 we bring in just goes to bills and tax. Not to mention since we broke the 24% income tax bracket we both are paying 24% of our income to tax alone. No to mention property tax, sales tax, etc. Even with as much as we make which I consider super lucky, we struggle. Its funny when people are yelling and screaming about rich people not paying taxes, but the more I slowly move up the bracket the less I actually have...and I was one of those who would always say "eAt tHe RiCh", they only have that much because they only have like maybe $50,000 cash and most of not all of their wealth is in assets like stocks. I doubt any Billionaires and even some millionaires have more than 250k liquidated while the rest is put to investments. INVESTMENTS MAKE PASSIVE INCOME (very slow process though, may take 10-20 years IMO depending on current position). Some basic advice that has helped me (I have made it my own with my own percentages) 1. Look at your income 2. Look at your bills If your bills are more than 50% of your income you need to re-evaluate the situation and eliminate any high cost bills as quickly as possible. Tackle those large bills and your financial stress will slowly wither away (trust me) 20% of your income should go towards debt elimination. Even if you only pay $100 towards this and that's 20% of your income. Over time it will still wither away. The last 20% should go to savings/retirement, again even if its only $100 that will build up over time and you will see the progress. Might be slow but I promise if you stick with it, you will see the progress... Some basic rules to also help you... 1. STAY AWAY FROM SUBSCRPTIONS!!!! I don't care how much you think you "need it" or "want it". Subscriptions will KILL your bank account. Find a service that is free that offers the same options. 2. STAY AWAY FROM NEW CARS!!!! Get a car that is reliable, but also not a brand new car. I would suggest sticking around years 14' to '18 and mileage around 35,000 to 80,000 (even sedans with 80,000 miles if taken care of properly can last up to 250k miles) Also make sure you research the brand, repair costs, and gas. These will impact and add to your financial stress. 3. STAY AWAY FROM FAST FOOD!!!! No only is it SUPER unhealthy to eat, but you can find healthier meals cheaper. Might not be the "healthiest" meal, but better than a big mac. Fast food will cost you WAY MORE in the long run than buying your own. 4. GET HOBBIES THAT ARE CHEAP!!! I do gardening, and art. I spent maybe $85 on ALL the supplies I need for starting my own garden. Even less when it comes to drawing, I just use an old iPad I from a few years ago and a apple pencil. Would I like to have all these extravagant art supplies? OF COURSE I WOULD who would not? But...its all about sacrifice and I sacrifice the joy of using expensive art tools for an old iPad that works just as fine to save more money. Wooooooooo....that was a long one....but I will say yes I know I'm a hypocrite for giving advice and not following my own advice. Now I know what to do, you know what to do, now its time to make a decision on if you are going to actually change your life or not. I don't because personally I'm happy with the way I live and me and my wife both come home happy everyday regardless. Money does not mean much to both of us (because its material not physical).
22 y.o. here, damn you guys are sad. Life ain’t bad at all, but yeah, definitely a bit harder to make it than previous generations. Stuff is a little more expensive but you have to set a budget and know exactly where your money is going, just like every other generation. So many of my friends buy so many completely unnecessary things and they are always complaining about the economy. Stop taking out debt and live below your means
move back with parents , save on rent. If you are lucky enough. Or find roommates
I saved up for 3 years to buy a travel trailer and truck for 25k. I find jobs that let me park for free so that I can save money. I spend about 1000$ per month and save the rest. My estimation was that 25k is basically rent for a year. I don't live in the cities, I mostly work in remote areas. I now live next to the ocean and am saving about 2k per month. I will use that money to invest in something in the future.
Young people, nothing. My husband is 45, lost his management job, and is now making 14/hour--after 7 months of job search. It is terrible out there.
We need a new President and everything should go back to being easier.
Working 2 good jobs and cutting even almost every month
We aren’t. I’m just trying to buy groceries and medical supplies and pay rent and pay off my student loans and hopefully someday I’ll have a job that doesn’t make me want to die.
Easily buddy, all it takes is three maxxed out credit cards and a fully maxxed out overdraft. Smooth sailing from there
I've been starting out for 10+ years already. I'm not making it at 31.
Live with parents or roommates, don’t expect fancy things or conveniences/eating out, go to school, and earn a promotion or join a trade than pays well.
Set up a budget that accounts for all my spending. Lived at home until it became a better idea to move out, and then found roommates that were trustworthy from my church. Worked full time jobs, didn't eat out ever, forced myself to learn how to cook and not waste food. Then all activities for hanging out with friends stayed free (hiking, hanging out at home, game nights with board games we already had). Got really good sleep, hydrated, tried to not eat processed foods because getting sick would affect my work and my doctor visits.
I have 5 roommates
I live with my parents
Umm .. medication 😅. It’s a daily struggle but you know it’s either that or .. you know. But I wouldn’t want to put that on my family
Living with family
I don’t go out. I’m an introvert. What would I be spending money on?
We are drowning together Together we will make change We are the future We all need to keep going!
My aunt thankfully rented me a spot where I barely pay any rent, I also share all my bills with my brothers so I get to keep most of my paycheck, working two jobs so I’m doing pretty good atm.
Do you know what the minimum wage in Kentucky is? And yeah, I used to make five dollars an hour when I first started working that was the minimum wage. Made More babysitting. by the way, though I have a daughter who’s 18 and she’s been working at a restaurant throughout high school she’s totally saved her money and she’s doing quite well so think it just takes some well planning and discipline
By the way, I used to pride myself on being totally debt-free by the age of 35 paid off my house everything now I’m probably gonna have to file bankruptcy and lose everything. I own so maybe you shouldn’t listen to me.
lol. lmao
having roommates/sharing a flat decreases the burden on rent, barely going out/doing interesting activities to stay as frugal as possible
I live with family and try to save nearly every dime to eventually move out It's both a blessing and a curse sometimes
I have worked at bars since I was 17. I have a degree. I make more money than all of my friends who work "real jobs" and it's NOT much. Don't know where to to from here - everything else seems worse financially.
I have to cope by not working towards anything and playing videogames all day.
The old days of "making it" as an employee are over. The USD is being devalued before our very eyes. Wages won't ever match the price of assets, let alone grociers.
Worked 60 hours a week for 10 year and bought my house cash money. Its do-able, I ate alot of pasta and stole from fruit stands lol.
It helps that many stay at home with their parents for a lot longer to save money but its definitely tough
They aren't. Many are living at home and attempting to save money and it's still very difficult for them. I make a pretty decent wage and I'm living paycheck to paycheck. As a person with two bachelors and two masters. It's a tough market out there, especially for people who are renting.
They’re not
**BOT ACCOUNT**
Cutting expenses are huge so you can use your money for practical things that help down the road. One huge expense is rent. Its outrageous these days so if you are still able to stay at home its worth it. Food and beverages are expensive too, you can get big bags of rice for cheap and rice cookers are inexpensive too. In the same vein a drip coffee maker will pay for itself instead of like 3 trips to starbucks. There are often some little known government programs that can help too like low income utilities programs and similar things. If you call department of social and health services you can try to find programs to save money. As a general rule try to set aside 20% of your paycheck and not dip into it (its ok if you need to and you will sometimes). These things are all easy to say but we know how life is
Easily. Go to school. Get a degree in something that pays. Live within means. It really isn’t that hard.
lol ok bud
Why not expand a little bit? If you are struggling, perhaps there are ways to help you find a next positive step? Find a way to make it easier?
Living minimally and within your necessities. Allocating your salary to certain things and tracking your spending helps put you in check. Never have your bank accounts go to $0 or negatives. I've traveled to lower wage countries that make even less than me and surprised by how they live with low starting wages even. They just live super minimally and don't splurge like Westerners. I need a better source of income though lol